Occasionally, the illusion of the relationship goes awry. It is not unheard of for actresses playing soap opera villains to be physically attacked by irate fans upset by the actress's character. There are a number of cases where fans have blurred reality and fantasy and stalked or pursued celebrities, sometimes tragically, imagining the faux relationship to be a real and personal one. This has happened with celebrities as diverse as Michael Jackson, David Letterman and Anne Murray. Through the format of television stars appearing at a fan convention, we explore this faux relationship.
Fans speak directly to the camera, revealing the intensity of their commitment.
We observe the panel discussion, which displays a kind of staged informality, a cross between a press conference and a fireside chat, and the tenuous relationship, or attempts at a relationship, that this creates. As the film goes on, at the convention, we see the fans becoming more and more extreme. Seeing the show and its stars, first as entertainment, then increasingly projecting themselves and their fantasies and wishes into it. The stars, for their part, struggle to maintain a degree of distance or separation from their fans. They need their fans, and must cater to them to some degree.