How far is too far when trying to get autographs from your favorite celebrity?
My husband and I adore getting autographs from celebrities when we go to cons. It is, in fact, the activity my husband spends most of his time doing when we attend Dragon*Con. He doesn’t even like stopping for food – he just goes from celebrity to celebrity to wait in line to meet them. We have a whole wall in our hallway that is covered with autographs.
I was reading Google + and I read an account by Wil Wheaton about an experience he had over SDCC weekend where autograph hounds pretty much attacked him. Luckily Felicia Day jumped in and pulled him from the midst of all those people. After his getaway, those hounds started hurling insults at him.
When I read this, I felt so bad for Wil and other celebrities. I can’t imagine what that is like. I also really appreciate those who do come to cons and allow us fans to get a chance to meet them and get an autograph.
I’ve never seen a celebrity outside of a con, but I don’t think I would ever do something like that. I would be reluctant to approach because celebrities are people too and deserve their space even if they are in public.
For me, I am terribly excited to be able to meet Wil Wheaton this year at Dragon*Con, but I will also wait patiently in line for the honor. You can read the whole story of Wil’s encounter with the autograph hounds at his blog.
I once approached a celebrity (a famous former Rugby League Player) outside of official channels my friend and I were teens and she spotted him at a key cutting stand in a shopping mall, dragged me over with her and we both got his autograph, he was chatting with the guy running the stall, we politely interrupted and apologised, then asked for autographs, he acquiesced and continued chatting with the stall guy. Oddly we seemed to be the only people that realised he was there. Which could explain why I didn’t recognise him – he was out of uniform and there wasn’t scores of people around him.
I realised that from then on to only wait in lines as I a) have no clue what to say besides ‘Hi, I’m sorry for intruding, can I have your autograph, I really like [insert what it is they do] ‘ and then stand around awkwardly. It’s a lot easier to just wait in line give my name and an enthusiastic ‘Thanks’ then move on.
I met Wil for an autograpgh at Pax several years ago. He is the nicest most genuine person.
It pained me to read about his experience of being attacked.
They are real people and deserve to be left alone.
Agreed! I’m very excited to meet him, partly because usually PAX and Dragon*Con are on the same weekend. But they aren’t this year, so he is finally coming to Dragon*Con 😀
Awww, Poor Will 🙁
I’ve had occasional run-ins with celebrities. Living in Atlanta, we get quite a few, but no pap following them around so they are normally much more relaxed and friendly.
If I really do appreciate their talents, I’ll approach when they are not occupied, tell them specifically and succintly what I have liked about their work (normally I try to just say one thing) and ask politely for an autograph. I’ve never been turned down.
There have been many times I’ve seen on blogs where people say a celebrity treated them like crap, or gave them a cold shoulder, and I had the same celebrity be super nice.
Twice I have had celebrites pick up my restaurant tab and I didn’t even have to be a man slave.
I had the pleasure of meeting Wil at EPCOT years ago, when he was on hiatus from ST:TNG. I still have his autograph somewhere, and I remember approaching him in the DESERTED River of Time ride in the Mexico pavilion (this was… ye Ghods… 1987?), asking him politely, and holding off on squeeing until I was alone with my sisters. (I was sixteen or thereabouts. There was squeeing.)
Some twenty years later, I mentioned this to him in an online chat as being one of the highlights of that trip. And if I remember correctly, he said he remembered that encounter, but that may be my fangirl dreams embellishing my memories. I’m not sure.
Even at 16, I knew you DON’T DO THAT TO PEOPLE. It doesn’t matter how famous they are, they’re still people.
Here’s one for you. A colleague of my husbands became enamored by an actress and wanted her autograph. She wasn’t an actress for very long and so her agency told him she stopped signing years ago and suggested ebay. He did some digging and found out she owned a restaurant nearby. He called the restaurant requesting to speak to the owner to complain about the service he had received, he never went there, and got through to her. At this point he turned into “I’m your biggest fan, I love you, can I have your autograph” She yelled at him for two minutes and then hung up. He’s even more determined to get the autograph now. They have to sign restraining orders right?
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