# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/161 "2011-02-25T17:44:57Z")
> [@drm](#): > > \constantly walked around with more security than Justin Beiber, I shit you not (nice kid btw). \ My second-hand celebrity story - I work with a woman who went backstage to meet Justin Bieber with her three-year old daughter (the daughter was the reason they were there), and apparently Justin picked up the three-year old and carried her around for about an hour because she’s so cute (with her mother’s permission, of course). My co-worker also says Justin is a very nice kid. > [@](#): > > Also, Rick Campenelli was just as cool (He’s a personality on Entertainment Tonight Canada - and he didn’t even care that I never watch the show.). Rick The Temp! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Grapefruit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@Grapefruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grapefruit)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/162 "2011-02-25T17:54:40Z")
Way way back when I was a teeny bopper (Is this an old term, btw? I haven’t heard kids nowadays use this term to insult people lately) I met Christina Aguilera after my friend won a radio contest, and it was the standard don’t-look-me-in-the-eye kind of diva behaviour. She spent as much time avoiding the fans as she could, and then when she ventured out to meet the fans, it was very forced and faked pleasantries. A lot of people have things for her to sign, but it was mostly paid merchandise (like CDs and whatever doodads) but when my friend had the gall to ask her to sign the (free) tour poster, she gave an audible sign and scribbled something illegible. I didn’t care but my friend was devastated because at that time, Ms. Aguilera was a strong powerful female figure for her to look up to ( :rolleyes: ) and it all came crashing down. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Rick The Temp! 😃 Ahh, I remember those days. I seem to recall that when he was a temp, he was just a ball of energy. But I guess he managed to latch on with that schtick. I wonder if Ed the Sock is still around… ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/163 "2011-02-25T19:02:14Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I wish I’d kept that issue, and unfortunately I can’t remember details. But Pauly Shore is indeed a very offensive and f’d up tool. (not in a mean, deliberate, evil way, back then - just clueless, low class, and an insult to the male gender.) Another yes to this. Nothing for myself, but a friend of my sister’s had the misfortune of meeting him on an airplane or something, and gave him her phone number on a lark. A mistake – she still gets incoherent, inappropriate text messages from him on a regular basis (not responding to them apparently didn’t dissuade him). This, like 18 months later. I read a few she had forwarded - he’s skeezy. ---
**Author:** ![Snake\_Plissken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@Snake\_Plissken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake_Plissken)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/164 "2011-02-25T19:20:33Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Not really an encounter, but back when he was just a local food critic, I ate at a table next to Andrew Zimmern, the host of Bizarre Foods. It was a cute little place called Z’s Cafe (now out of business) that served the best variety of eggs benedict for Sunday brunch. I was with a friend at a table in this twenty seat restaurant and we couldn’t hear each other over Zimmern’s self-important voice. He had a group of 4 others and insisted on talking the entire time in almost a shouting voice. Our waitress rolled her eyes understandably when she approached our table creating that subtext that she too was annoyed. Hilarious, I know Andrew really well, and that pretty much nails him. He does give off that self important vibe, but he’s a pretty decent dude once you get to know him. ---
**Author:** ![Snake\_Plissken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@Snake\_Plissken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake_Plissken)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/165 "2011-02-25T19:36:22Z")
I have a bunch of friends that happen to be celebs, so I have met or have been in the presence of hundreds of them. Oddly I’ve only had a couple of unpleasant experiences. One was with Gregg Allman. He wanted one of my staff to go get his coke for him. She was naive and thought he was talking about the cola. He lost his cool and told her she was fired. I calmed her down and told her to stay away from him. I ran into him again a couple years later and he recognized me. He apologized for his assholish behavior, and it seemed important to him that people didnt think ill of him. Steve Tyler was an ass one minute, apologized and was a gracious host the rest of the evening. The celebs that have always been really nice were, Clapton, George Harrison, Uma Thurman, Kevin Bacon, John Huston, Joe Thiesman, Jim Marshal, Harmon Killebrew, Jim McMahon. