Amanda Greever

Country star Alan Jackson had a country song several years back called “Here in the Real World.” The song talked about hearts breaking, cowboys crying, heroes dying and all of the things that could make a grown man weep. Jackson’s world was depressing as hell, but the real world does seem a little bit bleaker when you compare it to a world where Superman walks the street, Spider Man pinches your behind and honest-to-goodness Ghost Hunters stop and chat with you.

Last weekend was Dragon*Con, which according to the Web site “is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the U.S.” In layman’s terms, there were about 40,000 geeks, fanboys/girls, nerds, dorks, etc. crammed into downtown Atlanta. It was my second year at the annual event, but I still wasn’t completely prepared for what awaited me.

It was a trip a couple of friends and I had been planning for a while. We’d been reading up on the ever-growing guest list, that included not only Star Trek’s William Shatner but Leonard Nimoy as well. Add in Patrick Stewart, John Schneider, the “Ghost Hunters” cast, some “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” stars and the pot kept getting sweeter. Of course, the pot also soured as I realized there was no way that I could afford to meet all of these people.

Shatner’s autograph was $75 while a photo op with him was $80. For Stewart, this was a rare appearance for him so his photo op was $200. For me, the prices were just too hefty, but others were still lining up for a chance to meet an icon.

For me, the appeal of John Schneider held lofty allure. When I was small, I had a huge crush on Bo Duke from “The Dukes of Hazzard.” Those golden locks, that gorgeous smile, those eyes you could go swimming in — and that was only from the neck up, although when I was 5, I didn’t appreciate toned muscles or a tight bottom as much as I do now. But I digress. I was enough of a Schneider fan that I even owned his albums. He wasn’t just a pretty face. He became a familiar face to a new generation in “Smallville” when he took on the role of Jonathan Kent, father of the teen who would one day become Superman.

So I knew I wanted to see him in person, but I wasn’t sure that I would fork over my hard-earned cash to meet him or get his autograph. Until I saw him. I think as I described it to one person, it was like the Greek god Adonis was standing in front of me. Schneider has certainly aged well.

Those unruly locks were still golden, the smile still gorgeous and the eyes still swimmy. And below the neck was as fabulous as it had ever been. And holy crunch, is he tall! But my mental drooling was under control until BFF mentioned that he should hurry with me so that I didn’t have a heart attack from meeting him, to which Adonis replied that they would just have to give me mouth-to-mouth. That could have been the best moment of the weekend, folks.

But there were other highlights, such as meeting the “Ghost Hunters” crew again this year. BFF and I even ran into lead investigator Grant Wilson in one of the hotel lobbies, and he proved to be even nicer and more gracious than I’d given him credit. He introduced us to his wife, chatted for a bit and posed for a picture.

There was something about having celebrities brush by you while having costumed heroes and villains swarming around that made my stay in Atlanta seem like a fantasy. For three days, my only concerns were being able to grab Wonder Woman or Superman for a photo. The real world and its horrors and truths was forced to the back of my mind, and I didn’t have to think about work, health concerns or financial problems.

So yes, I enjoyed my weekend of geekdom although it’s been a point of hilarity for some friends, one even going so far as to tell me that her friend called it a “nerdy prom.” That’s OK though … because I felt like I’d been crowned queen.

I’ve always been a bit of a geek when it comes to celebrities. OK, I’m a geek in every sense of the word, if we really want to be honest. But I babble like an idiot sometimes when I come face to face with the famous.

Take the time I spoke with former Poison frontman Bret Michaels. I told the man I would rock his world. Last year at Dragon*Con when I met “Ghost Hunters” lead investigator Grant Wilson, I managed to embarrass myself as well. In my head, I was creating a sense of camaraderie but really all I was doing was making myself look like a lunatic.

I told Grant about my own ghost hunting experience. No, he didn’t really want to know but I’m sure he is accustomed to fans telling their tales. Of course, not many involve them getting vibrated like in my story. Yeah, I really told him that. Yeah, it really WAS embarrassing, and Grant told Best Gal Pal that I was nuts. No, I didn’t realize what I had said until I was walking away.

But I’ve not always humiliated myself. When I interviewed Zac Hanson of the band Hanson, I was completely well-behaved. And when I met former UT star Dane Bradshaw for a quick interview at his book signing (Thanks, John Brice!), I didn’t drool on him nor did I try to hit on him. I wanted to, but I didn’t.

Last weekend presented a new challenge: Margot Kidder was coming to Knoxville as a guest to AdventureCon. THE Margot Kidder. She portrayed Lois Lane in four “Superman” movies opposite the late Christopher Reeve.

Lois Lane has been one of my heroes for years. She’s a kick-butt, strong woman who laughs in the face of danger. She was determined that anything a man could do, she could do just as well. Now yes, Lois does end up in scrapes that require Superman to come to her rescue, but that’s besides the point.

Lois is a strong, sassy character who doesn’t take bull from anyone. But at the same time, she isn’t hard-as-nails in the fact that she does have a soft side. She shows that a woman can be strong and assertive while still having a soft side, which she showed most when she went all melty around Superman.

(Then again, he’s a handsome, muscly man in tights that show everything … who wouldn’t go all melty?)

So the first lady I can remember to portray one of my heroes, Lois Lane, was coming to Knoxville and nothing was going to stop me from meeting her. The when and where were taken care of, so my only concern was what would come out of my mouth.

When I got there, I headed to her booth first, prepared to pay most anything for the chance to meet her. I held a moment of silence for my geekery and headed in. One word will describe all that follows: FABULOUS!

Kidder was everything I was hoping for: quirky, fun, nice, etc. She thought my babbling was endearing. (Wish I could get everyone else to think that way.) I told her I was a reporter, which is technically a lie since I’m really an editor, but I write!  Kind of!

The crowning moment, however, was when I told her that between Lois Lane and (Bob) Woodward and (Carl) Bernstein I was destined to be a reporter. Yes, I put a fictional character in the leagues of the two reporters who uncovered one of the biggest political conspiracies in history and brought down a presidency. Kidder just thought my comment was kind of fun … I think.

My Wonder Woman shirt gave her an idea for a script she’s working on, and we talked about that a bit. She tried to find the perfect reporteresque photo for her to sign for me. And she hugged me and posed for a picture with me.

The experience was all I could have hoped for. Yes, I babbled a bit, but she didn’t seem to mind. After all, I think she’s the type guilty of it as well, sometimes. She was friendly and genuinely seemed pleased with the fact that she made my day. Sure, she might have been faking it and really wanted me to leave but in my head, it was the perfect moment in a fantastic weekend, and it’s a memory I’ll carry for a long time.