I had been looking forward to this year’s Fan Expo since last year when I wasn’t able to go, and I tell you… it was… um… I’m glad I went, but I’m not. I’m glad I have something to talk about, but it’s like after drinking too much: you’re not really sure if you should be happy you did it, but you can laugh about it. Both experiences, Fan Expo and drinking too much start with good anticipation, but the big difference is during the experience, drinking – at least so I’ve been told since I don’t drink – is fun. For many people the fun you have is so good it’s worth the hangover after. Fan Expo is not like drinking because during the event… you’re not having any fun. After you might talk about it like it’s great, but it’s really not. The event itself is like going to Disney World, but without the rides, the cheerful staff, and semi-ridiculous prices. No, Fan Expo isn’t cheaper than Disney; in fact, it made Disney look cheap. “$7 for a drink I get to wait in a line for 15minutes before I get it? Wow, this is what fun is all about!” The one thing it had in common with Disney is there were lots of people in costumes; some of which were incredible; some of which I’m not sure if you can call a costume. One fairly attractive young lady was wearing green body paint… that’s it. Sorry, there were nipple covers, but that was her costume; is that a costume? Is body paint considered a costume? There’s a “cost” to it, but I’m thinking it’s missing the “ume”. I’m not complaining… she was attractive… I’m just pointing out a question I have: is body paint a costume? The other major difference between Fan Expo and Disney World is at Disney you generally get at least several inches of personal space… minus the times someone with a stroller rams your heels. I was at Disney World on one of the busiest days of the years this summer and it wasn’t as bad as Fan Expo. Fan Expo was a great reminder that some people need better hygiene habits. It’s also a great reminder that I’m incredibly lucky to be 6 feet tall. My poor fiancé is armpit level… not a good level at a place like this. The only thing worse is being on an escalator and being butt level… my apologies to the people who were behind me. Fan Expo is the kind of place that’s so jammed with people you start to think maybe a plague isn’t a bad thing. I’m not saying I’m pro plague, but that afternoon I could’ve been persuaded.
Overall my experience at Fan Expo was less than pleasant… it was less than bad… it was less than very bad. There were some friendly staff (trying to point out a positive), but it was the most disorganized event I’ve ever experienced (the positive was to balance the negative I just shared). It was chaos. Walking through the celebrity area was like shimmying through a mosh pit of anxious and friendly enthusiasts.
The best part of the experience was briefly meet Elijah Wood (Frodo from Lord of the Rings) and Nathan Fillion (Firefly and Castle), and to how good they are with fans. Some might say that they should be friendly since they’re being paid to sign autographs and take photos, but being friendly to hundreds of strangers is exhausting. It’s not easy saying thank you and pretending to care about the compliments you hear hour after hour… I’m guessing. I’ve never had that exact kind of experience, but I’ve worked retail so I know what it means to pretend to be happy to care about people you don’t know. Regardless, I was thoroughly impressed with the celebrities I saw at the event because they all seemed like genuinely nice people, especially the two I met: Nathan Fillion was charming like his character Castle and Elijah Wood has a face that is incredibly welcoming.
So what’s the lesson I can take away from this? As a recovering judger, I have to be careful not to be too critical of things, but at the same time I need to be balanced. I don’t want to leave this experience thinking it was amazing and the best time ever when in the moment it wasn’t fun at all. I saw some neat things, enjoyed seeing some famous people and spending time with a couple friends, but it was not something I should want to repeat. As much as I push seeing the positive in things, I shouldn’t ignore the fact that there were drawbacks to this experience that should prevent me from returning.
This week may you find the balance of being too negative versus being too positive.
Rev Chad David, ChadDavid,ca, Learn to love dumb people