John Simm article - of shyness and social etiquette

[qthewetsprocket]

With thanks to snowgrouse over at john_simm, here's an article from the Sunday Telegraph Christmas supplement - mainly seems to be about Simm trying to deal with creepy stalkery fans.

(EDIT: here's a text-based version of the interview, courtesy of simmspotting.net)

(EDIT EDIT: ...And FINALLY the article at the websiteIt's really interesting, though...Simm laments

Comments

[kateorman]

Australian newsreader Richard Morecroft was once hugged by a lady like an old friend. She then retreated in apologetic confusion, because of course this completely familiar person who had been in her house every night was in fact a total stranger. Celebrity is confusing! I remember some study or other which showed that people who watched TV believed they had more friends than they actually did. Tell you what, though, after reading that Tennant article, in the unlikely event that our paths ever cross I'm going to pretend he isn't there. That T-shirt was a very sweet present but leaving him alone would be an even better one.

[qthewetsprocket]

The one time I ever saw Neil Gaiman out and about in Minneapolis, the poor man looked so terrified to be recognized that I just gave him a nod and kept right on walking. Which, of course, is what I'd do anyway; because he wasn't at a booksigning or somplace where he was expected to chat to fans.

Of course, once I made around the corner I burst out laughing at the black sleeveless t-shirt he was wearing - seriously, could there be any item of clothing that makes pale pasty English skin look even MORE blindingly fishbelly white? - but at least I had the courtesy to wait until he was out of earshot to do so. :)

[brewsternorth]

Of course, once I made around the corner I burst out laughing at the black sleeveless t-shirt he was wearing -

Fair point *g*, though I believe Gneil's trademark is, more or less, his wearing of black T-shirts, sleeveless or otherwise.

[qthewetsprocket]

Fair enough, yeah...I knew about the black t-shirts, but the sleeveless one just kind of caught me off-guard. I won't say he looked like a panda, but the contrast was almost that bad...seriously, the man could have taken down passenger jets with the glare off his poor tanless pelt.

*shields eyes at the memory*

[brewsternorth]

check your behavior, weigh it against the norms of social interaction,

Right there I think is some of the problem: either they might not really *get* the norms of social interaction (it happens), or they might think they apply to "mundanes" and not to them.

[qthewetsprocket]

Actually, I think it's more that they think the social norms don't apply to celebrities.

I think there's genuinely a large portion of the general public that thinks signing autographs and taking time to chat with fans is a part of a celebrity's job, 24/7. So when they interrupt some poor celeb in the middle of their dinner or when they're trying to be incognito on a bus or something and they get the brush-off, they get offended: 'what a jerk! I pay their salary; the least they can do is shake my hand...they OWE me that much!'

Maybe we ought to have a t-shirt made up: 'celebrities are strangers, too'. :)