Center of the World - No Kidding

I had dragged myself to the charming little basement gym at John St. one night, not planning on a very heavy workout, and as I started, I noticed The Biggest Loser was on TV. I'm not normally one to watch reality shows, but this was about weight loss, and I was working out and all, so I figured I'd watch it. I stayed on that treadmill until one woman was eliminated for gaining weight. As they sent her home, she said she lived in Brooklyn.

Where is this story going, you ask? Well, I'm getting to it!

Anyway, the very next morning I'm at Starbucks treating myself to a cappuccino, when I notice a woman getting coffee who looks vaguely familiar. I stand there like an idiot racking my brain until I suddenly remember-- that's the woman who got eliminated last night on The Biggest Loser! I couldn't be wrong-- she had the same jewelry and everything, same distinctive eyebrows, same voice.

This is not my first encounter with the fact that New York really is the center of the universe. New York is actually center for a lot of big TV shows and events that make it truly significant. You remember my blog about seeing Jon Stewart (who I am definitely in love with)? That's one example for you. But here's another: How many times have you, if you aren't living in the tower, accidentally stumbled onto the set of Law & Order when they're filming outside that Panini &Co cafe on the corner of William? My answer: twice. It must be a common enough occurrence that not many people seemed to be dazed by the stick-thin, famous actors getting their makeup done in chairs right on the sidewalk, or by the massive cameras on cranes, or by the huge white light boards the poor crew members carry around.

Last week, on my way to ballet class on Amsterdam, I was walking through City Hall park when I noticed a lot of hubbub on the sidewalks. Trailers and camera crews are nothing new to the city hall area, so I didn't think much of it. Then, I saw a familiar logo on a small cardboard sign: Gossip Girl. As I came up on the sidewalk to an area crowded with makeup chairs, tents, food tables and directors' desks, I had to meekly ask someone if it was all right to walk through so I could get to class. "Yes," he replied curtly, "but be quick, and quiet." Obviously this is something he dealt with on a regular basis. I scurried through the excitement (probably past a lot of famous people I could never recognize, seeing as I don't watch Gossip Girl) when I saw something funny. A cop reached up through the bars of the city hall gates and yelled "Hey! You," addressing one of the idling crew members, "You can't put them chairs and tents here. This is a city owned drive. Gotta keep it clear."

The crew members snapped to attention. "Uh, ma'am, we need this space for the makeup... the actors get mad--"

And I proceeded to watch yet another highlight of my life: The crew members of Gossip Girl began arguing with law enforcement over where they could legally put their actors' makeup chairs. And it occurred to me that even the most glamorous of television shows still has to deal with little things, like cops giving you a hard time over trivial matters.

At lunch that day, excitement was overflowing, everyone giving their accounts of what hot actor they spotted or how they know what's going to happen next week in the show. I simply laughed quietly to myself and remembered the argument with the cop. Maybe someday I'll work on a film crew. That seems like fun work, and there certainly are hundreds of opportunities in Manhattan to do so.

So, back at the Starbucks, I watched silently as the woman from The Biggest Loser received her drink and walked to a table with her friend. Would I approach a celebrity in a common place like this? Nah. Because really, when it comes down to it, we're all just New Yorkers dealing with the same stuff, whether it be cops or long lines for coffee. We're just New Yorkers.

-Kate