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/166 "2011-02-25T21:11:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/167 "2011-02-25T23:00:17Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > During intermission at the show I went to, Penn was in the lobby having a glass of wine and talking to fans I found this odd because he is always very vocal about he and Teller never smoking or drinking or doing drugs. And all the Steve Martin encounters made me google and find what one of his cards look like, [this](http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/steve-martin-business-card.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/168 "2011-02-25T23:07:29Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I think it might have been entertaining to witness Harlan in person. For some value of entertaining, certainly. I’ve encountered Harlan several times over the years. He is a walking contradiction. But always entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/169 "2011-02-25T23:11:21Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > I found this odd because he is always very vocal about he and Teller never smoking or drinking or doing drugs.] I know almost nothing about either Penn or Teller, but while watching a game show the other day (Cash Cab) it was stated as fact that Teller’s U.S. passport had only the name “Teller” printed on it; no first name or other initials… Anyone else heard of this? Is this legally possible? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/170 "2011-02-26T00:08:05Z")
I’ve heard that too, from a different source. If he legally changed his name to just “Teller,” then that’s what his passport would say. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/171 "2011-02-26T03:22:18Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > I found this odd because he is always very vocal about he and Teller never smoking or drinking or doing drugs. It’s possible that he was drinking something non-alcoholic out of a wine glass. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/172 "2011-02-26T07:11:54Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I’ve heard that too, from a different source. If he legally changed his name to just “Teller,” then that’s what his passport would say. I’m not sure if it applies to passports, but many IDs will deal with sort of thing by saying “John NOLASTNAME” or sometimes “John NLN”. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/173 "2011-02-26T08:06:44Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Not really an encounter, but back when he was just a local food critic, I ate at a table next to Andrew Zimmern, the host of Bizarre Foods. It was a cute little place called Z’s Cafe (now out of business) that served the best variety of eggs benedict for Sunday brunch. I was with a friend at a table in this twenty seat restaurant and we couldn’t hear each other over Zimmern’s self-important voice. He had a group of 4 others and insisted on talking the entire time in almost a shouting voice. Our waitress rolled her eyes understandably when she approached our table creating that subtext that she too was annoyed. I guess food critics tend to get away with being assholes in restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/174 "2011-02-26T14:30:18Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Whether this was an asshole thing to do or not depends I suppose on your opinion: I went to hear David Sedaris speak recently and afterwards he signed books. The line was very long and he called out “Please form two lines… if you’re a smoker to the left and if you’re a non-smoker to the right”. The line formed (the smoker line being much shorter) and he said “We have to stand outside in freezing weather at airports, have to wear patches on nine hour flights, we can’t even light up in bars in Manhattan, but by God, smokers are going to get through this line first!” and he signed books and chatted with the smoker line before anybody in the non-smoker line (regardless of how close they’d been to him originally). Wait… Sampiro and David Sedaris were both together in the same room? Do we have confirmation of this? Any photos? OR… is Sedaripiro trying to throw us off the scent there? (for any newbies here, some of Sampiro’s stories put him in the same genre, indeed the same rarefied echelon, as Mr. Sedaris) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/175 "2011-02-26T15:05:58Z")
> [@Ol\_Gaffer](#): > > …So I raise the camera…and this is the part that is really unpleasant…Uecker puts on a big fake smile and waves right when I take the picture. As soon as the flash went off, he turned away and said “Now get the fuck out of my face.” Ditto my experience. I had to Art Direct “Mr. Baseball” for a day-long photo shoot, and the Automatic Camera-Homing Fake Smile would flash on and off for a nano-second as the shutter was clicked. ---
