Well, I actually DID bump into Marcia Clark in a video store once...

October 28, 2009 2:34 PM

This thread is no longer a question, but rather fodder for name-dropping

The poster asked if her name dropping was annoying to others, others said it was, but she keeps doing more and more name dropping through the entire post. It's bordering on trolling.

posted by hwyengr to Etiquette/Policy at 2:34 PM (452 comments total)

Yeah, that was (is?) really, really irritating.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 2:34 PM on October 28, 2009

I am so glad I'm not the only one that is annoyed and weirded out by that thread. Trollish, indeed.
posted by Sassyfras at 2:36 PM on October 28, 2009

yet I still feel the need to contribute answers in case the OP is sincere.
posted by Sassyfras at 2:39 PM on October 28, 2009

She can't possibly be anymore. But, like a train-wreck, I'm still over there too.

But seriously, this one time, I'm having coffee at the Hustler store on Sunset. And who walks in? Ron. Jeremy.

Burl Ives ain't got nothin' on that.
posted by hwyengr at 2:41 PM on October 28, 2009

Now I just sort of feel like it's sport-hunting. She's bringing down quite a bit of angry on herself.
posted by craven_morhead at 2:42 PM on October 28, 2009

::googles Ron Jeremy::

Oh yeah. wow.
posted by Sassyfras at 2:43 PM on October 28, 2009

Yeah, now she's got to be trolling. Doesn't matter though, I've got to check out of that thread, the Duchess of Kent is coming over for tea.
posted by IanMorr at 2:43 PM on October 28, 2009

I've just removed it. The last couple comments pretty much sold me on not believing emhutchinson was making any effort to meet in the middle there.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:44 PM on October 28, 2009

Thread's gone. I still can't really decide if she was trying to troll, or if the problem had just gotten that bad.
posted by craven_morhead at 2:44 PM on October 28, 2009

cortex slept at my house. Two nights.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 2:45 PM on October 28, 2009 [14 favorites]

I feel it's slightly trollish, too, but my friend Bill Hicks disagrees with me on facebook.
posted by Dumsnill at 2:45 PM on October 28, 2009

I haven't been so weirded out since the young Mother Theresa turned to the missionary position.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:46 PM on October 28, 2009

President Obama and I discussed our dislike for Mr. Hicks over beers the other night.
posted by craven_morhead at 2:46 PM on October 28, 2009

I'm kinda sad it's gone . . . now what am I going to do?
posted by Sassyfras at 2:47 PM on October 28, 2009

now what am I going to do?

Stalk celebrities to get interesting stories?
posted by hwyengr at 2:49 PM on October 28, 2009

I was just wryly observing to my good friend Nelson Mandela that there was one obvious joke that was probably going to be made multiple times in this MeTa thread.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 2:49 PM on October 28, 2009 [11 favorites]

So weird. Burl Ives?
posted by Ironmouth at 2:53 PM on October 28, 2009

Maybe I should ask my mates Bret & Germaine if they can turn this joke into some kind of humourous song...?
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:53 PM on October 28, 2009

or you could ask your friends Bret and Jemaine . . .
posted by Sassyfras at 2:55 PM on October 28, 2009 [7 favorites]

Or Tito and Jermaine.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 2:58 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

Aw, I had prepared a great answer about how having a letter published in Smash Hits when I was 16 that showed off, among other showy-offy things, about having a Big Mac with Martin Fry of ABC. (Well, we were in the same building simultaneously ...) I signed my letter as "A Smug Social Climber at the Top of the Tree." Makes me cringe now; reminded me of this poster's CLANG! namedropping.

Now, anyone want to hear about how my dad went to school with Keith Drinkel? Anyone??
posted by vickyverky at 3:00 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

It's certainly interesting in that the Asker wanted to know how "okay" a behavior was, then went on to demonstrate that behavior in fashion which left little doubt as to how not-okay the behavior was with a great number of people who dropped in to respond.

