Whom do you admire/adore/worship for their accomplishments, political opinions, what-have-you, but you know you would probably “hate” as a person?
Me? HARLAN ELLISON.
I collect and read all I can of the man (though I am far more conservative, politically, than HE). His work has literally shaped me and my thinking (I think one can “shape” you even though you may disagree with them in some areas-- that in itself is a form of influence).
However, from everyone I’ve spoken to who has met him (including an up and coming Fantasy/Horror writer who is a personal friend of mine), from every interview I’ve seen with him, I just know if we were to spend five minutes together, I’d be ready to knock the little fucker into next week.
Love his work, though. He bears reading and re-reading constantly.
It’s probably for the best that I never got to meet three of my biggest idols, John Lennon, Miles Davis and Michael O’Donoghue. Brilliant artists, but with unpalatable mean streaks.
Also, I understand that people who meet 70s uber-crush Farrah Fawcett are invariably disappointed.
Hunter S. Thompson and William S. Burroughs (deceased) certainly fall in this abyss.
Although maybe Burroughs wasn’t such a tricky chap to get along with, after all. We could ask his wife… :dubious:
[As for Harlan Ellison, he enjoys two claims to fame aside from his prodigious linear feet of speculative fiction (and other works): first, that he has perhaps bedded more women than any man not in the NBA nor named Hugh Hefner; and second, that his personal introductions to his professional output frequently threatens to outstrip, in sheer verbiage, said works themselves. The first will provoke envy, but you may regard the second as a source of unintentional humor.]
Probably most of them. I would rather not meet any of the celebrities whose works I admire if it meant finding out they were jerks or obnoxious or really, really stupid. I would rather live in a fantasy world of thinking they’re all nice, respectable, intelligent people.
Russell Crowe - I’ve heard from a few people that have worked with him that at times he isn’t exactly a pleasure to work with (inexplicably not showing up for shooting, etc). Now I know there are always two sides to the story but I’ve heard it from quite a few people.
I like his work with the Police and some of his solo work. He’s a very talented, witty man. Still, there’s something about him that makes want to bitch slap him. He exudes arrogance.
I’m in agreement with Lennon and Henley. Both people whose music I adore, both of them very difficult individuals to get along with. John Lennon, though, it’s said, admitted to being an ass.
I like her music, but Madonna strikes me as a self-important attention whore.
I really do like Liam Neeson, and I don’t think he’s an ASS, per se, but he does seem arrogant at times.
> As for Harlan Ellison, he enjoys two claims to fame aside from his prodigious
> linear feet of speculative fiction (and other works): first, that he has perhaps
> bedded more women than any man not in the NBA nor named Hugh Hefner;
> and second, that his personal introductions to his professional output
> frequently threatens to outstrip, in sheer verbiage, said works themselves. The
> first will provoke envy, but you may regard the second as a source of
> unintentional humor.
Well, not really. He has written a fair amount of stuff, but given his age and the fact that he started writing fairly young, it isn’t that much. Nor has he bedded that many women. Yeah, he’s on his fifth wife, but it appears in each case it was the wife who dumped him for someone else and not because he was screwing around with other women. Much of what I’ve read said that a lot of women reacted to his attentions with a “Geez, what’s with this creep” attitude. A few women reacted favorably, and some of those he married. After a couple of years they would get tired of his act and dump him. His current (fifth) marriage does look like it’s going to last though.
I’ll unfortunately go for months without listening to her CDs because mostly I think about how much she bugs me! Then, on a whim or in an odd mood, I’ll put one of her CDs on and every time I think: “My God! I keep forgetting what incredible music this is!”
Once I was lucky enough to be in a small club when she got up, unannounced, to do a short set. She didn’t do her own songs, she just did an assortment of old standards accompanied by Jon Brion. Specifically, I remember them doing He’s Funny That Way and Slow Boat to China. It was insane how ridiculously incredibly fucking BEAUTIFUL it was!
But the constant crying in public thing was just always a real turn-off to me. The coup de grace was when Paul Thomas Anderson didn’t win the Academy Award for Best Screenplay for Magnolia. When the winner was announced, each of the nominees were shown for reaction shots, as is the standard practice at award shows, so they take their shot of Paul Thomas Anderson and she’s sitting next to him fucking crying because her boyfriend didn’t win. She made him look bad on international T.V. I felt so embarrassed for him! (But, I guess if you’re going to take children to an event like that, it is your responsibility to see to it that they know how to behave!)
She’s been out of the public eye for a while now, and she’s a little bit older. Hopefully, she’s doing better now. But the music! The fucking music is incredible!
I really like Orson Scott Card’s work in science fiction and fantasy but can’t stand his political or religious views. I wouldn’t know whethet to shake his hand or kick him between the legs if I were to meet him.
I’m also unsure how I would react to Maynard James Keenan. While I love his music and his two bands are my personal favorites, I’m pretty sure if I were to hang out with him, neither of us would like the other.
I like Ted Nugent’s music from the 70’s. But he’s just a little too joyful about slaughtering innocent animals for me. Maybe he was always this way and I never noticed.
Bill Maher annoys me too. I laugh at a lot of his stuff, but then he talks about how much he’s enjoying his extended bachelorhood and how women who want to get married are insecure, and how great it is to be be unencumbered by children. Apparently he thinks he’s quite the ladies’ man. I personally don’t see it. He looks like an evil elf to me.
When I was a kid, I liked to watch the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby road movies. I admire the talent of Bing Crosby. But then I heard how he treated his family. I just can’t look at him the same way.
I heartily agree. He’s a balding, pale, unattractive, vertically challenged weasel and will look exactly like Larry King in and a few years. But he never shuts up about what a stud he is.
Sir Rhosis, Harlan is certainly an odd little man. I used to be entertained by his rants on the SciFi channel, but he sure was out there. I was never sure if he was ranting because that was the presonna he was playing or whether he is really nuts.
Sean Penn. The man’s a good enough actor, but does every performance have to come off like a play for another academy award? It’s gotten to the point that I barely want to watch his movies anymore because it’s like I’m supposed to feel priveleged just to watch him lean up against a rock and listen to his inner thoughts for two hours straight.
Demi Moore. I would definitely put her in the Sean Penn club.
She seems to take herself so seriously, even when she was on General Hospital. I think she’s a good actress, but I can always imagine her in meetings with Hollywood execs grabbing them by the balls and fighting for the integrity of her character. I don’t know why.
She’s like the anti-Meryl (sp?) Streep, who is a pheonomenal actress but occasionally takes goofy roles that show a completely different, fun side.