# 35 yo semi-famous guy tries to pick up 17 yo. Big Deal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277 "2014-04-03T18:19:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/1 "2014-04-03T18:19:21Z")
From the [article](http://www.eonline.com/news/528026/james-franco-tried-to-pick-up-a-teenage-girl-on-instagram-what-the-actor-has-to-say-about-it-now): > [@](#): > > If Lucy Clode is to believed, James Franco tried to arrange a hotel hookup with the 17-year-old Scottish tourist via Instagram. Based on leaked screenshots, the 35-year-old actor did not end up meeting the teen. Personally, I don’t see why this is newsworthy. Which is why I post it in MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/2 "2014-04-03T18:30:45Z")
For something to be truly newsworthy you need something like Jerry Lee Lewis’ marriage to his 13 year old cousin. > **[Great Balls of Scandal: How Jerry Lee Lewis' marriage to a 13-year-old...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1021569/Great-Balls-Scandal-How-Jerry-Lee-Lewis-marriage-13-year-old-wrecked-career.html)** > > Fifty years ago this week, Jerry Lee Lewis arrived in Britain and revealed his young companion was his 13-year-old wife, Myra. It destroyed the rock'n'roll sensation and set the pattern for decades of pop excess ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/3 "2014-04-03T18:50:52Z")
From a comment on Buzzfeed’s article on the topic: > [@](#): > > Seeing as Palo Alto is coming out soon, where he plays a teacher starting an affair with an underage student I smell publicity stunt? People figuring out how to use Twitter “gaffes” as money making schemes. Brillz. ETA: Oh and he’s not semi-famous, really. He’s an A-lister…he’s super fucking famous. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/4 "2014-04-03T18:54:19Z")
Age of consent in New York is 17, so no…not newsworthy. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/5 "2014-04-03T19:01:18Z")
Nothing to get worked up about. She’s not even pregnant and appearing in liquor ads. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/6 "2014-04-03T20:05:07Z")
She might’ve looked younger, but squinting all the time makes people look older. Reading chat logs like these are always excruciating. This one isn’t the worst. Grammar and spelling are someone there. Creepy? Maybe. Illegal? No. “The _Your Highness_ star”? Ouch. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/7 "2014-04-03T20:55:56Z")
Smart girl. Confirming who she was texting. Nothing special in this story. Shes 17 and legal in NY state. A little pathetic that an actor is this desperate to get laid. > [@](#): > > Clode: One second, I will meet you if you write my name on a piece of paper then send it to me with your face also in the picture, please ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/8 "2014-04-04T07:47:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Smart girl. Confirming who she was texting. > > Nothing special in this story. Shes 17 and legal in NY state. A little pathetic that an actor is this desperate to get laid. Could be desperate, could be player who just doesn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/9 "2014-04-04T09:59:15Z")
Semi-famous? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/10 "2014-04-04T10:09:03Z")
He has always creeped me out. But I don’t think this is a big deal, all things considered. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/11 "2014-04-04T12:24:00Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Could be desperate, could be player who just doesn’t care. Going to have to agree with you. I seriously doubt he has any trouble getting laid. He spent a couple minutes trying to pick up someone. That does not mean he is desperate. > [@amanset](#): > > Semi-famous? The dude hosted the Oscars. I think we can drop semi. ---
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/12 "2014-04-04T12:30:07Z")
Yeah, I didn’t really know him except that he looks a little like Kieth Ledger, so I put ‘semi’. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/13 "2014-04-04T12:44:11Z")
What’s the point of fame except to get laid all the time? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/14 "2014-04-04T13:34:20Z")
The only thing I find creepy is the thought of a man his age with a girl her age. Yeah, I know, age is just a number, maturity isn’t an absolute, love conquers all, blahblahblah - I still think it’s creepy, and I say this as a former 20-y/o who was pursued by a 40-y/o - ick. ---
**Author:** ![Dustin\_the\_Wind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f1d935/32.png) [@Dustin\_the\_Wind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dustin_the_Wind)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/15 "2014-04-04T13:36:24Z")
> [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](#): > > Yeah, I didn’t really know him except that he looks a little like Kieth Ledger, so I put ‘semi’. “Kieth” Ledger? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/16 "2014-04-04T17:44:10Z")
The main thing I know about him is that [he’s a terrible poet](http://www.mountainx.com/article/47938/Obama-in-Asheville-An-inaugural-poem-by-James-Franco) who [suffered an epic Poetry Burn](http://www.mountainx.com/article/48166/Poetry-to-the-editor-James-Franco-in-Asheville) from a real poet, and every time I see his name I have to bring that up. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/17 "2014-04-04T17:55:42Z")
Not my daughter. Not my concern. ---
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/18 "2014-04-04T23:30:58Z")
> [@Dustin\_the\_Wind](#): > > “Kieth” Ledger? See what I mean? It’s “Heath” Ledger. LOL ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/19 "2014-04-05T00:40:22Z")
[Might be a hoax](http://defamer.gawker.com/the-case-that-james-franco-and-his-teen-sexter-are-hoax-1558341418) to promote his new movie that just so happens to have put the trailer out hours prior to this story starting, from a book written by Franco, and the plot centers around a teenage girl getting in a relationship with her soccer coach. ---
**Author:** ![StayseaDee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@StayseaDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StayseaDee)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277/20 "2014-04-05T14:50:04Z")
I don’t think it was a hoax. Franco went on GMA and apologized, saying he was embarrassed by his actions. Plus, would the benefits of hitting on a teenager outweigh the bad publicity? I’m not sure. But as they say, all publicity is good publicity…so who knows. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/35-yo-semi-famous-guy-tries-to-pick-up-17-yo-big-deal/685277.md?page=2)