Here in Status Symbol Land

We tend to bow down to a lot of people.

With the hustle and bustle of having an event, we put on our best faces - bright smiles, warm welcomes, polite vestiges invented ages before our grand-parents were born. We go out of our way to become someone else in front of someone we think is important.

When I was working for the Oscars, we were told not to make eye contact with any celebrities if we crossed paths. It made me wonder, would it make the situation more awkward to walk normally - possibly making eye contact - or to avert my eyes to the ground if I turned a corner and saw Anne Hathaway walking toward me? I didn't get a chance to test this hypothesis (I passed Anne Hathaway and made eye contact but didn't get a chance to replicate the scenario in which I avert my eyes as scientific testing would necessitate). Even without testing, though, I'm pretty sure that treating people normally is, well, normal.

I think I'm stuck in the middle on this one. It seems like their are justifiable cases where we should hold people in reverence. Other times, I revert back to my high school days when I refused to call my Vice Principal, "Dr. Whateverhernamewas" because I felt that titles created inequality. I'm not as hippie-esque about titles these days, but I still feel the same way about the paths in life we take that lead us there.

My thought back then was always a question of why certain life paths should grant us sobriquets in front of our names. Why does going to a higher education institution for a few more years give us a title? I know the mechanics behind it - because that's how academics have always worked - but I question the true value of it. The root of this very small problem is in expertise. We seem to allot expertise to a select few with noticeable titles while ignoring the housewife who might as well have a PhD in juggling budgets, making dinners, and running the household - the janitor who might as well have a PhD in cleaning (and probably humility) - and countless others who are experts at what they do without being granted a swell set of letters next to their surname.

My two questions stem from this, sort of, at least in the way that my thoughts usually work. Should we be bowing down to certain people in life? And if so, what is the proper way to do this?

We bow down to people because we want to be them or we want something they can give us (or something we delude ourselves into thinking they can give us). That Hollywood director that could read our script if we just sucked up enough; that law school professor that could pass us if we brown nosed; the mentor whose attention we crave like the sun. We want to become them someday, and we want to remain in the favor in case they are feeling generous one day. I've definitely fawned all over some people. Afterward, it felt disgusting, but I can't quit doing it. Part of me believes that they deserve this reverence - so why do I feel so guilty for doing it?

One group of people that I find myself doing this to on occasion - that doesn't actually have any celebrity status: girls that I like. It's not so much that I become a big dope in front of them, but I definitely find myself treating them differently. They have something that I want, and instead of acting like a calm, rational human being, I let my emotions take over the helm for a bit. This has mixed results.

I've watched girls do it to guys as well. For some reason, I'm fairly in the dark when girls are acting that way toward me, though.

Let's assume for a second, that certain people do deserve to be held in reverence. How do we do that? I feel like the normal sort of ass kissing that is done feels disgusting because it's incorrect. The fact that most people do it lead me to believe that it's the easy route, the uncreative way of handling the situation. At the end of the day, are we really holding someone in reverence if we are acting false to them? If we put up a mask, a smiling face to handle their needs? Why don't we feel that these people deserve our true selves? Shouldn't we honor them with who we are?

In every relationship, there are two people at fault for mistakes. It would be easy to watch people tripping over themselves to be sugary while getting Mr. Important's third cup of coffee and blame Mr. Important. He must be a real piece of work to want to be waited on hand and foot. On the other hand (and foot) there's the obsequious servant that allows this person to act that way. (The argument there is that if one person refuses his demands, there will be a thousand other applications waiting for the job. The myth, of course, is that holding the job is actually a gateway into somewhere important. Most of the times, you're better off trying to make real opportunities happen. Since when did getting someone coffee teach you how to do with greater skill what you're passionate about?)

I guess in the end, I'm unsure where to draw the line on being impressed by people. For the most part, I feel like holding people in high regard isn't a bad thing. Unless it is. Perhaps there are simply lines of demarcation that I'm missing. Degrees to which something is acceptable or not. The only thing I know, is that if I get my PhD, you can all still just call me Scott.

Or Dr. Awesome.

Whichever you prefer.