Velvet rope

I am constantly surprised at the mania for celebrity watching, especially since my wife is now one of the people taken up with the hobby. She surfs the web for photos of her favourite stars at first night events and will soon, I fear, be one of the thousands on the wrong side of that velvet rope lenaing over for a better view of the star, their outfit and their latest squeeze. Wherever these so-called A list people appear there is an element of crowd control, whether it is by their own personal security staff or by using physical barriers. The props and stanchions denote the areas where the public are not welcome, and anyone crossing the line will be promptly ejected. Why they want to be treated this way is beyond me, but celebrity watchers are gluttons for punishment, I suppose.