Eric Idolatry

This is another blog post that was written as a response to someone else's blog and/or status update...  Whatever...  I haven't been regularly blogging in about...four years (?) now.  This is how I get inspired lately.  Anyway, I randomly started following this comedian, actor, Press Club 7 producer, burlesque dancer, pin-up and a bunch of other stuff-type person on Twitter named Veronika Swartz.  The original blog she wrote was called, "Nerd Whore," and it was all about embarrassing encounters with celebrities.  You can find it at http://veronikaswartz.com/2010/11/nerd-whore/ if you're interested in checking it out.  It's quite good.

Anyway, this was my response...



I nearly made a fool of myself with my own celebrity encounter while working at a Shakespearean festival out in Utah one summer about 4 years ago…

I was in this main pavillion area singing “Do Wot John” by Monty Python to myself for some reason. I have no idea why the song came to mind. I hadn’t heard it in about 10 years at the time, but all of a sudden I heard it in my head, and walked out of this building onto a path leading back away from the festival campus toward my apartment, humming the song.

I was walking with my head down because of a blaring Utah, midday son when I looked up just to make sure I wasn’t going to bump into anyone. Down the path I see the head of the festival and some older walking next to him and think, “Huh…that guy next to so-and-so looks like Eric Idle.” Thinking I just had Monty Python on the brain I ignored my observation and put my head back down…but quickly picked it back up just to make sure.

The couple got closer and I thought, “Oh my God. That guy REALLY looks like Eric Idle. Before taking a few more steps I realized, “Holy shit! It IS Eric Idle!” I just froze in the middle of the path and watched as Eric and this festival board member (or whatever he was) walked past me in serious conversation.

I tried to think of something to say, but just went blank so I just thought, “NO WAY!” Instead, I didn’t just think…I said it out loud…in an extremely loud, juvenile, half-braindead, part deep-and-booming, part cracking going-through-puberty voice.

Still, I didn’t believe it was him even as I was saying it…but it was confirmed when in mid-step, Idle turn his head around, put a big smile on his face and furiously nodded his head as if to wordlessly say, “That’s right you prepubescent sounding tool! IT’S ME!” I later found out he was traveling with his family through Utah to hike, see the sights, etc…and see our production of HAMLET.

I’ve met other celebrities since then and I have never really even had a remote impulse to say, “Oh my God! You’re amazing!” Etc. And I have,for the most part, avoided that attitude…except for the time I nearly peed my pants in front of Eric Idle. In fact, I’ve realized I only go nuts around people like Eric Idle, or any time I see someone who engages my inner geek.