A Normal Person's Facination with Actors

In a bus on the way home from the gym, I went to the top deck and sat at the very front of the bus. I always like this seat cause I can see the whole view in front of me... and not some person's head. It pretty fun, especially on a sunny day, where you can get as much sunlight as possible and also get the view your surroundings. Of course, a lot of people don't like this seat because if the bus gets into an accident, you're going to be probably the first one to be literally thrown out of the window.

Well, for today, while sitting on my favorite seat, I was faced with a big poster of Charlene Choi for her "A Chinese Tall Story" movie poster... at least for 10 minutes. The bus up front had this movie poster on its back... and well, I don't really mind it. Comparatively, I like Ah-Sa, compared to her other "twin" counterpart, better, because she looks all nice, and friendly and jolly.

Well, given an estimated 10 minutes face to face with an almost 10-feet Ah-Sa (Charlene Choi) in an angelic getup and with a mock white angel wings protrouding out from her back would definitely get you thinking... at least if not for her looks, then what she is as a person, and what she stands for.

Yes, I suppose I'm going to end up being philosophical about it.

I mean faced with a 10 foot Ah-Sa is about as good as it gets. If you're a fan, you're likely going to like sitting at where I was sitting. But looking at the poster, so close up, all I can think of was: This girl looks like any other girl I see on the normal Hong Kong streets. Except for the fact that she's playing this angelic character, as a part, and as an actor, ... but basically, that's about it. Then I started wondering, what IS actually so exceptional about to her, to have throngs and throngs of fans lining up for her movies, buying her cds, going to her concerts, at this moment in time,... I could not understand.

From a consumer point of view, I've seen some of her movies. She's nice, and she can make a fan out of me.. yet. At some point after going out of the cinema house, maybe because of the role that she's played, I'd feel as if I have some sort of affinity towards her. Actually, it shouldn't be for her, really, but for the character she's played. A lot of people mistake that affinity towards the actors and actresses they idolize - when you think about it, the actors are just playing make believe. A lot of people end up extremely liking soap opera tv actors because of this: The personality of the characters these actors portray extends into the audience's impressions of the actor himself, and this affinity extends all throughout the show.. probably for more than 12 hours, 1 hour each week, or something like that.

I know a couple of people who dislike certain actors, just because the first time they've seen them, is when the actor was playing the bad guy. On the flip side, I know several people who has gone gaga over actors who pay lead roles. You know how lead roles are.. they have some special distinctive characteristic, attitude or value that sets them apart from the rest of the supporting characters. So now, after the TV/Soap/Movie finishes, you have throngs and throngs of fans going goo-goo and gaa-gaa over the actor. But its really a wrong impression of the actor, isn't it? he isn't the part he plays, and the part he plays, isn't him. All of this is just a make believe world.. and the whole entertainment industry, at least a whole lot of them, are making money off merchandises off these actors's popularity, and taking advantage of the fan's impressions.

It doesn't seem right to me. I kept on looking at Charlene Choi.

She really does look simple and normal. I'm sure I've seen a whole slew of other girls who look far more adorable than her. Yes, I know she looks adorable, but I'm sure that are lots of others who look far better.

But for some strange reason, these other prettier girls don't have that zombie following that Charlene has. And its obviously not her looks that grab people's attentions.

What IS with these people? Are they really popular because they're good actors, or is it just that they're good because they're distinctly "beautiful" (I can definitely say that about Takeshi Kaneshiro), a movie/tv/singing crossover popular (like the Twins), soap popular (Korean star, Rain, anyone?) or whatever what not?

Whatever happened to what your capability is would be the factor by which you will be judged? All these "physical" appearances and character-to-actor (misleading) affinities are making me sick.

I looked at Charlene some more. Still she doesn't look too bad, so I suppose I can still continue on looking at her.. its just that she doesn't really look extraordinary. She just looks like someone .. who's been very lucky - someone who's hit the jackpot.

I don't see the point. Where's the virtue in that? ....

But I'll still keep on looking at her poster, I guess. How strange.