Like I was telling my friend Xzibit the other day, "Yo, dawg, when your meme has gone recursive is when it has dropped the shark so the Fonz can then jump over it."
posted by adipocere at 3:02 PM on October 28, 2009

Man, that was strange.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:02 PM on October 28, 2009 [17 favorites]

Perversely, that thread kind of made me want to tell someone a boring celebrity run-in story with no obvious point. Want to hear about the photo I have of Nelson Mandela's forehead? No? Are you sure?
posted by *s at 3:02 PM on October 28, 2009

And my husband moved Mr. Whipple's piano. Now I will say no more, 'kay?
posted by emhutchinson at 3:07 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

My comment went in just as it was closed so I feel a strong desire to post it here for no reason other than to thank the poor HTML that worked so hard to get my smartass across.

With the paparazzi and overexposure in the media, no one really gives a hoot about the rich/famous/infamous. We see the ridiculous headlines while we buy our heads of lettuce and our vitamins. Nothing is new anymore. X spray-tans using cream infused with the fine, delicate golden dust off of extinct moths imported from Arabia? Oh. If that's even true I wonder if she sneezes all day afterwards. Hmph. OH YES! A SALE ON PRODUCE!

If all you have to say is that Meatloaf sat in front of you at *GASP* a theater!? (OMG BECKY -- WHAT THE HELL WAS HE DOING THERE!?) or that Calvin Klein bought some flowers and he didn't care what price they were?! (OMG SUSAN IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH THE $.10 TO TEXT YOU THIS EXCLUSIVE!!)

Basically the stories you've told (and that have been subsequently deleted) have had nothing out of the ordinary from anyone with privileges or a few extra bucks to spare. You went on a blind date with Conan O'Brien (no details, really?); my mom got drunk-makeout assaulted by Don Ho at a club. She only told me about it once and even has a picture of it. Yeah, it's gross.

This entire thing confuses me because a few people I know who work with these types and the last thing they do is namedrop. It is such a non-issue for them, because a job is a job or they deal with it so frequently that it's like, whatever; neat-o. Man I could use some Triscuits. I wonder if JLo likes Triscuits.

Sorry for the snark, but this entire thing just seems flimsy and fake.

(Thank you!)
(p.s. *hug*)
posted by june made him a gemini at 3:07 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

And my husband moved Mr. Whipple's piano. Now I will say no more, 'kay?

Okay, now I think you might have some sort of mental problem.
posted by timory at 3:11 PM on October 28, 2009 [11 favorites]

::googles Mr. Whipple::

oh yeah.
posted by Sassyfras at 3:13 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

um, june, we would have deleted that comment if it had made it to AskMe. You know that, right?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:18 PM on October 28, 2009

um, june, we would have deleted that comment if it had made it to AskMe. You know that, right?
posted by jessamyn at 3:18 PM on October 28 [+] [!]

Even with pics of the Don Ho makeout session?
posted by Sassyfras at 3:20 PM on October 28, 2009

This morning, a few weeks ago, I'm on the line to get a coffee... and can you guess who the guy in front of me was?

I have no idea.
posted by qvantamon at 3:21 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

That's why I had it sitting. Then I remembered the disgusted/horrified look on my mother's face when she told me 'her claim to fame' and I hit post knowing that the thread was bound to such a fate anyhow, might as well leave that visual. In hindsight.. etc. :)
posted by june made him a gemini at 3:23 PM on October 28, 2009

Any thread that links Ron Jeremy and Burl Ives is a winner in my book. Big Rock Candy Mountain indeed.
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:25 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

Also, Aimee Mann once yelled at me for dissing her new song for sounding like "Dear Prudence" to me. Aimee Mann. You know who got a big kick out of that story? Willie Nelson, that's who. And I have actually gotten drunk with Hasil Adkins, who admitted to me that he couldn't read. Suck on that, peons.
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:28 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I hit post knowing that the thread was bound to such a fate anyhow

Nothing personal to you but I feel some sort of job responsibility to say "please don't do that"
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:30 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

That was really weird, reminds me of the time my mom told me she lived next door to the guy that invented the retractable watch band.
posted by marxchivist at 3:30 PM on October 28, 2009

And my husband moved Mr. Whipple's piano. Now I will say no more, 'kay?

