The Beginning (Vizzini said to start at the beginning, so here we are at the beginning) …

Or the beginning of this idea of getting Joss a star came about in October 2004. Joss held a fundraiser in LA that I attended. It just so happened that the place the event was being held was on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I found myself looking at the stars taking notice of the names I walked past and the ones I recognized gave me a smile. I observed other people walking by the stars doing the similar things. Some took photos of the star; others just seem to stop and look for a moment, while even others bent down and touched the star. Those moments that I witnessed got me thinking about what those stars meant not only to the person that receives them but to the people who seek them out to visit them, walk by them, or just stop for a second and smile.

I don’t know what his reason would be for wanting a star on the walk of fame. Other than to give Nathan something to do when he’s not busy or to give a “nah, nah” to other creators who don’t have one, **cough, cough**JJ Abram**cough, cough**. Joss may have other reasons to want one or not, being the shy humble withdrawn reserved man we know him to be. I only know that a few people think it is something he deserves for all the things he has done for the fans and for Hollywood in general.

It’s not all about Joss. I know it’s a shock especially since his name will be on it and all. Also not to mention needing him to show up to accept the honor. So maybe I need to rephrase a bit, how about, it is all about Joss but it is also so much more. It’s about History, Legacy, and Connection of a Community. It’s about family, not the one we are born into by blood but the one that Joss created out of his work. It’s about a bit of tangibility for the fans to connect to the 'verse family. It’s a unique thing to effect people on an emotional level with consistency. Because of that, we (the Collective) want to do something for Joss to show our appreciation in a tactile form to the world. The star is a symbol, one that reminds us of the power of family, that he has always endeavored to show us. Time fades many things and memories are the most vulnerable, unless we have reminders, they might be lost instead of past on to a new generation.

We cannot give him the prestigious awards; most of us are not on any academy boards, nor people that have a choice of nominations. No matter how much we think he deserves those things. Those things are mere moments in time and only last as long as they are news. The star is a place of honor to visit, after all others mementos of the verse are dusted in the name of progress. It is part of the Hollywood mystique, at least until California falls into the ocean. It would be a symbol of how the signal continues long after everything else is gone. Its place for fans of his work to look to or go and feel a part of the history of a family that came about by choice, not blood and that connection may bring a smile to someone’s lips. In the end isn’t that the greatest legacy to leave the world, the ability to feel connected to others over time and space, to be a part of a family. To know that even if you don’t have much else in common with most people in the world, you at least have a memory or two in common with a few.

Wow was that like way to deep or what? Anyway, I hope that briefly explains why we want to nominate Joss for this honor. With his history, and legacy of decades of his own family contributions to the entertainment industry, it only seems fitting that someone should be there to represent the Whedon name.

His work in inspiring fans to fight the good fight, even if it means to misbehave on occasion and try to slay the dragons of society's inequalities. He has shown us the signal cannot be stopped. So for him we would like the opportunity to send another signal that cannot be stopped, the signal that we believe he deserves a place in Hollywood history by nominating him for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Phase I - On who can nominate a person for a star.

According to the Hollywood chamber of Commerce, "Anyone, including a fan, can nominate a celebrity as long as the celebrity or his/her management is in agreement with the nomination. If there is no letter of agreement included from the celebrity or his/her representative, the committee will not accept the application."

So Joss was contacted to see if he would mind being nominated. We got the word back that he would be cool with it and he was flattered that we would want to do this for him.

Phase II - The nomination process.

We need to create a shiny kick ass nomination form. Here's the walk of fame's example of a nomination form. We will need to make sure that the form is filled out as accurately as possible. Joss’ filmography and bibliography is on record. The harder part is to keep track of his awards and notable charitable contributions.

If you know of anything we missed or something that needs to be punched up on the biography page, please let us know by filling in our contact form. The deadline for the nomination is May 31, 2007; we want to submit our nomination around Feb. 14, 2007.

The criteria for Star on the Walk of Fame.

1. Professional achievement
2. Longevity of five years in the field of entertainment
3. Contributions to the community

Phase III - Raising the funds.

According to the walk of fame committee, the cost is "$25,000* upon selection." The money is used to pay for the creation and installation of the star, as well as maintenance of the Walk of Fame."

We have a few ideas for raising the funds needed:

1. Donations from other fans of funds or items for raffles.
2. Raffles that can be found on our Donation page.

Any extra funds we have after paying for the star will be split between Equality Now  and the Sam Loeb Scholarship Fund .

* Sponsorship fee subject to change. - Well it changed it has gone from $15,000US to $25,000US as of Feb 2007 for the 2007 nominees.