Because being in the presence of popular people is a major accomplishment, right? Far greater an accomplishment than the defense of any original PhD thesis, right?
I can drive to the Viceroy hotel bar right now and be in the presence of a random A-list celebrity if I so choose. By your logic, that act alone sets me worlds apart from the entire body of original research being done by PhD candidates all over the world.
I will never understand the nature of being starstruck. If I want to shut down my rational faculty, I have a bottle of Glenkinchie at the ready.
No one is starstruck by Woody Allen. But you're startstruck by his work.
Let me put it to you this way. I'm FAR more certain that you can get a PhD than you could ever get half the critical acclaim or box office receipts that Natalie has gotten.
Although, I'd just love to find out you are actually Will Smith and have just blown my thesis to pieces. :-)
"She’d been in films directed by Woody Allen, Tim Burton and Luc Besson, appeared opposite Julia Roberts, Jack Nicholson, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Drew Barrymore and I’m getting tired of typing celebrity names here. She took on the major role of Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy that rocketed her to international fame."
To be honest, I'm not sure there's any degree where the mere act of receiving it would be more impressive than the above feat.