We live in a world that is obsessed with
celebrities. Children idolize them, teenagers worship them, and adults
swoon over them. And not only does our popular culture revolve around
the famous, increasingly our news is centered around these overexposed
people as well.
It's a bit annoying for someone like myself!
I don't really care about celebrities. It's not that I dislike them, I
simply think of them as regular "folks", if I may borrow the overused
word of the decade. (Fame and fortune are overated and don't solve the
basic problems we all have.) I believe the famous should be treated
with the same respect as anybody else, which includes not leering at
them or their pictures and not following their private lives.
But I'm in the minority. And that's why there
are people who will never get the credit they deserve for making LOTR
the success it is so long as the celebrities are around to overshadow
them.
I've talked to thousands of Ringers the last
few years, and so many of them have said, "Boy, I wish I could be part
of the Lord of the Rings project." People say they would have liked to
have been an extra, or a grip... or heck, even a janitor.
What these Ringers don't realize is that
they're actually the most important part there is. Fandom is not only
the engine which drives the entertainment industry, it's the only point
to it all, no matter how many award shows there are. Peter Jackson,
Orlando Bloom, and company have jobs simply because of us. (We're
actually their bosses!)
Fans occasionially are mentioned by the
media, but our regularly scheduled celebrity swooning soon returns. Or,
in contradistinction, fans of science fiction and fantasy are
ridiculed.
I've always admired people who believe so
passionately in something they immerse themselves in it. In fact, I
enjoy seeing the fans at conventions more than I enjoy seeing the
stars. Don't get me wrong: I respect many celebrities for their
ambition and hard work. I admire Elijah Wood for having the motivation
and creativity to film three scenes of himself in a homemade hobbit
costume to ensure that he'd get the part of Frodo.
But I also admire Dan Madsen for turning a
small Star Trek newsletter, made in his parents' basement, into the
Official Star Trek Fan Club, and then turning that into a fan club
company. (Dan may not be as cute or as famous as Elijah, but I'd join
the "Dan Madsen Fan Club" anyday!)
However, when I say that the fans are
important, I don't just mean those that publish magazines, or attend
conventions, or dress up like their favorite characters. The majority
of fans are just regular people who wear blue jeans and enjoy watching
the movies at the cinema and at home. And LOTR would be virtually
nothing without them.
One question which has popped up on virtually
every LOTR message board is, "What would you say to Peter Jackson if
you got to meet him?" The nearly unanimous answer is one word:
"Thanks."
Before the journey is over, I think we're going to hear Peter say,
"You're welcome. And thank You."
Because, in the end, the Lord of the Rings
project isn't about Peter Jackson. It's all about us. And we should be
just as proud of the part we play as anyone else involved with the
project.
