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long post, psychology of interacting with a famous person.
So lately, after having a few exchanges with @wilw after each exchange it leaves me pondering the psychology and social influences that might be at play on either side of the screen.
Before I start disseminating it let me say these are just my thoughts and ideas, I may be WAY off on what is really going on in Wil's head and the last thing I'd want to do is speak for him. So please take it with a grain of salt.
Most of us probably know he is famous. Naturally this means that a lot of people probably try to get his attention, its almost a sense of validation for a famous person to acknowledge you for many people, something people probably go off and brag to their friends about. Sometimes this is probably perfectly innocent, but other times it can probably even get nasty. Just people saying the rudest or most trollish things just in the hopes it would get a rise out of him or famous people in general (I've seen that here since he joined).
I've seen in the way he seems to interact with people on here and on twitter. Maybe I'm just reading into things, maybe its nothing, or maybe I'm hitting the head on the nail, who knows. But it seems when someone just wants his attention, they don't get it. Its usually the people who approach him more as a fellow human than as a famous person he is more likely to respond. After a lifetime of people doing what they can to get his attention I think its a natural response, it gets old.
Then there is the psychology on my side, as someone who doesnt care too much about if someone is famous, but there is still an element of "oh wow cool, this guy that was in a show I really love is talking to me, thats neat". I think there is an element of feeling a bit privileged that considering how many people try to get the guys time or attention he is going to speak to me.
In the end I mostly think to myself "this guy probably doesnt get treated like a normal person too often, so if I'm going to chat with him, let me at least try to treat him like I'd treat any other new friend passing by on the internet." He probably doesnt get that often enough.
Either way, thats my late night ramblings as I reflect and relax in bed...
long post, psychology of interacting with a famous person.
@freemo
Well, it makes (unfortunate) sense, since normal person you know is normal person you know and also generally have to interact with more than once so you can't afford to be *too* dickish or else the game's over, while famous person is defined in your memory by their façade, rather than their… I hesitate to say more real self, because Wil Wheaton did in fact play Wesley, but their more personal, normal, conversational self. So most people are dicks to famous people not out of any malice but because they're talking to the wrong person.
Maybe.
Or maybe my late-night Petersenpai-infused ramblings borne of procrastination just make no fucking sense.
@wilw
long post, psychology of interacting with a famous person.
@freemo
Clarifying: they see Wil as "guy who played Wesley" and therefore "guy with higher status than me", so they play maniacal "NoTiCe Me SeNpAi" games to get his attention so they can put that on their status sheet (to comically exaggerate: "omigosh omigosh omigosh, Carrie, I got a toot from WIL WHEATON!" "*ugh* Jealous."), forgetting that Wil is also some guy who uses Mastodon to be goofy and socialize with people. (Presumably. I don't follow him, so.)
@wilw
long post, psychology of interacting with a famous person.
@4of92000
I'm not sure I agree. Wesley as a character was generally a rather nice person. If people did perceive him as the character I'm not sure it would make the dehumanizing behavior any more expected.
@wilw