14 DAY TRIAL // Zac Efron has always been the kind of teen idol to enjoy a “squeaky clean” image, despite the occasional scandal that the media tried to stir every now and then. This image was somehow shattered over the weekend, when the paparazzi agency TMZ posted a picture of the actor with his ear laden with wax and, last night, one over-zealous fan came to his rescue by showering him with Q-Tips.
As the actor was leaving Beso in Los Angeles the other night, he was welcomed by the usual throng of paparazzi eager to get his picture and that of his girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens.
Among them was also a fan who had come there with somewhat different intentions, as he was also carrying with him a box of cotton swabs. From what the TMZ video shows, the man actually wanted to make a point: he doesn’t like cleaning his ears either, but he does it nonetheless.
Despite the bodyguards’ efforts to keep Zac and Vanessa out of the reach of the screaming fans and paparazzi, the “Q-Tip attacker” still managed to get pretty close to the Disney heartthrob and give him a piece of his mind. Personal hygiene should always come first, he told Efron, and his words were picked up by the crowd of paparazzi and then repeated over and over again.
Of course, there was also the usual “I love you, Zac” screaming, but, even so, the voice of that one particular man telling the actor to clean his ears was stronger than anything else.
This incident can be seen as coming to show that the fans’ adoration can, indeed, be a fickle thing. Just over the weekend, Zac Efron was telling the media that he could not, for the world, think of one thing to complain about his celebrity status, especially when there were many aspiring actors out there who would never get the kind of lucky break he did. Moreover, he said, he felt that fame was a blessing – that was before one paparazzo got a side headshot with him, showing his earwax to the world, much to his embarrassment.
“No, it’s great, I’ve been blessed. I think I have a very cool fan base at this point. Not everyone can say that at their premier in London all these people show up and show their support – I don’t know how I got so lucky. I think things are pretty good for me right now, I don’t know if I’d go back. You know, that’s probably one of the bigger messages of the story – is don’t live in regret at the past, enjoy the present, live your life to the fullest, and I think I’m doing that.” Zac was telling ShowbizSpy over the weekend.