Who is he? He’s a bit of a famous guy, huh?
Those were not my question and my comment. Some cool blokes said so, while a very crowded group of people were in excitement waiting for The Matrix superstar. It was kinda cold outside George St’s Greater Union that Tuesday, and the night was still young. Yet, those faces were warm with smiles and enthusiasm.
Then, just a few minutes before 7 pm, he finally arrived. Keanu, the star of Street Kings, landed his feet on the red carpet as the premiere screening of his latest movie was about to begin. And the crowds were screaming; camera lights were automatically flashing.
I’m not gonna talk about how cute the 43-year-old actor was, or how cool Keanu’s appearance was that night. The Canadian Beirut-born actor had moustache and beard, that’s for sure, and that was the only one I noticed.
What I’m trying to reflect here is the atmosphere that I felt back on that night, compare to the feeling when an almost-similar event was happening back there in Indonesia. To tell the truth, they’re kinda similar actually. It’s the same pop culture’s effect: people like and always eager to meet a star. Even when they have to wait hours until the popular person appear.
The difference probably is: while people in Indonesia still have to prove their discipline and obedience of rules, we hardly find the problem here – this is generally our people’s problem in any other aspects of life. No one crossed the line of the red carpet that day, and no one ‘caught’ Keanu too long to take pictures. It was this simple: come, wait, be patient, prepare the camera or things to be signed, take picture when he appears, get a signature, and it’s done when he disappears.
Another difference, I think, is the kind of ‘star-worship’ they have. There was a clear view that night, which made me able to differentiate which one was the real fan and which people was not a fan at all. Although there also a group of people across the street that were just looking from the distance, they’re clearly not fans. People who walked by with ignorance were surely not the fans. People who came to GU that night to simply enjoy their movie were obviously not fans of Keanu as well. On the other hand, crowds in each side of the red carpet were surely fans of the Speed-guy.
Is that all?
Well, actually, that night while trying to take my own amateur picture with my low-resolution compact digital camera, I was thinking of something else. I was a bit ‘jealous’ with the best spots the photographers and journalists had that night; it made me remember my own experiences when I was still on duty in Indonesia. And it just make me sure again: how I always love to be closely involved in the world of entertainment and showbiz by that role.
To Speak Alone 