Why I don’t (usually) ask celebrities for autographs or photographs

[almostwitty]

Ever since I started working properly in the media business, well-meaning friends and family will often ponder if I can get them an autograph for someone. This is a little tricky because:

• I don’t generally meet celebrities any more in my line of work anyway!
• Even if I did, it’d be very hard to interrupt an interview or a meeting with a “Oh by the way, can you sign this for my grandma?” or “Can we just pose for a photograph?”
• I’m terrible at asking anything of strangers. Unless I have to.
• How many journalists do you know who interrupt press conferences to ask for an autograph? It’s just not done.
• Most importantly, I’m usually the only Chinese person in the room. Which means:
  • They’re far more likely to notice me – I tend to stick out like a sore form even when I don’t say anything – and thus, form an opinion, good or bad.
  • The last thing I want to do is enhance the racist assumption that Japanese/foreign journalists are idiotic and don’t know the ‘rules’

Having said all that, outside of work, it seems to be OK. During one birthday celebration in a Soho pub, June Whitfield came into the pub. Before you know it, my then evil scum of workmates had corralled her into posing for a pic next to me – I’m not too sure where that picture has gone, but it’s around here somewhere, with the odd sock. And somewhere in my archives, I also have Woody Allen’s autograph.

Of course, it seems to be just me who has a problem with asking celebrities for autographs where I work. My friend Shari in New York, who’s a radio engineer, had her pic taken with Hugh Jackman and was very proud of it. Stephen Fry, as ever, is the realist and has the do’s and don’ts of approaching a celebrity.

Do you work in the biz, as pretentious people like to call it? Do you collect autographs or photographs, or just get on with it and work with them as colleagues?

Mirrored from almost witty.

Comments

[acrylic-after.livejournal.com]

I'm always far too shy to just approach someone cold, because I don't want to be a pest. I'm not saying it's the same as being famous, but strangers often approach me and try to strike up a conversation because they notice my accent, and while most of the time I'm happy to chat to folks and big up Canada, sometimes that gets rather irritating, so it must be many times worse to deal with that all the time. Maybe if I was sat next to someone I was an admirer of somewhere, or brushed shoulders through a job or something I would tell them I liked their work, but asking for autographs and photos seems mega uncool in most circumstances. Besides, everyone's a fucking celebrity these days, and I don't think famous people sightings are as rare as perhaps they once were.

I did once walk past Jarvis Cocker (who is surely in at least my top 10 favorite famous folks) in the crowd at a festival, and I do kind of wish I'd told him that I think he's ace, or at least flashed him a smile or something, but I was way too shy.