Why I don’t (usually) ask celebrities for autographs or photographs

[almostwitty]

Ever since I started working properly in the media business, well-meaning friends and family will often ponder if I can get them an autograph for someone. This is a little tricky because:

• I don’t generally meet celebrities any more in my line of work anyway!
• Even if I did, it’d be very hard to interrupt an interview or a meeting with a “Oh by the

Comments

[britgeekgrrl]

During my very brief indie-film "career", I ended up in the proximity of some moderately-to-significantly well-known folks.

I was, of course, terrified that I would be a complete goober in their vicinity.

Fortunately, it was just another day on the set, y'know? We had too much going on to boggle at famous folk. Granted, *everyone* was a little star-struck when Penn Gilette showed up for a cameo one day, but even then, the gang played it cool and only (politely) approached him during the crew dinner break.

Granted, this was very much the indie/non-union scene. I suspect that in a union/pro-industry ditto, Mr. G would have been left the hell alone. ;)

[almostwitty]

Well, you had a job to do :)

In this case, I didn't have a job at all... I just abused my staff privileges for the first, and perhaps only time.

Oh, and there was photocopying RTD's initial proposal... but that's another story...

All that glitz is lost on me.

[kiri_l]

Never quite gotten the signature or photo thing. What on earth are you going to do with it then? It doesn't have a load of special meaning really. I can understand if you know them - or have done something with them but otherwise it seems a bit weird. They're just folks (usually*) trying to do their job, have some fun, and then go home to family and friends like the rest of us. (variation on the they put their pants on one leg at a time too)

Re: All that glitz is lost on me.

[kiri_l]

Well since you didn't tattoo yourself onto Mr Fry... did you do something to David Tennant?

[scarlet_missive]

I've done it twice and in both instances I only felt comfortable asking them because other reporters had done so before me thus giving out a big green light :)

I also once had to speak to an enormous hero and crush on the phone but fortunately managed to sound professional despite shaking like nobodies business!

[hellmutt]

I work in a building that does "the biz", even though I'm a mere website-minion. Even though there are Named Persons in the building quite frequently, I just don't really do the celebrity thing.

I once passed Johnny Vegas in the corridor, gave him a bright smile and kept walking, more or less what I do to anybody I pass.

Role models, that's the word. I don't have celebrity role models. The closest to one might be Terry Pratchett. I probably got the shakes each time I met him at a signing. But there, of course, I was a fan and not a Meeja Person doing my Meeja Job.