So, over the past couple of days, with all these fan photos of Hudson & Connor proliferating near and far, once again the fandom is eating itself alive over who is the most ethical fan and scolding each other for sharing and crashing out over these pictures of two dudes in gym clothes walking down the street.
On the one hand, yes, they do not deserve to live in state of constant surveillance, and people who claim to love them so much should really consider whether what they are doing is ok when they take their pictures or interrupt their down time. On the other hand, those two guys are so widely known and effusively beloved for their artistic work that if they are in public, they have to know that people gonna be people and take pictures, share them, and crash out about it. They are famous, and that is the nature of the beast.
The attention they generate has made them a lot of money over the past few months, and that's because anything they do will be voraciously consumed by the same fandom that is crashing out because they are apparently coming or going from the gym with one towel and one bottle. That double-edged sword is what fame consists of, and maybe they didn't know this would happen, but it also means that their opportunities at the moment are limitless and they get to do what they love as artists and have it be seen, recognised and appreciated in ways that really are a huge privilege, and one that does not exist without the kind of enthusiasm they generate.
I think at some point, if you are a guy who knows this will happen and you are in public, you need to make peace with it, and see it for the exchange it is: there are some things you need to tolerate because you have this great job, and all the opportunity that comes with it, and this is the trade off. I think they are finding their way with this. If you are in their position, I think you need find your way to telling people plainly when you don't want to engage, and you also have to accept it that while most people are basically well intentioned and will respect your boundaries, others will not understand that they are being rude, or not be able to control themselves. Some people will see you and just internally melt down inside their own brains, and others will squeal and take your picture. Everyone on earth does not have the same powers of emotional regulation. It's up to Hudson and Connor, to a great extent, to protect their own peace and not walk down a busy street in a major city if they don't want to be seen, and aren't in the mood for it all. And, you know what? I think they know that.
At the same time, it's important for all of us to think about what we are doing and whether or not it's ok. As for me, I live in a central European city, so I am unlikely to run into my TV boyfriends and find out how I would react, but before I moved here, I lived in Los Angeles, where I often saw people we all know in restaurants and supermarkets and on street corners or in the car next to me on the highway. We Los Angelenos don't bother the famous people, but I cannot apologise for that one time I was standing behind Bruce Motherfucking Springsteen waiting to be seated in a restaurant and lost my damn mind because it was fucking BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, and I could not stop myself. He was extremely kind, by the way.
What I am not willing to do is shame other people for being excited or feel shame myself because a pretty harmless picture of two sweet little guys walking down the street in their gym clothes with their purses filled me with a genuinely weird amount of joy. I wish those two guys the best of everything, and I hope literally all their dreams come true. If my ridiculously over-invested love for them can contribute in any way to their opportunity, they have it, and I hope if I ever chance upon them in the street, I can manage to be cool. If I get that lucky, I will try. I hope we all try.