It's pretty ballsy to be so deliberately obnoxious all the time around a spouse who's this physically capable of moving the heck out.
posted by hermitosis at 3:32 PM on October 28, 2009 [34 favorites]

I am pretty sure "moved Mr. Whipple's piano" is a euphemism for something sexually deviant.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 3:34 PM on October 28, 2009 [24 favorites]

In my first year of college I had to write a report on an art gallery visit. During the visit I met an artist who was making arrangements for his opening the following weekend; he was a kindly older gentleman who took a lot of time to talk to me, and pulled a few of his pieces out of storage to show me what kind of stuff would be at the opening. He invited me to the private pre-party and even gave me an autographed copy of a book he wrote! Very nice guy.

I came to the party and he plied me with free beers (big deal as I was 19) and introduced me to all his hip artist friends, including one who had apparently made a film adaption of one of the artist's books. I stuck around chatting for awhile and was completely bewildered and entranced by all these interesting city people, being from a small hick town myself.

Later that week I cracked the book open and discovered that the artist was a homosexual with a penchant for younger men! It slowly dawned on me that I had been paraded around like a new boy toy, getting tipsy the whole while and being total clueless! Maaaaan. I was a bit mortified, but the class presentation was interesting at least.

Oh also they were famous. Am I doing it right?
posted by skintension at 3:35 PM on October 28, 2009 [6 favorites]

And my husband moved Mr. Whipple's piano. Now I will say no more, 'kay?

Oh, you can say more. Preferably something akin to "Yeah, sorry. I was totally trolling AskMe and it was stupid. I'll be giving myself a timeout."
posted by CKmtl at 3:35 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

Am I doing it right?

You forgot to mention the brand of beer.
posted by hwyengr at 3:38 PM on October 28, 2009

All I'm going to say is that Alan Greenspan is way sluttier in person than he looks on the TV.
posted by felix betachat at 3:40 PM on October 28, 2009 [9 favorites]

I met Menudo back in 1986.

(Here is where I stop and smile knowingly, waiting for the inevitable barrage of questions and expressions of jealousy.)
posted by DrGirlfriend at 3:42 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

I think a much more fitting punishment would have been to delete the question with the reason: "You've never actually met any of those people, and you know it."
posted by koeselitz at 3:43 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

I was not trolling, and I don't believe in "timeouts" for anybody.
Gee, the vitriol here is just so . . . vitriolic.
How does it gets that way?
posted by emhutchinson at 3:44 PM on October 28, 2009

Later that week I cracked the book open and discovered that the artist was a homosexual with a penchant for younger men! It slowly dawned on me that I had been paraded around like a new boy toy, getting tipsy the whole while and being total clueless! Maaaaan. I was a bit mortified, but the class presentation was interesting at least.


hmmmmmmmmmm. this troubles me, but for different reasons than it troubled you.
posted by Think_Long at 3:44 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

I met Menudo back in 1986.

Ehh, the early stuff was way better. Still, they're my favorite band to ever use Hobo typeface in their logo.
posted by porn in the woods at 3:46 PM on October 28, 2009

How does it gets that way?

Frustrated ambition.

Or getting blue-balled by the former chief of the fed...ahem...but I've said too much already.
posted by felix betachat at 3:46 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Also, wtf is with her profile? She claims her middle name is Meta. http://www.metafilter.com/user/72506
posted by IndigoRain at 3:46 PM on October 28, 2009

DrGirlfriend: I met Menudo back in 1986.

