The Time I Met Famous People

Photo by Anaylee Hough

SATIRE

When I was in middle school, I got the chance to meet celebrities. I got to see one of my favorite artists, the global pop star, Rihanna! She was wearing a silky red two-piece with even more dazzling jewelry. She even decided to pose for us to take her picture. Her posture was so still, I’m surprised she stayed in that position for so long. We all crowded around her, waiting for a chance to speak with her. Some of my favorite songs by her are Cockiness, James Joint and L.E.M.O.N, a song that she released with the well-known producer and artist, Pharrell Williams. 

Photo by Anaylee Hough

Photo by Anaylee Hough

Speaking of the famous producer Pharrell Williams, I got to see him as well! He was wearing a red leather jacket with black jeans. Pharrell is well known for producing a vast amount of songs for different artists in different genres. His songs are very distinct and you can tell a song is made by him if there are four beats at the start of the song. Ever since I learned this, I love pointing it out when I hear a song play. One of my favorite songs ever by Tyler, the Creator, was produced by Pharrell. The name of the song is “Are We Still Friends.” You can hear Pharrell’s signature four beats at the beginning of the song. Some more of my favorite songs by Pharrell are “Beautiful” featuring Snoop Dogg and “Get Lucky,” which he made with his group Daft Punk.

I also got to meet actress and pop singer Selena Gomez. She was wearing a beautiful black dress. I would watch her show “Wizards of Waverly Place” when I was younger, which was one of my favorite TV shows growing up. I was so excited to see her that day. It felt like an unreal experience honestly. I couldn’t believe she was right in front of me. Some of my favorite songs by her are “Come and Get It,” “Lose You to Love Me” and “Same Old Love.” I was so excited to see her because she was a huge part of my childhood. 

Photo by Anaylee Hough

Photo by Anaylee Hough

I even got to see Prince. Middle school me knew he was very popular back in the 80s and 90s. He was wearing his signature purple coat. The only song I knew by him was “Purple Rain.” I saw him in 2017, even though he passed away a year before. I also got the chance to see the legendary King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. He was wearing his famous bedazzled glove and one of his staple pieces, the sparkly black jacket. He passed away before I was born, but I know the impact he left on the music industry and society as a whole. 

As a society, we tend to put celebrities on a pedestal. When we see them in person, we get excited and want autographs, conversations and pictures with them. Why do we give them this much power over us? Madame Tussaud's is a museum full of celebrity wax figures. The museum is popular and many people enjoy going. In middle school, I was so thrilled to go to the museum as a school trip because I heard people enjoyed their time there. 

However, now that I’m older, I believe it’s a bit peculiar. The concept of being excited to meet another human being with whom we know nothing about. Even if it’s a fake version of them, like a wax figure. Don't get me wrong, I still get excited when I see a celebrity, but I do think it’s interesting, the level of impact they have on society. At the end of the day, they’re regular people just like us and some of them want to be treated as such. I guess being excited to see other people is a part of human nature. No Michael Jackson pun intended.