Fallen idols Julie & Julia

Labour Weekend, public holiday in NZ and for me a time to catch up with the latest film scene on DVDs as I am unable to go to the cinema. I have a feast.

Julie & Julia, the tale of a thirty year old woman, Julie Powell, coming to terms with life by cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking' 545 dishes in one year and writing about it in a blog. Based on a true story the young Julie  idolizes her mentor. Julia Child becomes her icon and inspiration.

At the end of the film the young Julie is told that that  her idol has indeed read her blog and far from being impressed grateful and encouraging, hated it! Not one good word to say for it! This must have been crushing  and proves once again that one should never, never meet one's idols in real life because the disappointment can be devastating.

To be fair Julia Child was 90 and died that year and we all are not at our best in the last year of life but it must have hurt.

I found out this horrible fact of life when I met my icon face to face. Margot Fonteyn  lived up to all expectations of a famous icon and delivered a crushing blow from which I have never recovered. She had the graciousness to apologize later but the damage was done.  Idol after idol has fallen off the pedestal of admiration in real life so much so that I now refuse to meet my idols even if the opportunity is offered.

Cary Grant was one I reused to meet. He lived in Bristol and always visited the Bristol Hippodrome when in his home town. Such a visit was planned when I was hoofing the boards there. I absented  myself from the occasion. As Cary Grant said of "Cary Grant" 'I'd love to meet Cary Grant in real life too'.

Celebrities are manufactured like plastic pegs. In real life they have very little in common with the public expectation.

So who would I run a mile from meeting these days? Well Richard Dawkins, my admiration for his courage to speak out against silliness knows no bounds is one and God the Father another and I don't think I should like to meet the real Jesus Christ either. All three might prove to be less than  my expectations might desire.

I think Heaven too might be a big disappointment  but that is a place I know that I shall never visit. 

Take my advise never meet your idols!