Pfft. I share a table with Menudo at dinner every Saturday night at Tamale Kitchen around the corner from my house.

Used to gross me out, but you get used to it after a while.
posted by koeselitz at 3:46 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

I got shoved hard by Shane McGowan once about fifteen years ago. Got between him and a bar serving free drinks. Later that night I blacked out after taking a huge toke off a spliff I didn't realize was about 85 percent tobacco (my Pac-Northwest lungs and brain just weren't up to it) and fell on Micheal Evis, the founder of the Glastonbury music fest. And that was just my first night in London.
posted by philip-random at 3:48 PM on October 28, 2009

DrGirlfriend: I met Menudo back in 1986.

porn in the woods: Ehh, the early stuff was way better.

Exactly – that's why I get there Saturday night. Sunday afternoon, it's the same stuff, but it's been sitting there for a dozen hours or so. There's nothing as awful as late-period Menudo.
posted by koeselitz at 3:49 PM on October 28, 2009 [5 favorites]

I met Menudo back in 1986.

Ehh, the early stuff was way better. Still, they're my favorite band to ever use Hobo typeface in their logo.

You know, I agree. But this was the Ricky Martin incarnation of the group, which has its own merits.
posted by DrGirlfriend at 3:50 PM on October 28, 2009

One of my activities revolves around the music industry. An associate of mine had a habit of continually namedropping, always with the intention of trying to impress anyone who would listen - but always with a large dose of false modesty. They could never quite grasp how desperate and shallow this made them appear to everyone else.

It's since become an in-joke in which any story involving my colleagues meeting well-known musicians or celebrity types (and it always helps if you exaggerate the story) always ends with the line "....but I don't want to go on about it".
posted by panboi at 3:51 PM on October 28, 2009

Also, wtf is with her profile? She claims her middle name is Meta.

iirc, that's actually true. Please don't bring people's profile stuff over into the rest of the site. Google doesn't go there and it does go here.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:51 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

No banhammer? Seriously? She's basically proved with her post in this thread that she was trolling.
posted by diocletian at 3:52 PM on October 28, 2009

isn't this what the banhammer was made for? jesus, i thought i was a social retard.
posted by klanawa at 3:56 PM on October 28, 2009

Gee, the vitriol here is just so . . . vitriolic.

Oh, snap. Shit just got real. I'm gonna go pull up a chair for this.

This is like the time Jason Bourne was being a real assnugget to everyone because he didn't realize that while it's cool he travels all over the world going "pew pew pew" at bad guys and gets into car chases and shit, it just happens to him ALL the damn time. Some of us would like to just enjoy our damn salad, you know? That was the night Stephen Hawking almost had to cut a bitch. Lucky for Jason, Crocodile Dundee had taught me how to wrestle knives away from people. Well, more like he taught me how to get my arm out of crocodile's mouth, but the physics are quite similar, actually.
posted by kkokkodalk at 3:56 PM on October 28, 2009 [10 favorites]

whoa, jinx!
posted by klanawa at 3:56 PM on October 28, 2009

That was hilarious. If it was trolling, it was performed brilliantly.
posted by brain_drain at 3:56 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

urgh. Please, if possible, can we not ramp this up? Can we imagine that the poster asked a fairly innocuous question, felt sort of slammed by the answers, and acted out a bit... but just leave at that? Because it's only a question about namedropping, and not necessarily the hill we want to crucify someone on?
posted by taz at 3:58 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say maybe we should not feed the troll, because now she's Mefi-mailing people and namedropping.
posted by IndigoRain at 4:00 PM on October 28, 2009

Eh, you aint got nothing till you tell a moderately to wildly successful celeb to fuck off
posted by edgeways at 4:00 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Do you who I know? I didn't think so!
posted by ericb at 4:01 PM on October 28, 2009

or you could ask your friends Bret and Jemaine . . .

