# Let's hear about your unpleasant celebrity encounters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313 "2005-02-04T03:26:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/181 "2011-02-27T00:12:00Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Stine denies it but is rumored to farm out more books than he actually writes to ghost writers. Per accounts, he comes up with the basic stories, let’s others do the heavy lifting, then he and his wife edit them. I’ve heard that, too, but I haven’t been able to confirm it either way. If true, the ghost writers are most likely under contract to keep their mouths shut. It’s a standard part of the contract. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/182 "2011-02-27T16:26:20Z")
Is it a secret that Stine had ghost writers? I mean he would crank out a new Goosebumps or Babysitters book twice a month! I was 10 and understood he had ghost writers. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/183 "2011-02-27T18:28:55Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That doesn’t sound too terrible to me - I imagine celebrities get a little touchy about getting touched by fans. It was more the way he said it–totally nasty, like I had grabbed his crotch. I could see him shrugging and saying something like “Please don’t handle the merchandise” but it was his arm. The person I was with made an audible gasp. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/184 "2011-02-27T18:57:13Z")
When I was 16 I helped set up a sound system for a McGovern fundraiser where Shirley Maclaine was a guest. It was a wine and cheese tasting and I got a bit wasted. Anyway, I had a drunken conversation with Ms Maclaine and she was as nice as could be. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/185 "2011-02-27T20:23:13Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Since we’re doing third hands - I really wish (a) I had witnessed this, (b) I remembered the details better. > > Harlan Ellison (SF writer) made an appearance and gave a talk at my college circa 1994. During the exchange, he somehow got involved in a snit for snat exchange with the newspaper writer present, whereby the college newspaper guy stole his pipe, and he stole the writer’s notebook. There was something of a recap in the newspaper which I read. I think it might have been entertaining to witness Harlan in person. Ellison is notorious for being persnickety, but to me that newspaper student doesn’t come off very well, either. ## My high school English teacher once went on a date with Ellison (this would have been in the 70s or so), and she said it was physically exhausting just to have a conversation with him. No other details. I have had very few celeb encounters. I do remember meeting actor Matt Winston at a convention. Best known for playing Crewman Daniels on Enterprise but has also had a ton of TV and small roles in films. Very nice man, friendly, easy to talk to, down to earth. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/186 "2011-02-28T15:19:11Z")
I know the thread was supposed to be about unpleasant celebrity encounters but there’s such an consistent trend of pleasant ones that I’ll put mine in too: I met Clive Cussler (author of all the Dirk Pitt books as well as others) at a book signing at a very small mall. As such, there weren’t a lot of people present and I had a chance to talk to him for about five minutes before I felt I should be moving on. We had a nice conversation about the Titanic and where it was believed to have sunk as this was before its final resting place had been pinpointed. When I proffered my book for an autograph, Mr. Cussler was kind enough to write: “To **Lare** , my inspiration for Dirk Pitt.” The character of Dirk Pitt, per Wikipedia, is “…a renowned adventurer. He’s described as tall, 6 ft 3 in (190.5 cm) with craggy looks, dark wavy hair, and possessing a rangy build. His most striking feature is his opaline green eyes, which can be both alluring or intimidating, as need be. Pitt has a commanding presence which, combined with a quick, sly wit, often infuriates those opposed to him.” Dirk puts James Bond to shame in his successes with women, is an all-around-good-guy, and has all the requisite qualities of an Eagle Scout. I’m not 6’3". Other than that he’s pretty accurate. … Well, I don’t have dark hair. But other than that… Ok, he was being orders of magnitude more flattering than I deserved and it made my day. I also got to meet John Denver once. I found him very pleasant and unassuming. And taller than I expected, too. He was nice enough to pose for a picture which I stutteringly fumbled through. He noticed the flash didn’t fire (it was early evening) and insisted that I take another so it would come out. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/187 "2011-02-28T15:25:32Z")
A 2nd hand one: A friend of mine met cyberpunk author John Shirley in a social setting. The friend is one of those folks who never says anything bad about anybody, so I had to laugh when he described Shirley as “believes himself to be the most _special_ person in the room and expects to be treated as such.” ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/188 "2011-02-28T16:09:00Z")
I’ve met Nick Cave a couple of times. We have friends in common. He’s about as surly as you’d expect, though I’m told he can be good company if he decides you’re OK. ---
**Author:** ![Daly21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@Daly21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daly21)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/189 "2013-07-09T20:32:28Z")
My bf met a lot at an FX shop he used to work at, but the biggest asshole by far was Keenan Ivory Wayans. My bf had taken the owner’s dog for a walk but the owner had put a cheap vanity collar on the dog and it broke, the dog ran into traffic, got hit, and my bf risked his life crossing the highway to save it (which he did). When Wayans was being introduced to the staff, he didn’t even acknowledge my bf, just said to the owner, “So is this the stupid white boy that almost killed your dog?” In general, Wayans is a racist, pompous, below-average talent who’s been lucky enough to meet real talents who have furthered his career. Best celeb visit to the shop? Will Smith, who was genuine, funny, patient, and treated everyone the same as himself. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/190 "2013-07-09T21:05:54Z")
