Conventioning

One of my favorite parts of volunteering at conventions is talking to the virgins, the people who are there at a convention for the first time. They aren't sure what is going to happen, who they are going to meet, what the autograph is going to be like, how the photo op, where they get to touch the guest they've come to see, is going to go and they are bundles of nervous energy. Most people try to play it cool but a few minutes into the conversation, the excitement starts to show. Unbridled excitement. When you talk to these same people later in the day after they've spent a few minutes or longer with the guests, their eyes are bright with joy.

There is something about seeing an actor in person who has brought to life this character on a tv show you love that is just cool. You notice the differences in personality and even mannerisms. Of course you notice the similarities too. When you go their Q&A's and get to hear them talk in their own words, its a little surreal. You know there is an actor underneath the face of the character you know but it is kind of mindblowing to see and hear the differences. It is probably the magic of television that we still forget that the people in the box are real but its that same magic that makes us giggle when we get to hug them for the first time. "OMG, i'm touching Castiel!!!"

At that first convention, your first memories will be those magic moments. The next memories are going to be the fans you met standing in line or sitting in the theater. Conversations that start with 'Who are you here to see?', 'have you met them before?' or 'What did you think of last week's episode?' Somewhere in the middle of many of thosee conversations, you find some common ground and then the inane joy starts. You start to realize you are surrounded by people who are as enthralled and enthused about this actor/tv show/genre of tv as you are. You aren't sitting at work mulling over last night's cliffhanger alone. You are talking to someone who is just as blown away as you are and is dying to talk about it!

you come for the stars and you stay for the fans.

Your next convention you are almost certain to see people you saw at the last one and even some of the same stars. You recognize others and they recognize you. Maybe you were facebook friends or you started to follow each other on twitter? You discover that you can go to more conventions if you have more roommates so you may be crammed into a room full of people you hardly know. But you all share something - a common bond of loving the experience of being at a convention.

So what is the experience really about? I think its a weeknd that is its own reality. It isn't fantasy. It isn't made up. These are all still real people, stars and fans both. But it is a very focused weekend where you bring in the stars to the fans who appreciate them. It isn't often that everyone in a room knows who you are and even rarer that they are there to see and listen to you. For an actor, that's a pretty awesome gig. For the fans, you have opportunities to ask questions and get up close to them. With every laugh at a joke told on stage and every hug in a photo op, the love fest grows. People are smiling at each other and by the end of the weekend, you've probably hugged more in one day than you did in the entire last month. It is a deeply positive experience made possible because everyone wins. Fans get a few minutes of the actors time, a chance to listen to the actor talk about old shows, new shows or whatever comes up and then a chance to talk about it all with other people who are truly interested. Actors get paid, of course, but they are also promoting their work, meeting fans who love what they do and hear what the fans think about what they've done. Not a bad gig. Everybody wins. That's a dann good weekend.

My theory then is that a convention is an alternate reality. It facilitates giggling, hugging and laughter. You can't sustain that for too long - lines get tiring, money gets scarce and people get cranky. But for a weekend, you are golden.