No, I was talking about Bret Easton Ellis & Germaine Greer. They supply the words & I set them to music.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:02 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

Gee, the vitriol here is just so . . . vitriolic. How does it gets that way?

You ask if something is annoying. People tell you that it is in fact annoying. Yet, for some reason, you go on with the already agreed upon annoyance.

That tends to lead to mockery.
posted by hwyengr at 4:02 PM on October 28, 2009 [9 favorites]

I'm so disappointed that any of the OP's comments were deleted from that thread and jealous of anyone who got to read them.

I regret my own comment there, as I posted it without previewing to see her first follow-up, and thus I now worry that it could be taken as endorsing the practice of boring your family with stories of the barely famous going about their ordinary lives. Which I do not.
posted by palliser at 4:07 PM on October 28, 2009

Man, I was hoping for an "OMG U R ALL JUS JELUS!" type flameout.

Yeah, I'm kind of a jerkface, actually.
posted by elizardbits at 4:10 PM on October 28, 2009

One things for sure -- every time I meet a famous/notable person I remind myself that they take a shit on the toilet just like a do -- once or twice a day!
posted by ericb at 4:11 PM on October 28, 2009

*Do you know who I know?*
posted by ericb at 4:12 PM on October 28, 2009

Eh, you aint got nothing till you tell a moderately to wildly successful celeb to fuck off

I once told Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to fuck off, kind of.

Well, he was only the shadow Foreign Minister at the time, but his meet-the-people community meeting had gone over time in the hall that we used to use for capoeira training, so during the question time at the end, I asked "I was wondering how long you intended to continue with this meeting, because we have this hall booked from 6pm, which was five minutes ago..."
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:12 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

Every time I meet ericb I remind myself that he's a perfectly down-to-earth guy.
posted by Dumsnill at 4:14 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Where's the mefite who shares a laundry room with Sal from Mad Men? I wanna hear more from that person!
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 4:16 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Where's the mefite who shares a laundry room with Sal from Mad Men? I wanna hear more from that person!

WTF? I wanna know why he got fired from Sterling Cooper. Joan resigned. Duck is wooing Peggy and Pete away to another firm. The agency is up-for-sale. Is there a management buyout (by Don and possibly Roger) in the works ... and will they rehire/retain the others?
posted by ericb at 4:20 PM on October 28, 2009

Was it five minutes, or TEN MINUTES, UbuRoivas?

I AM BEGINNING TO DOUBT THE TRUTHFULNESS OF YOUR STORY
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 4:21 PM on October 28, 2009 [8 favorites]

Screw that crap, I'm the famous person that people name-drop about.

In other news: I regularly namedrop with my wife, most recently that I've corresponded via email with the screenwriter of Gremlins II (said that way, rather than his actual name), simply because the gravity with which I refer to these slightly-celebrities is hilariously annoying. She, on the other hand, actually knows famous people; who they are, I do not know, because she refuses to name drop.
posted by AzraelBrown at 4:30 PM on October 28, 2009

I'm mostly curious if people who claim to have met so many celebrities actually have some form of prosopagnosia where they think they're seeing a celebrity, but it's actually some just random vaguely-lookalike. I was playing poker in Las Vegas and a guy at the table was falling-down drunk. He bore a passing resemblance to Rob Schneider and several people next to me were convinced it was actually him - going so far as to pull up YouTube videos on their iPhones and say "See! That's totally him!", ignoring the fact that the guy had a Spanish accent and ripped biceps.
posted by 0xFCAF at 4:37 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

.:. <- Cat Pie Hurts name droppings. Use at your own discretion.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 4:39 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Was it five minutes, or TEN MINUTES, UbuRoivas?

When I'm capoeira-ing, I'm on Brazilian time. Five minutes, ten minutes, a few hours...it's all much of a muchness.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:41 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

When my daughter was 1 everyone said she had Laurie Anderson hair (probably because I washed it with dr bronner's soap). Then one day I ran into Laurie Anderson at the Gym in the W in Westwood and I didn't have a thing to say to her.