My friend did stage work for Art Garfunkel at an event and he said Art was an unbelievable asshole, just screaming at people. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/191 "2013-07-09T21:18:28Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > My friend did stage work for Art Garfunkel at an event and he said Art was an unbelievable asshole, just screaming at people. That’s called “singing.” ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/192 "2013-07-10T01:30:50Z")
I know this is a zombie but I was surprised at all of the stories about Steve Martin. He had an exhibit of his art collection and was really very personable and friendly. I asked him about a couple of pieces and he was enthusiastic when talking about them. He was really knowledgeable in a very non-pompous way. I thought he was really nice. I was a cocktail waitress in a couple of casinos so I’ve had some celebrity contact both good and bad. Sometimes you can tell it’s just a bad day for them and maybe that’s why they’re being jackasses. Sometimes they’re just jackasses. I am also surprised to see so much praise for Penn. The Penn & Teller show (which jumped from casino to casino before settling at The Rio) is a good one, but they had a hard time keeping it staffed because of the way that Penn in particular treated people. He got himself quite a reputation for being a loudmouthed bully. The staff I knew who worked with them at one casino wasn’t a bit sorry to see them go. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/193 "2013-07-10T01:51:56Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > That’s called “singing.” Well, he was ‘singing’ at the woman who ironed his shirt before the show. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/194 "2013-07-10T02:54:24Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > I’ve met Nick Cave a couple of times. We have friends in common. He’s about as surly as you’d expect, though I’m told he can be good company if he decides you’re OK. :envy: ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/195 "2013-07-10T08:23:37Z")
I’m surprised I hadn’t mentioned this when the thread was new. Way back in 1969, I was living in Columbus, Ohio. My boyfriend and I usually went to a gay bar that was mostly college kids and early 20s guys. But one night we went to another one, a slightly older crowd. And who should be there, in a booth with his friends, but Paul Lynde. He got one look at me and decided he had to have me, no matter what (I was a lot cuter then). All of a sudden he was coming on to me really strong; he was very drunk and very obnoxious, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. At one point he practically knocked me over. Finally one of his friends and the bouncer got him back to his seat, and my boyfriend and I made a quick exit. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/196 "2013-07-10T10:08:50Z")
I was considering posting about Paul Lynne in the Bizarre Celebrity Deaths thread, after reading the post about Tennessee Williams. Both he and Lynne didnt die while alone, but with paid companions who reactions were “oh, my trick is dead. Time to empty the wallet and make an exit. The maid will get this.” ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/197 "2013-07-10T10:53:51Z")
Ken Block, lead of Sister Hazel, is one of the nicest, most receptive, community concerned individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of sitting next to at our kid’s school concert. I’ve never heard of him ever being unpleasant, or turning down any opportunity to do any sort of public event that benefits the community. I think asking for autographs, asking for pictures…is just silly. Who cares? It might mean something to a kid, but if you need to get a celebrity autograph or picture around their shoulder to feel like you’ve accomplished something? Please. I’d rather tell a story about how I gave some actor normal service and brushed off his attempt to be ‘friendly’ than to have momentos of some chance encounter. The so-called life of true celebrities must really suck. I suspect many of them would just as soon put on a mask when they leave the house. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/198 "2013-07-10T13:21:35Z")
Denis Hopper has ruined a few meals for me. He can be quite the loud, drunk, obnoxious asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/199 "2013-07-10T13:24:13Z")
Since I’ve gone into it before I won’t rehash the details, but Gallagher was by far the nastiest celebrity I’ve ever met, and I’ve since found out this is typical. He is apparently widely hated and there weren’t a lot of tears when he had heart attacks and announced his retirement last year, or when he announced he’s broke after making many millions over the decades. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ecks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ecks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ecks)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/200 "2013-07-10T13:27:08Z")
This is second hand, but a friend who works at a bookstore had Will Smith and his daughter come in. Said they were wonderful, low key and everyone there did their best to pretend they didn’t notice them. He bought “The Name of the Wind” and had a laugh when the person who found it for him said he looked familiar. Then a huge crowd of autograph/photo seekers entered- someone must have tweeted- and basically hounded them out of the store. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313.md?page=11)