Sunday, December 13, 2009

Has your idol ever let you down?

When I was backstage at the Jingle Ball concert on Friday, I saw a teenage girl burst into tears because she didn't get a picture with Adam Lambert when he walked by. I heard her say, "He was right there! He could have stopped for a second!" In Adam's defense, he was incredibly nice to his fans from what I could see (well, not me—he rejected me twice when I asked to get a quick video of him! ha), and it's impossible to stop for everyone, but I do know how that girl felt. (Random side note: I noticed he had very large pores. Maybe he should ease up on the makeup?)

In middle school, I was OB-SESSED with UK basketball player, Walter McCarty. I have no idea why really, especially because I was at the age where most girls picked their favorite athlete based on how cute they were. (Google Walter if you don't know what he looks like). One time after a UK game, I somehow snuck back by the dressing rooms and waited in a hallway I had heard the players would come out of so that I could get Walter's autograph. After waiting a couple hours and still no sight of my idol, I started to get worried that I wasn't going to get to meet him. And then, it happened. He was walking towards me (note: no one else was around), and I held out my pen and paper and sweetly asked, "Walter, could you sign this?" as he passed. Umm...yeah..he just kept on walking. My heart was shattered into a million pieces. The waterworks started, and even though my parents were pissed and worried about what I had been doing for hours after the game, they stopped being mad when they saw how broken-hearted I was. 

I got home and declared that I was going to write Walter a letter to tell him how awful he had been to me. Whenever I feel strongly about something or someone, I always say that I'm going to write a letter. I said the same thing the day John Kerry lost the presidential election to Bush. Of course, I never actually follow through with it, but I always feel empowered somehow by making the statement. (You got lucky, Walter).

Ok, so back to Friday night. There was one celebrity that blew me away with his sweetness and down-to-earth personality—Pitbull. 

Ok, not the best angle of me, again, but I'm putting my vanity aside for a moment. I don't know much of Pitbull's music, other than that "I know you want me" me song, but he totally won me over that night. He answered every question in the press room with enthusiasm, and stopped to take pictures with everyone that asked—which was a lot. I know he's not the hugest celeb in the world, but I really don't think he would act differently even if he was a big time A-lister. He was just so cool and fun and actually, a lot better looking in person. This pic doesn't do him justice, although I'm not really down with the facial hair on his chin. Needless to say, Pitbull's got a new fan in me! 

As much as my Walter McCarty experience totally sucked at the time, it was awesome when I got to meet my other childhood idol, Summer Sanders, last year. Read the recap here. So tell me, have you ever been let down by your idol? 

17 comments:

  1. never met any IDOL in person actually! hahha. although tom hanks was at my sisters high school graduation.

    =D

    that's awesome pitbull was so nice! hahah i only know that song too!
    they kinda sound all the same...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your topics:)

    Yeah...I used to get backstage often years back and was SUPER excited to meet Rob Zombie of White Zombie.

    That excitement turned to utter sadness when I discovered what a DOUCHBAG he was. Very rude and mean. I no longer get excited to meet celebs because most haven't lived up to my expectations which is fine. They are all human afterall:P

    B

    ReplyDelete
  3. Traynharder, what was Tom Hanks doing at your sister's graduation?? That's pretty cool...who are your idols??

    You are so right Barbara...it's good to keep the expectations low...nothing is worse than someone you look up to letting you down. So what was your experience with Rob Zombie???

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am totally jealous, I LOVE Pitbull:) I believe I was a Reggaetone dancer in a previous life (lol).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ellen~

    It was after the show and we were supposed to do a meet and great with the radio station, per the norm. We knocked on his trailer and he opened it, gave us all the finger and choice words then slammed it shut and refused to oblige his fans.

    The DJ and I were taken aback by his shitty attitude. oh well!!Without fans you are nothing..ya know?

    Eh...I have met some wonderful souls though and that always makes up for the bad:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. ellen!! i am SOOO jealous you got to meet pitbull-i love him!! i am with sarah, reggaetone and i have had previous life experiences. i am sure you also know the song hotel room service (awesome) and then he has collaborated on a ton of stuff like 'go girl' with lil jon, the anthem, shut it down, fuego, ay chico, lots of good songs, especially to listen to on the treadmill!! here is one of my favorites:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y0w3m-XoBM

    anyway, i wouldn't say i have "idols"; more like celebrities that i think would be my friend if we ever met in person. like chelsea handler, reese witherspoon, drew barrymore, and possibly jane lynch.

    ReplyDelete
  7. p.s. i think that if i had met pitbull i would have risked humiliation by asking him if i could be in his next video.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sarah and Mary Allen, let's hunt Pitbull down and ask him to be in his next video. I need to be in a music video before I hit the big 3-0! haha

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ellen - one time I sat next to Walter McCarty on an airplane and he was wearing jorts!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jorts?! Does that mean JEAN SHORTS??? Whoa, that's strike two. Did you try to talk to him? Was he cool?

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think haveing an "idol" is just not for me. I have never had one. Most of the time they do what they do, and you do what you do. Good ol' Walt could play ball, but is most likely a terrible writer. Everyone expects so much from celebs, but they are just going to work. If i design somethign really cool or save my company my salary in one day, no one asks me for an autograph, I was doing the job that they pay me to do.

    ReplyDelete
  12. George, I agree to an extent, but I also think that celebs go into their fields knowing that fans are a big factor in their careers, and to an extent, their success. Celebs say, "Ohh but I didn't sign up for THIS," but it's like YES you did. Of course they aren't going to be able to sign every autograph or stop for every person who wants a pic, but there is no reason to be blatantly RUDE (or totally ignore a poor 12 year old girl when absolutely no one else is around). Celebs get a million perks for just "doing what they do." I can only imagine the number of groupie hos that were waiting for Walter back at his apartment after the game. I think if you're going to get the perks for just doing your job, you should be responsible for your actions and how you treat your fans. Umm, I'm obviously not still bitter...

    ReplyDelete
  13. I agree with what you are saying completely. I think that if you want teh fame, then that IS your job. I would have signed your paper. But, he could not have let you down if you did not build him up. Not sure if what I'm trying to say makes sence.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've gotten to interview a few of my idols and they've been surprisingly nice -- especially Michael Emerson, who is my faaaaavorite on Lost. But when I was 11, my dad and I went to the Club MTV concert and Milli Vanilli refused to sign an autograph for me. I was SO mad at them.

    I kind of feel like a lot of time, the more famous someone is, the LESS douchey they are...like the C-listers are overcompensating by acting like jerks.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yeah, George, that makes sense. Sometimes it's just hard to control who you like, ya know? I mean, what the hell did I know about basketball at 12 years-old? There was just something about Walter I loved, lord knows what now?!

    I agree, the famous peeps are more secure, so they're usually more chill. Damn, I bet Milli Vanilli would kill for someone to ask for their autograph now!!! Wait, didn't one of them pass away??

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yeah...I was originally going to say something about karma being a bitch, and then I remembered that Vanilli committed suicide and figured it might be inappropriate...

    ReplyDelete