True story.
posted by shothotbot at 4:42 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

june made him a gemini: "I wonder if JLo likes Triscuits."

Does she! I have to make sure I have an extra box every time she comes over.

She developed a taste for them when she lived on the block, apparently.
posted by Joe Beese at 4:45 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Since you asked, 0xFCAF...I did once have a conversation with a woman outside an L.A. bar who looked like Meg White. I drunkenly declared that she looked like her, but I knew she wasn't Meg White because she didn't have the correct accent to be from Michigan. Part of me hopes it was Meg White and I'm the drunken idiot who insisted otherwise.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 4:46 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

When I was a little kid I met Santa Claus at the mall one time. I think he had ADD.
posted by netbros at 4:48 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

WTF? I wanna know why he got fired from Sterling Cooper.

They discovered that he was a homosexual with a penchant for other men.
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 4:50 PM on October 28, 2009

Serves her right, getting her question deleted. George Clooney shouted "EMHUTCHINSON!!!" when he was making love to me on a pile of money on the north beach of his private island off Tahiti and it ruined the moment for me, such an inappropriate time to namedrop.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 4:51 PM on October 28, 2009 [16 favorites]

Then one day I ran into Laurie Anderson at the Gym in the W in Westwood and I didn't have a thing to say to her.

"Hey, are you walking into me? Or are you just practicing for one of those performances of yours?"
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:53 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

I never really read AskMe, but I happened to hit the page today when that question was at the top with zero answer. I was like...what? I was going to answer but figured it (my answer) would just get deleted because I was frankly incredulous.

In short: I'm, like, telepathic or something.
posted by DU at 4:55 PM on October 28, 2009

Doesn't everyone eventually meet a celebrity or two? I mean, I have and it's not like I get out THAT much.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 4:58 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm mostly curious if people who claim to have met so many celebrities actually have some form of prosopagnosia...

syndrome dropper
posted by DU at 5:00 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

"Hey, are you walking into me? Or are you just practicing for one of those performances of yours?"

"O", she replied, "super. Fan."
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:00 PM on October 28, 2009 [14 favorites]

Man, these threads have made me just want to apologize to everyone to whom I've ever told the story of how I saw Keanu Reeves on the sidewalk when I first moved to Chicago and no one else was around and we just sort of stared at each other and I did it because I wasn't even sure it was him though I later found out it was but I have no idea why he stared at me though it was probably because I was staring at him and I now know that no one else is ever going to find this story remotely as interesting as I do and so I apologize to everyone to whom I've ever told it and now that includes all of you, too.
posted by adamdschneider at 5:11 PM on October 28, 2009 [8 favorites]

"O", she replied, "super. Fan."

She did release other records you know. And she gets pretty tired of people assuming she's a 1 hit wonder.

I only know this because I'm employed to look after her cats and also declaw her feet.
posted by panboi at 5:11 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

koeselitz, no one's buying that tripe.
posted by heyho at 5:13 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

It looks like bizzaro askme is cross posting quite a few questions on normal askme. Someone needs to go over there and tell them to stop.
posted by Procloeon at 5:18 PM on October 28, 2009

I have the name-drop to end all name-drops... but I signed a non-disclosure agreement, so you'll just have to imagine how awesome the ultimate name-dropping story can be.
posted by the_bone at 5:20 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

She did release other records you know.

Pictures of it or it didn't happen.

And she gets pretty tired of people assuming she's a 1 hit wonder.

Oh, fine, I'm mister heartbreak.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:21 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

What really irked me was her assumption that she "met" or "knew" a celebrity, when what actually happened was that she "saw" a celebrity.

