Comment by Josh Board on December 29, 2009 at 6:22pm

I just talked to Mayer personally about all this. I'll write that in one of my columns.

To the dude who commented about me commenting on the link to my artical on James Cameron, I was just having fun with that. I wasn't really serious, as it doesn't really pertain to the situation at hand.

As to your mom...well, with all due respect, she was an idiot. An idiot that had no manners and someone that DOES ruin it for others.

I don't care if you're a sweet old lady. The only exception is a little kid (like the scene in The Big Chill, when a kid asks for Tom Berrengers autograph at a funeral, and he explains nicely that it's not the appropriate place). Kids get a pass, because they don't know manners and etiquette. But if your mom approached someone eating, or getting a massage or whatever, she was in the wrong. And when enough people do that, the celebs say "Ya know what? No more autographs. It's just easier that way."

And, me seeing the video has no relevance to anything. I'm a paid journalist. You guys are getting these gems of wisdom from me for free. But, I felt enough was explained in the video to give me an idea what was going on.

And...as much as I love Stephen Duncan...I think he was even partly at fault with the Tim B. Schmidt deal. If you show up with 8 albums that you need "completed"...well, it gives them the wrong impression. I've had things like that...and I bring two albums. THey complete those, and I wait until the next opportunity, and bring the rest of the albums. ANYBODY that has a lot of items, in turn, ruin it for others. Whether that's because the star stands there and signs 20 of your items and nobody else gets him. Or, they realize these dealers make up the bulk of who is asking them.

I agree. I've bought many autographs, and the dead rock stars are ones I can't get. And yes, maybe they were obtained in rude ways. But when I see someone acting rude, at an autograph thingy...I certainly tell them. When I see someone pull out 20 albums, I tell them. Or 3 electric guitars, I tell them. I want them to AT THE VERY LEAST, feel bad for mucking up (or possibly mucking up), my quest to get an autograph of someone I'm a fan of.

Comment by Stephen Duncan on December 29, 2009 at 7:02pm

....................actually Josh I had only 3 tour books. But you are right. Knowing what I know about TBS, I should of had just one item. Actually, I take that back. I should of stayed home and counted the rain drops on that soggy afternoon.

BTW, your last post is, as always, dead on: Asking someone for a sig while they are eating is like asking people for a sig when they are in the pooper room (which I have seen). It is just plain wrong.

Comment by John P. Jones on December 29, 2009 at 11:39pm

Well Josh, Here's an excerpt from your last post here: "I was just having fun with that. I wasn't really serious," ... yeah, it's not in any context here. Either is this quote by you: "As to your mom...well, with all due respect, she was an idiot. An idiot that had no manners and someone that DOES ruin it for others." I know you meant that in context, and I'm going to have a little conversation with you about that if I should ever have the good fortune to bump into you somewhere. My part of the conversation will probably end with "I was just having fun with that." .... I'm sure you can appreciate fun at someone else's (dead mother's) expense. Cheers dude !!!

Comment by Josh Board on December 30, 2009 at 1:36am

Dude, my point wasn't to insult your mother. And the fact that she's deceased, I'm truly sorry about...but I stand by what I say. When she was alive, if she did what you claim she did...that's making a pest of yourself, and ruins it for others that are friendly and nice. I've had many autograph opportunities slip by, because it would've been rude to ask at that moment. One includes Ozzy working out before a concert and I was backstage. By not asking him, while he was jumping rope...I ended up not seeing him again! others walking into a bathroom...and again, the opportunity is wasted. For you to not see that, JUST because she was your mom, is lame. Just as I tell my friends and family, to shut the hell up when we're in a movie theatre, I expect others to call out their relatives when they do rude things. Not to just excuse it.

And...as I said before (or at least, was thinking) Cameron did a few things wrong. But, how can anyone fault what Mayer said in his post/rant? Of course he deserves to call out an airline. THEY HAVE WORKERS that sell this info to autograph dealers. I know. One limo driver/dealer I know, gets info this way. He told me. He's even told me when certain people I like are flying into town, but Isaid to him once "I don't want to do that, because it's going against some of the principles I have while autograph seeking." The one time I broke this rule, was trying to meet santana in a hotel. The last few years, he plays the big venues and you can't get to him. But he just ignored us and walked onto the bus. And, I was waiting in the lobby, not banging on his hotel door.

Stephen...I stand corrected. 3 tour books, IS NOT overdoing it. I thought you had tour books and a variety of albums. To me, 3 is the max amount. And, you always should have it looking like one item (other items behind the first). THis way, they get them all in their hand. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But at least you have a second to explain "I got this on the 82 tour, right before you broke up. I never thought I'd get it all signed." And if they ask if they can personalize it...always good to say YES, to prove you aren't a dealer or have no intention of selling it.

