Harry Potter

Crowd energy infects the masses. No matter what the spectacle, no one escapes the contagious element of being part of something bigger than anything one individual can do alone. Hitler knew it and now Harry Potter knows it. (Hitler and Harry in the same sentence? What??)

Anyone who claims there’s no way that people of different races, religions, genders, and political ideals can't get along together in tight quarters should go stand in a throng of enthusiastic fans, waiting for a spectacle. During those moments (or hours, as it were), everyone wants the same thing and no one will leave until they get it.

At the premier this past week, thousands of fans showed up just to catch a glimpse of the pseudo wizards and witches. Posters and homemade signs became prepubescent girls’ most prized possessions as soon as TV cameras came within 20 yards. Like their lives depended on it, they shook and waved their handwritten proclamations of love in desperate attempts to catch the eye of interviewers and stars alike. Rarely did it actually get them anywhere, but it fed the crowd’s energy, so it was good.

Age was not a common factor throughout the group. People covered the spectrum—some had to ditch school to get there, others hadn’t been to school in decades. No one bothered dressing up, either. On an unspoken level, everyone knew the stars would take the cake no matter what. The individual did not matter.

When the stars finally showed, the rain rushed them into the protection of the VIP area, away from the fans, much to their vehemently expressed chagrin. But no amount of yelling, cussing, or whining would bring them back. Despite the fact that no one important was staying in view of the cameras for long, the mobs could not bring themselves to break from the idol worship until nearly every Mercedes in the entourage had delivered its passengers.

An event like this is one of a kind. It is the only time a bunch of people will stand around strangers to gawk at other strangers… and everyone is perfectly happy with that.