Tale of a Celebrity Photo

Sonia Livingstone argues that fans are the most active of audiences. From camping out for premieres to writing elaborate fanfiction to even getting jailed for stabbing the rivals of their idols (see Steffi Graf fan stabbing Monica Seles), fandom exhibits the color and diversity of the act of audiencing. It's cultural studies' weapon against conservative notions of media audiences as infantilized, disengaged and vulnerable dupes.

Let me present my own anecdote as part of our evidence.

Last Christmas, my mom and I were shopping for gifts for my brother at Topman in Rockwell when Jake Cuenca enters the store. My mom apparently is a big "fan" and tells me that she wants to say hi. I carry on rifling through their collection of plaid shirts as I say a silent prayer for her to keep her mouth shut. Jake Cuenca apparently wanted to check out the plaid shirts himself and walks toward us.

Dialogue begins.
Mom: "Hi, Jake."
Jake: (surprised) "Oh. Hi po. Merry Christmas!" (takes off his sunglasses)
Mom: "Merry Christmas, I'm Susan. I'm a fan."

Jake extends his hand for a polite greeting and says thank you. I'm also sure that Cougar! alarm bells started ringing in his head. But the real embarrassment is just about to begin.

Mom: "This is my son, Jon. Jon, this is Jake Cuenca. He's a star in ABS-CBN."
Jake: (turns to me) "Oh. Hi."
Jon: (turns red) "Hi. Yes ma, I know who he is."
Mom: "Huh? You know him?"
Jon: "Yes! I know OF him."
Mom: (turns to Jake) "Oh. He normally doesn't know local celebrities eh. I'm surprised he knows you."
Jake: "Ah ganun po ba?"
Mom: "Oo. Nasa UK kasi siya the past years."
Jon: "But I worked in GMA also. And back then, he was already the star of some of our shows."
Mom: (turns to Jake) "Huh? Nag-GMA ka ba?"
Jake: "Opo. Recent lang po ako sa ABS."
Mom: "Ah ganun ba? Can we have our photo taken?"
(Jake agrees)

Nanggulo na nga, nanginsulto pa. Indeed fans are the most unpredictable and embarrassing of audiences.