Rules of engagement with celebrities

[Jim Schue]

I think this Grantland piece by Rembert Browne is very funny and very useful. He's a pretty good writer.

 

Stars: They're nothing like you, so just stop talking to them

 

I have had occasion to meet many celebrities through my work (although I only have a former POTUS to my credit). The headline belies the actual undertone of the article in some ways, I feel, and Browne's examples of Obama and Carson Daly seem to bear this out. I have found that avoiding fan-speak and hounding and instead just speaking to them like regular joes goes a long way toward breaking down the celebrity's guard. At the end of the day, they are human. They just lead very different lives than the rest of us.

 

I do not, however, feel a celebrity should be immune from contact with the great unwashed, or feel the right to act like a Neanderthal because of their station in life. It is the price of fame, and if they don't like the baggage that comes along with it they should find a way to deal with it in as classy a manner as possible or seek a new line of work.

[JokersWild24]

I saw "Nasty Boy" Brian Knobbs at Blues City Cafe in Memphis. He was actually with his tag team partner, Jerry Sags. Me and my buddy got a picture with Knobbs, but Saggs wouldn't take one. I did think Knobbs was really cool and that we didn't really bother either of them (if the worst accosting they got at 2:30 am in Memphis was us, they were probably doing alright).

 

Does that count?

[Jumper_Dad]

Followed Hawk and Animal on escalator at Memphis Airport at 5a.m. spoke and said hello and they were polite to my son and I but seemed to be in a hurry and went in an opposite direction that we did.

 

Sat across from Joan Jett and her Mgr at NKY Airport...seemed to be ticked at the world and not at all approachable. In over 45 minutes never made eye contact with her and I was sitting 6 feet away facing her.

 

Rob Van Winkle Aka Vanilla Ice stayed at same Disney Resort we did. Very nice and polite and seemed to be all about his kids spoke to him a couple of mornings in the breakfast line...all I could do not to hum "Under Pressure" when I was in line behind him

[JokersWild24]

Followed Hawk and Animal on escalator at Memphis Airport at 5a.m. spoke and said hello and they were polite to my son and I but seemed to be in a hurry and went in an opposite direction that we did.

Sat across from Joan Jett and her Mgr at NKY Airport...seemed to be ticked at the world and not at all approachable. In over 45 minutes never made eye contact with her and I was sitting 6 feet away facing her.

 

Rob Van Winkle Aka Vanilla Ice stayed at same Disney Resort we did. Very nice and polite and seemed to be all about his kids spoke to him a couple of mornings in the breakfast line...all I could do not to hum "Under Pressure" when I was in line behind him

 

Animal is supposedly a solid dude. Hawk... well, he had a bit of a reputation. A few of them actually.

[Jumper_Dad]

Hawk's dead now I think.

[Jumper_Dad]

I'll admit when I saw this thread title I thought it was going to be about shooting celebrities.

[uk#1fan]

When I was a kid my step dad worked out at Gold Gym I would go up their with him when wrestling was in town. I met a bunch of wrestlers(Iron Shiek, Hilly Billy Jim, Mr. Fuji, Warlord, Hacksaw Jim Dugan,) they all was pretty nice.

[Jim Schue]

Aren't wrestlers kind of on par with "reality TV stars" on the hierarchy? Other than Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant, pro wrestlers aren't really stars the same way a Matt Damon or Scarlett Johansson is.

 

For the purpose of this, let's keep it to real celebrities.

[JokersWild24]

Aren't wrestlers kind of on par with "reality TV stars" on the hierarchy? Other than Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant, pro wrestlers aren't really stars the same way a Matt Damon or Scarlett Johansson is.

 

For the purpose of this, let's keep it to real celebrities.

 

Hahaha... Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs is a celebrity to me!

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvTNyKIGXiI

[halfback20]

Aren't wrestlers kind of on par with "reality TV stars" on the hierarchy? Other than Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant' date=' pro wrestlers aren't really stars the same way a Matt Damon or Scarlett Johansson is. For the purpose of this, let's keep it to real celebrities.[/quote']

 

I would say quite a few of them are very popular almost anywhere they go. They're rich and famous...Id say some of them are celebs too.

[JokersWild24]

All seriousness though, the biggest celebrity I've probably had an encounter with:

 

 

1. Had a night class with Rajon Rondo. I was not on his radar and I didn't bother him.

 

2. Saw Randall Cobb in Fayette Mall. He wasn't at UK Fan Day (which I was one of the few people in the Commonwealth to go to)... we weren't at Fan Day, so I didn't bother him.

 

3. Sat behind Manu Ginobili's wife and kids at a Spurs game because a friend was nice enough to take me and we took her Dad's tix to the Kings game because I wanted to see Cousins.... I didn't bother them, I just cheered for Cousins (even when he got his obligatory tech).

 

Moral of the story/my life code: If you see a pro wrestler at a rib joint in Memphis at 2:30 on a Saturday morning, it's acceptable enough to ask for a picture. If they are nice enough to oblige like Nasty Boy Knobbs, then smile, take it and thank him for his time. If he isn't so nice (I'm looking at you Nasty Boy Saggs), then smile and go on. If it's anyone else and they don't appear to be in the mood for taking pictures, leave them alone.

[JokersWild24]

I would say quite a few of them are very popular almost anywhere they go. They're rich and famous...Id say some of them are celebs too.

 

True. The Nasty Boys not only had their WWF stint, they were recently on a MTV reality show when we'd met them. If you don't want people respectfully approaching you for pictures, getting on an MTV reality show probably isn't the way to go about it.

[LOOGY]

Peed next to Bill Cunningham at CVG one time. Because of our situation we couldn't really make a conversation but I definitely did the nono and made the awkward eye contact while standing there.

[FarBeyondDriven]

Aren't wrestlers kind of on par with "reality TV stars" on the hierarchy? Other than Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant, pro wrestlers aren't really stars the same way a Matt Damon or Scarlett Johansson is.

 

For the purpose of this, let's keep it to real celebrities.

Celebrity snob!!!!!!:lol2:

[Jim Schue]

I would say quite a few of them are very popular almost anywhere they go. They're rich and famous...Id say some of them are celebs too.

 

Unless you're a 'rasslin fan, you don't know who these guys are. That means they don't transcend beyond their sport. Not true celebrities.