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on December 30, 2009 at 1:05pm

John,

Well...I think your post shows you aren't one to fly off the handle like the "fan" in the video. Josh's writing is usually cutting edge, which I one of the reasons I love it. But I agree...that was bleeding edge.

I imagine your mom did almost all, if not all of her collecting long before eBay. Different days--stars weren't anywhere near as inundated pro autograph hounds. I'm sure most didn't mind her walking up during dinner at La Costa. Now while getting a massage might be a different story. Especially near the end.

Comment by John P. Jones on December 30, 2009 at 2:13pm

Actually Steve, I am one to "fly off the handle", but I don't see much sense in doing so online, as there's simply too much of a buffer. Often others' opinions help form my own, and while I respect your's and Josh's opinions on many things, I think it's debatable whether Josh's writing should be described as "cutting edge". I don't have to tell you how often true BS is described as "cutting edge".

You can forget asking for autographs during a massage, that was Josh's contribution ... not mine. My mom passed in 2004, and had stopped collecting autographs by the late '70s. She'd love to relate stories about getting autographs, and her or my step-dad never described an encounter where a signer was offended or un-accomodating .. or treated her as though she was a "pest". I seriously doubt that my mother ruined it for ANY autograph seekers. She began collecting in her 20s, and not only was there no eBay (duh!), there were no young, dogmatic and mouthy "cutting edge" autograph writers or experts around to declare what the standards or protocols absolutely must be. In my own experiences, I think that in "days past", famous folks were a little more receptive to admirers and fans.

Josh, I'm going to make a suggestion to you. Calling people "lame" because they don't see things as you do is not ignorant, not nice, and ... in some cases ... not a great idea. That is not a "cuttin edge" remark. It falls somewhere under the old category of unintended consequences.

Comment by Josh Board on December 30, 2009 at 3:29pm

One other thing...why is it so rude for me to call out idiotic behavior (even if it's your mom) yet not for you to call Stephen "clueless" for his comments? Something to think about.

Comment by Josh Board on December 30, 2009 at 3:35pm

Something else to think about...your mom may not have had a single person turn her away. Or complain that she was approaching during a meal. Well, that's because a celebrity knows that doing that just once, might mean that person goes around telling everyone "what a jerk" you were. There's a great scene in the Scorscee movie THE KING OF COMEDY. It was put in there because it happened in real life to Jerry Lewis. He was walking to the telethon, and he was running late. It had been timed out so he'd walk in and just a certain time, and he couldn't stop. A woman was on the phone and started screaming with excitement "It's jerry Lewis, it's Jerry Lewis!!!" She said "Can you take the phone and say hello to my mother. She's in the hospital in Delaware." Lewis tried to explain he was walking onto the stage and didn't have time, but that if she met him there in an hour, he would gladly talk to her mom. And, this sweet woman in her 30s, then proceeds to curse out Mr. Lewis. He was shocked, but kept walking.

So, maybe stars rolled their eyes when your mom approached, but she didn't even pick up on that. Hell, I once saw Dirk Nowtizki, one of the best players in the NBA, get hounded on a version of Punk'D. This kid kept asking him for things signed during his dinner, and it wasn't until about the 20th item that he told the kid that was enough. And even at that point, he felt guilty about doing it.

As Steve said, though, those were different times. And the way things are now...we can't blame ANY celeb that says no. Although, I still think they should have some reason (i'm running late; only one per person, etc)

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on December 30, 2009 at 5:27pm

>>One other thing...why is it so rude for me to call out idiotic behavior (even if it's your mom) yet not for you to call Stephen "clueless" for his comments? Something to think about.

While I LOVE vigorous discussions, this one's getting too exciting.

Josh, you're a great friend and contributor, and I thank you for your support. You've make some very valid and entertaining points--but if you referred to anything my mom did as idiotic, I'd want to get together to talk about it. And I'd probably ask John to join in the "discussion." :)

I think we all want and try to be conscientious members of the autograph community, but we have our own feelings about what is, and what's not, good protocol. I think it's great to discuss, argue and disagree, but I think we need to be careful with the words we use. Some really hurt--unnecessarily. What I'm impressed with, though, is that there's been no flaming, profanity and hatefulness. That says a lot.

John, thanks for coming to Live! and speaking your mind. I hope you keep coming back. I'd especially love you to blog on your mom's autograph stories. A lot of the stories from the old days I hear are a lot of fun--especially if you can upload the signed photos that go along with them.

Steve

Comment by Stephen Duncan on December 30, 2009 at 7:07pm

Group hug time :-)

Comment

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next ›
• Page