I love entertainment but hated being an entertainment reporter
I love entertainment but hated being an entertainment reporter
Meeting entertainers you’re a fan of can lead to disappointment
Writer’s note: This post was originally published on Medium’s “We Need to Talk” on September 24, 2022.
I would never be this far back at a concert, especially during the years I was an entertainment reporter. I must admit that was one of my favorite parts of that career field.
I got used to doing three things before meeting a popular artist or group — finding the nearest plugs to charge my smartphone, arriving early enough to park my car (or take public transportation if it wasn’t chaotic) before the line started and making sure I never lost contact info for the publicist. If I managed to get those three things done easily, I was (usually) good to go.
Still, there’s something bizarre about a celeb calling your personal smartphone or a business line, and saying, “Hey, this is [first name only].” There’s a part of your brain that tries to connect this first name to a family member or friend, but you quickly remember this is the first name of someone that is known nationwide (and sometimes worldwide). Interestingly, very very very few times did these celebrities use their well-known celebrity names. In their minds, they are often still that same pre-fame person. (Publicists call them by their celebrity names 100% of the time though, so it all depends on the team.)
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I thought about this recently when someone sent me a job ad for a publication that was looking for new entertainment writers. The description was similar to what I’d already done over the years. But I twisted my face up, thanked the sender for thinking of me and firmly rejected it. Was I qualified to do the job? Absolutely. I just have no further desire in being an entertainment reporter. Why? Depending on the person, entertainment reporting really does ruin the fun of being a fan.