My Guilty Pleasure

I must say, I have always been a fangirl since I was quite young.  Shaun Cassidy, Donny Osmond, and Davy Jones (who was adorable until the end) were my favorites back during what could now be described as my tween years.  And although I dreamed of one of them sweeping me off my feet and being my husband, I never really was one to write fan letters or scream at a concert.

As I got older, I realized that I could never possibly be a pop star's spouse, what with the groupies, parties, and constant travel.  It just didn't seem like a good lifestyle for me.  Of course, I also didn't know them so that seriously put a crimp in the whole "I love you, but I'm afraid I can't be with you because of your lifestyle" scenario. And I'm forever grateful that I never converted to Mormonism because I never did meet Jimmy Osmond.

But, I have always been a huge fan of pop culture and have always wanted to see more inside a well-known person's world. Its not that I want that world for myself, but I always thought it would be fun to just have a conversation with someone famous that I found interesting.  I guess I wanted to see if they are just ego driven or if they are folks just like anyone else.  

Enter Twitter.

Twitter is, without a doubt, my guilty pleasure. In just 140 characters,  I finally get to see if the people who I think might be interesting to know are interesting or just idiots. I follow a lot of news people, Dancing With the Stars pros, American Idol alum, other reality "stars," General Hospital actors past and present, and anyone else who I might find interesting.  You wouldn't believe how fun Alan Thicke and Chaz Bono can be!

I tend to follow people who think the same as I do on different issues simply because I don't want to be aggravated during what should be considered fun (so sorry Kirk Cameron).  I find that most people are just like anyone.  A lot are Moms and Dads and so far, no one is really too dippy.  For that reason, I don't follow Justin Beiber, Miley Cyrus, or anyone with the last name of Kardasian.  If I get annoyed by someone, I just unfollow.  

And the best part? You can tweet them and they TWEET BACK!  The dialogue I have always wanted is now possible!  I will sometimes comment on a performance the person has given, or an issue they support, or simply a Mom thing.  Quite recently, I have tweeted with Good Morning America's Sam Champion about Dancing with the Stars.  Some are even great about birthday wishes Sam and Josh Elliot wished my son a Happy Birthday.  I asked if they could and they obliged.

I have had "chats" with DWTS' Tony Dovolani and Lacey Schwimmer, GMA's Sam, Josh, Lara Spencer,Ron Claiborne, Dan Harris, Ginger Zee, and Elizabeth Vargas (George Stephanopoulos is my personal Holy Grail), American Idol Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks, Malibu Beach  and Queer Eye  alum Jai Rodriguez, N'SYNC's Lance Bass, Holly Robinson Peete, Real World San Francisco's Judd Winick, The Little Couple's Dr. Jennifer Arnold, writer Missy Buchanan, The Chew's Michael Symon and Carla Hall, peace activist Dr. Jennifer Stepanek (we've actually exchanged real letters over the last couple years),  and yes, even Kate Gosselin.  Sometimes its just a retweet; sometimes its a little conversation, but its always a hoot to get a response.

 I once went back and forth with Ginger Zee wondering if my son would perish during an outside activity in the extreme heat. She assured me he would be OK.  Carla Hall was pleased that "slapping my mint" to bring out the flavors had worked well for me.  Lacey replied that my favorite movie dance scene in a movie (the last big dance number with Cyd Cherrise in Singin' in the Rain) was hers as well. And Kate and I surmised that its important to do some math and reading during the summer so that knowledge is not lost. 

 I would love to get a response sometime from John Krasinski, Ingo Rademacher, and David Cook  I admire all of their talent and how they conduct themselves as people in the public eye.  I'm kidding!  I think they're pretty sexy!

I feel very much like those who collect autographs.  I collect mentions on Twitter. It's less time consuming and probably cheaper. I think at 46, I'm always going to be a fan of pop culture and all that surrounds it.  I'm just glad that I found a way to continue to have fun with it! 

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