**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 26, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/176 "2011-02-26T18:46:28Z")
These don’t count at all really but I wanna pretend that I’ve met celebrities so I’ll give em. Seth Green: He and Matt Senrich (two of the three creators of Robot Chicken) did a skate rink tour and stopped here in Indy. I was able to get in earlier than the rest of the public so there were less people in the rink than normal. When I asked for my picture with Seth I kinda sorta ambushed him outside of the bathroom. He seemed a bit annoyed with me (probably cuz of my timing) but made a funny face for the picture and overall was nice. Impressed him later cuz I cussed really loudly near him and it shocked him (he laughed) and then he gave me the mic cuz I was again hyper. Matt Senrich: I’ll include him because when we talked with him he was super super nice. We took a picture with him and he was happy, laughing, and gave us bunny ears. Then the camera flipped out and he laughed about it and stayed by us til we could fix it and take another picture. Gene Simmons: I was working the Indy 500 festival parade and was walking back to my car when we crossed the path that the celebrities took to get to their cars for the parade. I about ran right in front of Gene cuz I am a fast walker and the 500 security guy had to hurredly stop me. Gene and I made eye contact…I said “rock on” and he smiled and threw me the horns. Nice guy. Second hand Robin Williams: While studying in London I was at the Ivy and Robin was there for the premiere of Happy Feet. I didn’t talk with him but a friend strategically went to the bathroom at the same time a Robin. My friend said “I can’t believe I’m peeing next to Robin Williams” Robin smiled and gave an awkward “Ok buddy…” type laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/177 "2011-02-26T18:50:05Z")
> [@Double\_Foolscap](#): > > Margaret Thatcher stole my friend’s lunchbox when he was younger. > > . What? How young? In addition to snatching free school milk from seven year olds? > **[BBC ON THIS DAY | 15 | 1971: Councils defy Thatcher milk ban](http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/15/newsid_4486000/4486571.stm)** > > Opposition is growing to Margaret Thatcher's plans to end free school milk for children over the age of seven. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/178 "2011-02-26T19:33:20Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Celebrity heights are notorious for being mis-reported. Every article I’ve ever read about Danny Devito has contained the phrase, “the five-foot-tall actor.” I once worked with him and an actress who was 4’ 11", and she towered over him. ---
**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 26, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/179 "2011-02-26T22:15:39Z")
The celebrities I meet most often are authors, since I work in the business (I own a bookstore and write children’s books). The vast majority of them are incredibly nice, especially people like Meredith Brokaw (Tom’s wife) and Greg Mortenson (“3 Cups of Tea”). My wife and I took Meredith and her co-author out to dinner after a book signing and she was a delight. Greg spent the night at our house after his event and we talked about his work and his experiences with the book until 3:00 in the morning. Kevin J. Anderson had to cancel an event once, and offered to meet me in Yellowstone Park when he was on vacation with his family and sign a box of books for me! However, getting back to the thread subject line, there have been some exceptions. One was R.L. Stine, author of the _Goosebumps_ books and others. I was at a book conference in Seattle and ended up sitting next to him at breakfast. When I meet authors like him at a conference, I always make a point of inviting them out to my store in Montana to do a book signing. Most of the time, they’ll ask for my card or give me their publicist’s card, thank me for the invitation, and go on their way. Stine laughed at me. I mean _laughed_. It went on for what seemed like forever while everyone else at the table grew increasingly uncomfortable. He stopped, looked at me, and said, “I’m sorry, but _Montana_?” and started laughing again. It’s pretentious, arrogant assholes like that who create those bad stereotypes of New Yorkers. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313/180 "2011-02-26T22:41:58Z")
[QUOTE=Gary “Wombat” Robson] However, getting back to the thread subject line, there have been some exceptions. One was R.L. Stine, author of the _Goosebumps_ books and others. I was at a book conference in Seattle and ended up sitting next to him at breakfast. When I meet authors like him at a conference, I always make a point of inviting them out to my store in Montana to do a book signing. Most of the time, they’ll ask for my card or give me their publicist’s card, thank me for the invitation, and go on their way. Stine laughed at me. I mean _laughed_. It went on for what seemed like forever while everyone else at the table grew increasingly uncomfortable. He stopped, looked at me, and said, “I’m sorry, but _Montana_?” and started laughing again. It’s pretentious, arrogant assholes like that who create those bad stereotypes of New Yorkers. [/QUOTE] 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. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hear-about-your-unpleasant-celebrity-encounters/288313.md?page=10)