The Graphic’s Step-By-Step Guide to All Things
How to find celebs (where ever they may be!)
Sarah Carrillo
Living Editor
So you’re going to Pepperdine, but you haven’t run into any celebrities yet? How could this be? This is Malibu, you should be tripping over Oscar winners as soon as you step outside, right? Well, we at the Graphic would like to reassure you that the stars are out there and if you follow our steps you’ll be well on your way to sharing the story of your run-in with Brad and Jennifer to all your friends who chose to go to school outside of Southern California (those fools).
Step one: Get out of your room
We hate to break it to you, but there really haven’t been many tales of celebrities who wandered onto dorm road recently. So if you want to see the people who grace the covers of Us Weekly and People magazine, then you need to step outside. Sometimes you only have to go as far as Runnels pool to see David Duchoveny swimming laps, or the basketball courts to see Adam Sandler engaged in a game with some of your classmates. Most of the time, however, you’ll need to go beyond the Pepperdine bubble all together.
Step two: Get the right supplies
You’ll need the right tools to celebrity hunt. These include: binoculars, a map of the greater Los Angeles area, a compass, night-vision goggles, tape recorder, rope, duct tape, a car with a large trunk – oh wait, you only want to see celebrities, not kidnap them and hold them hostage in your evil lair. Sorry about that. In any case, if you’ve already bought this stuff don’t worry, because next week’s How To will be “How To use duct tape and night vision goggles in your everyday life,” so you’ll be all set. Realistically, you’ll probably only need a map and a car (trunk space not required) to get you to the many places celebrities gather.
Step three: Find a location
Celebrities can be found in a variety of locations. They have been known to shop at Ralphs, drink at Starbucks and dine at Howdy’s. It’s really up to you where you go and whether you want to make a special trip to see the stars or if you’re just going to keep an eye out while running errands. Try different areas around Malibu to see what you like best as results can vary.
Step four: Be patient
Once you’ve staked out your position, be it Coffee Bean in the Cross Creek shopping center or a boutique on Rodeo Drive, the next step is to wait. A celebrity is bound to show up sooner or later if you just hold out long enough. We suggest bringing something to read while you wait, perhaps some homework or the latest issue of the Graphic. It helps make the time go by faster and is less conspicuous than just staring anxiously at the door.
Step five: Be discreet
Once you do spot a celebrity, the important thing is to remain cool. You’ll scare them away if you start jumping up and down and quoting lines from their movies. The best thing to do is to sneak a couple glances in their direction but don’t stare. This gives the celebrity the ego boost of being recognized and lets you see him or her without making you look like a stalker who has been waiting at that spot for the last half-hour. (Even if that is true, they don’t need to know it, right?) If you’re in a position to speak to them, say while standing next to them in line to order coffee, and you feel you can do it without stuttering or fainting, then by all means do so. This will make your story even better when you tell all your jealous friends.
Step six: Keep an eye out
Celebrities are everywhere and most of the time they are not followed by entourage and camera crews so they may blend in to their natural habitat. As a result, you will have to be on constant watch to find them. Try quickly scanning a room whenever you enter and positioning yourself in restaurants near the door so you can watch people walk in. Being dilligently observant will help you find more obscure celebrities as well. The average person may not notice that the blond woman walking her dog past Sav-on is Suzanne Sommers, but you will.
Step seven: Don’t miss your chance
There are some events where celebrities are guaranteed, and if you’re serious about seeing them then you shouldn’t miss these opportunities. One easy one is Midnight Madness, where every year there is a basketball game between local celebrities and our players. Another good one is the Malibu Chili Cook-off. If you missed it this year you’ll just have to wait, but it’s a great place to see Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson chomping on chili made by your fellow students. Also, any sort of award show or TV-show taping is a guaranteed place to see celebs. Look online for tickets to these events.
If you follow our advice we’re sure you’ll go home for Thanksgiving filled with tales of star encounters and conversations with A-list celebrities. Or at least you’ll have some entertaining stories about the time you sat at Starbucks for five hours until the staff finally asked you to leave so Tori Spelling would have a place to sit.
09-09-2004