ampersandology: film. culture. words.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The Canadian Fame System and You

by Jillian Leigh, Ampersandology



Do you know one thing that is utterly charming? One thing that I can bank on in this increasingly bankrupt, white-noise racket of a modern din that I love and loathe in the same breath? 


Here is a spoiler: it is the fact that you may one day befriend a Canadian Famous Person.*







Yes. This picture of Margaret Atwood and George Stromboulopoulis just shootin' the breeze and posing for this extremely sassy photo op proves the abstract concept of 'vindication.' Seeing Canadian celebrities hanging out isn’t as bizarre as its American counterpart: that is, the moment when you learn of a bizarre celebrity connection and must face the truth that that yes Virginia,  Hollywood stars do, in fact, befriend each other. That is weird! I assumed that Hollywood celebrities could only function contained within some kind of immaculate vacuum in which only their own individual fame exists, disabled only on location, Vanity Fair Oscar parties and the set of the Oprah Winfrey Show. How else can they live?!? It is a surreal high school experience that will never end: an ouroboros of ego.


But in Canada, there's none of that. I just assume that everyone who is famous in Canada meets annually at a secret convention just to compliment each other on doing a bang-up job managing the delicate balance of being both Canadian AND famous. Heck, who knows: maybe one day you -- YES, YOU!-- may one day BECOME a Canadian famous person. And really, why not? There's something so attainable about the prospect of chilling with our Canadian glitterati that, in my opinion, makes us a much cooler and accessible culture. 


In related news, God bless Margaret for being adorable in her spare time. Full time, of course, she's busy blowing my fragile mind and making me jealous of all the words she put together to make babies before I had a chance to put those words together to make babies. It's one of those vicious cycles I keep alluding to that people think are just jokes but in fact are CRIES FOR HELP. 


Photo courtesy of the Margaret Atwood blog. Sidenote: 70 years old and she's got a blog. Stop being incorrigible, you endearing septuagenarian  moppet!  It makes it difficult to concentrate on my very important-type work stuff. 




*Unless they are, in fact, deceased. In which case, don't be morbid. 


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