Celebrities, Bentleys, red carpets… oh my!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 –I spent the entirety of last week in Los Angeles. It was the most time I’ve ever spent in the area so I feel a little more seasoned to the city now. I was there with the family that I live with and babysit for, so I spent quite a lot of time with the kids… but I used my free time to explore! When most people go to LA, I think checking out Hollywood is a top priority. I was no exception. Although I kind of hate to admit that I actually buy into all of that Hollywood glitz and glam… it still fascinates me. Probably because I grew up in a little farm town in the middle of Michigan where the biggest celebrity you ever see is a guy dressed up as Ronald McDonald. People don’t drive fancy cars, wear fancy clothes, or go to fancy parties. Life is pretty simple and the only exposure to Tinseltown is what you see in the movies. However, since I went to film school, worked at a film studio in Chicago, and met a fair share of celebrities over the years, I feel like I shouldn’t be fazed by Hollywood. (Are you allowed to have that many commas in a single sentence?) Anyway… despite it all, I still feel overwhelmed and a tad bit dazzled whenever I’m in LA. So… last week I decided to be a tourist and check out Hollywood Blvd. I saw the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the famous hand prints at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the famous Hollywood Sign, and was even tempted to go into the wax museum. I felt a little pathetic the whole time, but I sucked it up and let the excitement of it all take over. However, I have to say… the Hollywood sign was an anticlimax. I don’t know why I had built it up so much in my mind… maybe because whenever you see it in the movies there is a “We’re here!! We’re in Hollywood! Anything can happen!” kind of feeling. (Or is that just me?) In reality, it’s just some white letters on a mountain.

I will be returning to the LA area on Monday for the filming of the live season finale of The Hills. Yes, I watch that show. I tried to fight it all through college but I gave up because it actually is mildly entertaining. When I saw that they were looking for people to fill the studio audience for the finale, I applied… not really thinking I’d actually get selected. But I did and I’m going to go. I’m going to see Lauren, Audrina, Whitney, Heidi, and Spencer and love every minute of it. I realize that by admitting this to the world I will lose some credibility from fellow film students alike, but I guess its time to finally come out of the reality TV closet.