# What celebrities are complete bastards? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 18, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827 "2009-01-18T04:38:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/121 "2009-01-19T19:27:58Z")
I was an event coordinator at a Barnes & Noble about 15 years ago - I dealt with a lot of authors when they did readings /signings at our store. The single most unpleasant celebrity I had to work with was a name most people are surprised at…Deepak Chopra. He was rude, egotistical, completely self-absorbed and made it quite clear that the people working at the store were his underlings. He referred to one of my co-workers as a “minimum wage tool.” Once he was scheduled to begin a reading at 8pm, but decided he didn’t feel like staying that late, so he showed up an hour early, without giving any advance notice to the store, gave a perfunctory reading (of course, a mob of devotees had begun gathering since the store opened at 9am), and walked out at 7:30pm - leaving the store personnell to deal with many pissed-off fans who blamed us for not posting the right time for his reading. (One woman actually threatened the store with a _lawsuit_ because she’d missed the reading!) Of course, always just before greeting the public, he made a transformation as if an on/off switch had been thrown. He’d instantly put on his ‘serene, humble, wiseman’ face, especially if a celebrity news camera was in the room. It was actually a joke around the store that the most insufferable, impatient and demanding authors to deal with were self-help gurus who wrote about ‘self-fulfillment’ and ‘seeking serenity.’ ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/122 "2009-01-19T19:36:23Z")
Russell Crowe, I don’t care what the scenario was, beating a hotel manager with a pay phone is fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/123 "2009-01-19T22:04:31Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > I’ll state the obvious: Andy Dick and William Shatner. . I’ll agree to the 1st, but Bill seems to be uneven- funny, grateful to fans and self-effacing sometimes and a bastard others. Tony Randall was an ass when I worked with him (as security only, mind you). ---
**Author:** ![Miltonyz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Miltonyz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miltonyz)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/124 "2009-01-19T22:07:53Z")
Whenever I’ve heard David Lee Roth give an interview he’s come across as a dick. When he got back with Van Halen for the last tour one of their stops was in Grand Rapids Michigan. The arena they were to play in was the Van Andel arena. The local radio guys got together and petitioned the Van Andel family for permission to change the name of the arena for that night to the Van Halen arena. The family allowed it on the condition that a donation was made to a charity. So the radio station took a guitar to the band to sign to auction for charity. Knowing it was for charity all of the band gladly signed it except for DLR who refused. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/125 "2009-01-19T23:51:24Z")
My wife got to organize a few cooking demos as part of her job. She said Tyler Florence was great to work with, but Emeril Lagasse (BAM!) was an introverted dick. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/126 "2009-01-19T23:56:07Z")
> [@YamatoTwinkie](#): > > My wife got to organize a few cooking demos as part of her job. > > She said Tyler Florence was great to work with, but Emeril Lagasse (BAM!) was an introverted dick. Does that mean his dick points inwards rather than outwards? MAB! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/127 "2009-01-20T00:23:42Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I’ve always cut him slack for his fantastic SNL episode and seemingly being a good sport, but that may have just been him putting on a good face for his audience. I’d have no way of knowing what he’s like backstage, but the two times I’ve met him after shows, he hasn’t been any kind of prima donna. I think his days of having a big problem with his Star Trek fame are also in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/128 "2009-01-20T00:51:00Z")
Usher is a bit of a turd to work with. Well, at least he was the one time when we had to work with him and I was there to hear about it. ---
**Author:** ![beanpod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9adbd/32.png) [@beanpod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beanpod)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/129 "2009-01-20T01:01:21Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] (I know. You are all scratching your heads and saying Art who? Dale who?) [/QUOTE] If it’s any consolation, I know who they are, **Zoe**! Surprised that they’re assholes. Don’t have any personal experience with celebrities to add, though. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/130 "2009-01-20T01:03:46Z")
Sorry, wrong thread. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/131 "2009-01-20T01:26:29Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Russell Crowe, I don’t care what the scenario was, beating a hotel manager with a pay phone is fucked up. I’ve met him a number of times (was on a shoot for a couple months with him up here in the great white North). He’s a bit grumpy, definitely likes things a certain way, an doesn’t suffer fools lightly, but he’s not all that bad. It’s not like he was making outrageous demands…the only time I saw him get bent out of shape was a day when the extras weren’t really behaving all that well and were causing extra takes. Considering the hours he was putting in, I totally get why he was mad. As for beating a hotel manager with a phone? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/132 "2009-01-20T01:30:47Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Oh, and just to add to this: the same article hinted that the consensus around Hollywood following Reeve’s horse riding accident was “karma.” This is second hand, but I talked to the person who saw it. Reeves was a pilot and he attended flight school here in Florida. When he graduated, everyone else in the class chiped in and had a special shirt made for him to commemorate it. When they presented it to him, his reaction was “Oh great, another boat rag.” ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/133 "2009-01-20T03:17:56Z")
Sorry to hear the negative reaction to Chris Reeve. I met him a couple of times in connection with flying (he was a sailplane pilot) and found him to be an easy guy to get along with. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/134 "2009-01-20T03:22:45Z")
I know some pilot who fly for NetJets and Citation Shares (small jet fractional ownership outfits). They mention Martha Stewart, Alec Baldwin and Madonna among those they hope will not be aboard. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/135 "2009-01-20T03:43:53Z")
I’m not one to want to stick up for celebs (I luuuurve hearing about how these hoity-toity rich folks are such assholes) but this thread brings to mind a [blog article](http://www.stephenfry.com/blog/2007/09/27/let-fame/) (a rather long-winded blog article) Stephen Fry wrote about fame. I found it quite interesting and, in some respects, clarifies some of the confusion we have as to who is really a jerk and who is just having a bad day. Oh, and Kid Rock is an ass, or at least was before he was famous when my friends played a show with him. I can only imagine he’s gotten worse since he made it big… ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/136 "2009-01-20T03:50:03Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Bill O’Reilly is another dick who hasn’t been mentioned yet. Yes, but that’s sort of a gimme, since he doesn’t attempt to hide it (and isn’t doing it as a “playing an obnoxious character” shtick). ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/137 "2009-01-20T04:21:29Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Yes, but that’s sort of a gimme, since he doesn’t attempt to hide it (and isn’t doing it as a “playing an obnoxious character” shtick). I do think he plays it up a tad though. Even though he was still crass he was a lot more, how can I put this? Calm and reasonable sounding when he was on the Daily Show (recent appearance at least). He may be a bastard, but not as big a one as he’s been playing up. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/138 "2009-01-20T05:04:13Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > I was an event coordinator at a Barnes & Noble about 15 years ago - I dealt with a lot of authors when they did readings /signings at our store. > > The single most unpleasant celebrity I had to work with was a name most people are surprised at…Deepak Chopra. He was rude, egotistical, completely self-absorbed and made it quite clear that the people working at the store were his underlings. He referred to one of my co-workers as a “minimum wage tool.” Once he was scheduled to begin a reading at 8pm, but decided he didn’t feel like staying that late, so he showed up an hour early, without giving any advance notice to the store, gave a perfunctory reading (of course, a mob of devotees had begun gathering since the store opened at 9am), and walked out at 7:30pm - leaving the store personnell to deal with many pissed-off fans who blamed us for not posting the right time for his reading. (One woman actually threatened the store with a _lawsuit_ because she’d missed the reading!) > > Of course, always just before greeting the public, he made a transformation as if an on/off switch had been thrown. He’d instantly put on his ‘serene, humble, wiseman’ face, especially if a celebrity news camera was in the room. > > It was actually a joke around the store that the most insufferable, impatient and demanding authors to deal with were self-help gurus who wrote about ‘self-fulfillment’ and ‘seeking serenity.’ **The New and Improved Superman** , did you used to have a blog about obnoxious B&N customers? It was a thing of beauty. Koeeoaddi, Front List Lead, Emeritus ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/139 "2009-01-20T05:07:30Z")
I think in the Two truths and a Lie thread a long time ago some poster (Invisible Wombat?) said that RL Stein is a complete tosser. ---
**Author:** ![UTejas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UTejas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UTejas)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827/140 "2009-01-20T05:23:20Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > I’ll state the obvious: Andy Dick and William Shatner. George Carlin apparently was pretty dictatorial when it came to things like hotel rooms and the like. Supposedly, they had to be of a certain square footage, have certain items in them, etc., etc. Well I’ll leap to the defense of Carlin with [this article](http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/baseball/flb/story?page=tmr080624). He seemed like a good guy in real life. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-are-complete-bastards/481827.md?page=8)