Derby celeb sightings? Let's hear 'em!

[Robin Garr]

This morning's CJ (yeah, I looked at the Gannett paper, so sue me ) mentions that the Mine That Bird party got in late, without reservations, at ... Ruth's Chris.

After watching the news clips of celebrities in town for the derby it appeared to me that there was a distinct LACK of celebs this year. Some minor tv personalities, some sports figures and of course Paris Hilton. Where were all the major stars we are used to seeing?

Does Paris Hilton really even count?

NO

Perhaps it's because I don't watch as much TV as I view movies. I'm not up on these TV personalities at all. But we used to see many stars from the movies here in town. I can remember seeing George Clooney, Cybill Shepherd, Julia Roberts, Gene Hackman, Ashley Judd, even Prince Albert II one year. This year... no one.

Let's face it, we live in a totally different era. People like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian and others are big guns in the E-entertainment, reality show world. I have no interest in these people nor in their type of celebrity, but I do understand their place on the celebrity foodchain. Besides, some people on this forum may get excited by Bobby Flay or Guy Fieri, while others have no clue who they are. There is an impressive range of singers, socialites, politicians, sports figures, and others that make up the Derby extravaganza. Something is going right when people will pay almost $4,000 for a 3-night hotel package, serious bucks for dinner packages, hundreds of dollars to attend galas and fundraisers, and packing Churchill Downs with over 250,000 people in 2 days......And this is all during a recession and post-Ryder Cup!

Let's face it, we live in a totally different era. People like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian and others are big guns in the E-entertainment, reality show world. I have no interest in these people nor in their type of celebrity, but I do understand their place on the celebrity foodchain. Besides, some people on this forum may get excited by Bobby Flay or Guy Fieri, while others have no clue who they are. There is an impressive range of singers, socialites, politicians, sports figures, and others that make up the Derby extravaganza. Something is going right when people will pay almost $4,000 for a 3-night hotel package, serious bucks for dinner packages, hundreds of dollars to attend galas and fundraisers, and packing Churchill Downs with over 250,000 people in 2 days......And this is all during a recession and post-Ryder Cup!

First off, the rich are still rich. If you lost millions in the stock market I can't feel sorry for you. It's the middle class that lost 500 grand to a million that was their retirement that got hurt. The stinking rich will always be stinking rich.

As for the celebrities, you are 100% correct. Who is a celebrity to one person can be a no-name to another. I went to Barnstable last year and watched as Evander Holyfield, Bobby Flay, Run DMC, and Paul Azinger walked around freely with the normal folks. As soon as a playboy platemate, or O' Reilly entered the crowd it was chaos.

We are have the same discussion over celebrities as we were with BBQ.

I saw Andy Samberg at the track on Oaks day. He's from SNL (does the digital shorts) and has been in a handful of movies (he's in I Love You, Man).

He was walking around the paddock, hopefully enjoying a day at the track and not being hassled

I will never understand why people are so fascinated at the mere sight of a "celebrity". Especially someone like Paris Hilton. She became “famous” for acting like an idiot on T.V. and a slut in her personal life. The only reason she even had the opportunity to undertake such an endeavor is because someone in her family was a good businessman. I must be completely out of touch with today's culture of people who stand on the side of the road and gawk at other people. Personally I would rather spend the time doing something more productive that will provide value to MY life. I can't really blame someone like Paris Hilton because society created the monster. Ask 100 people who won American Idol last year and a good percentage will probably know. Ask them about politics or a matter of substance, and more often that not you get misinformation or a blank stare. If you are wondering how this is relevant to the original post (I have been wondering myself for several minutes since I wrote it), this rant is an anti-response to Robin's original post!

Speaking personally, I am not enraptured by the sight of a celebrity like Paris Hilton. I agree, she seems to be something created solely by the media. And while I have never been a member of the throng of crowds gathered outside the Barnstable party or the sort of person who asks for autographs, I an interested in anyone that exhibits any kind of extraordinary skill, be it cooking, writing, acting or something else. I can't help but wonder how their brain clicks in order to manifest their talent. I wonder if their humanity matches their skill. I've met several talented actors that were, in their personal lives, poops. And I wonder how that happens. I've met the opposite as well... fantastically talented people that were very kind, generous and endowed with a sense of humanity. (Carol Burnett comes to mind.) I think restaurant workers see many of these extraordinary people at their best and at their worse.

[Robin Garr]

this rant is an anti-response to Robin's original post!

No worries, Will, I think the whole celebrity-adoration thing is stupid! My post was really not in awe of celebs but, I hoped, would troll out some great stories about nasty celebs leaving no tips or getting drunk and behaving badly ... you know, the good stuff ...

Ask 100 people who won American Idol last year and a good percentage will probably know. Ask them about politics or a matter of substance, and more often that not you get misinformation or a blank stare.

So true! At the risk of offending, we call it 'American Idiot'. My mom can't understand why we don't watch it. "Everyone else does!" Isn't she the same one that told me about people jumping off a bridge??

I hate the popularity of so called reality shows. I get enough reality at home.

I do have some dirt on Paris Hilton. Not anything terribly juicy, mind you, just amusing. She walks sideways, always posing, even when there are no cameras around.

I hate the popularity of so called reality shows. I get enough reality at home.

I think most "reality" shows probably fall into one of two catagories -- 1) Game shows "on location" (e.g., "Survivor", "Amazing Race") where participants engage in contests or stunts in order to advance; and 2) The "portrait of a narcissist" program, in which second and third-tier celebrities display their fabulous lives for public consumption....the first time I noticed writing credits on a reality show I knew the jig was up (why would you need writers for a program thats supposed to depict reality?)...

...perhaps Andy Warhol was right after all -- i.e., in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes...

I do have some dirt on Paris Hilton. Not anything terribly juicy, mind you, just amusing. She walks sideways, always posing, even when there are no cameras around.

Michelle, you shouldn't make a dig about how someone walks...poor Paris may have been wounded in Vietnam and can't help it....

I can hear poor Paris now..."Like, ohmigawd, what's Vietnam?!"

I do have some dirt on Paris Hilton. Not anything terribly juicy, mind you, just amusing. She walks sideways, always posing, even when there are no cameras around.

Michelle, you shouldn't make a dig about how someone walks...poor Paris may have been wounded in Vietnam and can't help it....

Actually I think she was shived when she did time in the big house.