Over the last five years a number of people that I studied with have begun appearing in the media. At first, these appearances were limited to "guest spots" or articles and so on, but they all seem to be consolidating their experience and expertise (hopefully we all are).
What makes this weird is that in seeing people that I once knew (very well), it sometimes makes me feel connected to them in the way that I once was. Tonight, for example, I was watching Adam Hills on Spicks and Specks. Now, I have not seen him for many years, but one of his trademarks as a comedian is his ability to authentically reach his audience … and after a heavy day, it was strangely comforting to hear and see him on TV.
It made me think about how challenging it can be to remain authentic while working with a medium like TV. Part of the reason that I connect with Adam is through a shared history, which is now more to do with storytelling than with reality, but the same can be said for our relationships with other celebrities … the more that they are in our homes, the more we feel emotionally engaged with them. And while this makes ME feel weird, I bet it makes the celebrities feel even weirder … because of course, TV is a one way storytelling medium.
And even though it made me feel weird tonight … it also made me feel kind of happy. Now THAT is weird.
S.