Quote Curtis: "Pete Rose can sign my nutsack." / Your Mom's Whole Fun / The Hanged Superfriend
BC Sports, the store across the hall from the FP, has a handful of sporty celebrity types across the hall, signing stuff. It's like Gino Capelliiootiotiolito, David Ortiz, Somethingorother Dillon, and Pete Rose.
First off, Pete Rose? I mean, really? A customer told me it's $15 for him to sign something, $55 for a photo and baseball. And that it's even MORE EXPENSIVE if you want one of four who aren't has-beens.
Secondly, the whole concept of fandom and celebrity worship is pretty interesting to me. Like, I am used to geeks and their fandom and hero worship. I could understand if there was a huge line filled with kids and nerds getting stuff signed. But you know what? It's 80% adult males. None have the social misfit look to them that allows you to spot a geek instantly (I've gotten pretty good at sniffing them out) - most are 30-50 year olds and (appear) well-adjusted. They're the mundanes.
It's sorta weird to me to see that. Yeah, maybe a few (most?) are there to increase the value of their bat by having Pete Rose scribble his first and last on it, but I doubt it. They're there because they're fanboys (gender chosen consciously). Maybe it's because I don't watch sports, so I don't "get it." I can understand wanting to meet an author or a poet. I can understand wanting to say to someone, face to face, "You changed my life." or "That poem hit EXACTLY how I was feeling." I can see it on the same level with a musician or an artist. Even if you don't emotionally connect with them (the difference between say, The Cure and The Electric Six), the ability to say, "Dude, you fucking RAWK!" is nice - but that's YOU doing something nice for THEM, in my opinion, not the other way around.
Hell, I could see the same thing with meeting a game designer (video, RPG) whose products I dig. But like, at Origins last year, I bought Scary Lake (or whatever it's called) a horrible movie* by the people who did The Gamers (which was not horrible, but funny). The guy asked me if I wanted it signed by the star. I said sure, but only because I would have felt bad saying no. Like, it would have been insulting to her. The same thing happened when I bought the Iron Kingdoms World Book. The guy asked me if I wanted it signed by the author and I was all, "I...guess so?"
I equate meeting a sports star to a movie star: I may be entertained by them, but do I really care? Actors are important, sure, but the real meat and potatoes (IMHO) come from the director and the writer. "I extra enjoy the way you put the ball in the basket." is not the same as "I tear up everytime I watch Donnie Darko."** but may be closer to, "If you don't struggle, I promise not to hurt you, Natalie."***
Wait...what?
--
Get Fuzzy gets geeky. I'd wear that shirt. Okay, I wouldn't...but I'd buy it for Tom and he'd wear it.****
--
Lastly, this is the best sig-file, as ganked from fifth_child on RPG.net:
"Nine days I hung myself on the world tree," he says, "with the Bat-spear in my side; and for this reason, you shall call me the Hanged Superfriend, or the One-Eyed Boy Wonder. I have learned the secrets of the runes, and thus have learned all things."
"The battle fares poorly; my sister burns, but the flames are cold. Tell me, Hanged Superfriend-is this a battle we can win?"
"No," says the One-Eyed Boy Wonder. "It is not so. We cannot hope for victory; only that some few might survive. This is the end of the dream and the darkest of all days." He holds up the Bat-stave on which the laws of the Superfriends are writ. "I break our code."
He snaps the Bat-stave.
"I see," says Zan, and bows his icy head. "SISTER, TO ME!"
They touch, one last time. "Form of... a world-drowning ocean."
"Shape of... the Midgard Serpent!"
"The lie of human form is past," murmurs the rising sea. "The lie of hearts and minds recedes. Ah! Batman, thou were wise and cruel, to bind us so."
-
* Which, in my defense, I didn't know was horrible until I watched it.
** Do not!
*** Portman
**** Ask Cora about her lucky charm.
First off, Pete Rose? I mean, really? A customer told me it's $15 for him to sign something, $55 for a photo and baseball. And that it's even MORE EXPENSIVE if you want one of four who aren't has-beens.
Secondly, the whole concept of fandom and celebrity worship is pretty interesting to me. Like, I am used to geeks and their fandom and hero worship. I could understand if there was a huge line filled with kids and nerds getting stuff signed. But you know what? It's 80% adult males. None have the social misfit look to them that allows you to spot a geek instantly (I've gotten pretty good at sniffing them out) - most are 30-50 year olds and (appear) well-adjusted. They're the mundanes.
It's sorta weird to me to see that. Yeah, maybe a few (most?) are there to increase the value of their bat by having Pete Rose scribble his first and last on it, but I doubt it. They're there because they're fanboys (gender chosen consciously). Maybe it's because I don't watch sports, so I don't "get it." I can understand wanting to meet an author or a poet. I can understand wanting to say to someone, face to face, "You changed my life." or "That poem hit EXACTLY how I was feeling." I can see it on the same level with a musician or an artist. Even if you don't emotionally connect with them (the difference between say, The Cure and The Electric Six), the ability to say, "Dude, you fucking RAWK!" is nice - but that's YOU doing something nice for THEM, in my opinion, not the other way around.
Hell, I could see the same thing with meeting a game designer (video, RPG) whose products I dig. But like, at Origins last year, I bought Scary Lake (or whatever it's called) a horrible movie* by the people who did The Gamers (which was not horrible, but funny). The guy asked me if I wanted it signed by the star. I said sure, but only because I would have felt bad saying no. Like, it would have been insulting to her. The same thing happened when I bought the Iron Kingdoms World Book. The guy asked me if I wanted it signed by the author and I was all, "I...guess so?"
I equate meeting a sports star to a movie star: I may be entertained by them, but do I really care? Actors are important, sure, but the real meat and potatoes (IMHO) come from the director and the writer. "I extra enjoy the way you put the ball in the basket." is not the same as "I tear up everytime I watch Donnie Darko."** but may be closer to, "If you don't struggle, I promise not to hurt you, Natalie."***
Wait...what?
--
Get Fuzzy gets geeky. I'd wear that shirt. Okay, I wouldn't...but I'd buy it for Tom and he'd wear it.****
--
Lastly, this is the best sig-file, as ganked from fifth_child on RPG.net:
"Nine days I hung myself on the world tree," he says, "with the Bat-spear in my side; and for this reason, you shall call me the Hanged Superfriend, or the One-Eyed Boy Wonder. I have learned the secrets of the runes, and thus have learned all things."
"The battle fares poorly; my sister burns, but the flames are cold. Tell me, Hanged Superfriend-is this a battle we can win?"
"No," says the One-Eyed Boy Wonder. "It is not so. We cannot hope for victory; only that some few might survive. This is the end of the dream and the darkest of all days." He holds up the Bat-stave on which the laws of the Superfriends are writ. "I break our code."
He snaps the Bat-stave.
"I see," says Zan, and bows his icy head. "SISTER, TO ME!"
They touch, one last time. "Form of... a world-drowning ocean."
"Shape of... the Midgard Serpent!"
"The lie of human form is past," murmurs the rising sea. "The lie of hearts and minds recedes. Ah! Batman, thou were wise and cruel, to bind us so."
-
* Which, in my defense, I didn't know was horrible until I watched it.
** Do not!
*** Portman
**** Ask Cora about her lucky charm.