From someone who went to a Van Morrison concert 17 years ago in NYC and sat behind an actor that I know I've seen before but wasn't really famous enough to warrant shouting about to the girls who were in the bathroom during intermission. But did actually get to say hello to Stevie Wonder when we were in the same elevator in a hotel in LA. I "saw" these celebrities. I didn't KNOW them.
posted by HeyAllie at 5:22 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

I once dropped my copy of All The Names. I had dozed off.
posted by everichon at 5:25 PM on October 28, 2009

Man, that was strange.

Man, that was my good friend Dr. Strange.
posted by josher71 at 5:28 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

I drop my own name.

I once had an awkward moment... just to see how it felt.

I am... the most interesting man in the world.

It looks like someone... just started a meme

*sunglasses*

YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
posted by GuyZero at 5:30 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

I flagged that post before there was one comment. It was obviously train wreck to be. I am surprised it too so long before it got snuffed.
posted by milarepa at 5:30 PM on October 28, 2009

When I was a newborn baby, my Mum happened to be introduced to Twiggy at a party.

Upon being shown the tiny, sleeping me in my pram in the corner of the room, she shouted to my Mum over the noise of the records 'ERE! INNY GOT LOVERLY EYES?'

I contend that there is no finer example of the 'proximity to a celebrity' story than this one.
posted by Jofus at 5:30 PM on October 28, 2009 [10 favorites]

...you'll just have to imagine how awesome the ultimate name-dropping story can be.

I can top that. I once heard a name-dropping so amazing that it was just...wow. You know?
posted by DU at 5:31 PM on October 28, 2009

Man, that was my good friend Dr. Strange.

Oh, you know Stephen?
posted by brain_drain at 5:32 PM on October 28, 2009 [5 favorites]

Great googly-moogly, what an awful thread that was.
posted by Bookhouse at 5:43 PM on October 28, 2009

Wow, too bad I missed that clusterfuck.
posted by fixedgear at 5:46 PM on October 28, 2009

every time I meet a famous/notable person I remind myself that they take a shit on the toilet just like a do -- once or twice a day!

I actually know far more about this subject than I think you can imagine.
posted by Rhomboid at 5:48 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

Name dropping is boring. But a good story is is worth paying for. A celeb can be a good hook.

No one can resist my wifes story of going 5-pin bowling with Winona Rider. Not so much because of Nonie. But becuase my wife pantomimes bowling. And being a spaz she usually falls when she does it.

Go ahead, honey. Tell your Winona Rider story.
posted by tkchrist at 5:58 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

I contend that there is no finer example of the 'proximity to a celebrity' story than this one.

I once overheard my Mom telling a friend about how, in her youth, she had had, ahem, deep, intimate relations with a then famous sports figure. I would gladly go about saying that SoAndSo and I had both occupied some space in the same vagina if it weren't for the fact that the vagina in question belongs to my mother.

ewwewewewewwewewewewwewewewewwewewewewwewewewewwewewewewwewewewewwewewew
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 5:58 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

Cat Pie Hurts, thank God I'd finished my diet Coke because otherwise my monitor would be dripping with it.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:03 PM on October 28, 2009

"I invented Post-Its."

Name-droppings are just as annoying and stinky as any other kinds of droppings....
posted by Lynsey at 6:13 PM on October 28, 2009

Well, when I was “working” for a magazine in Melbourne, I arranged it so my ex-wife could interview Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney at the Corner Hotel. Ex and a friend turned up and spoke to Carrie and Janet for twenty, thirty minutes, with an old tape recorder in the middle of the table, except it wasn't turned on and they didn't notice until the interview was over. They got a vinyl copy of The Hot Rock signed, though, so in the end they’re still ahead.

Anyway, there's the instant street cred of knowing Sleater-Kinney, which is a point in my favour, probably two because they're one of those awesome bands who quit while they were ahead and had a brilliant final album and consistently excellent output. All girls, too, playing great rock and roll. Madness.

Second is the fact that I was at that time culturally entrenched to the point that I could actually arrange such a thing (it was bullshit since I didn’t even really work for the magazine). “Hey it’s some guy from some magazine.” “Whatever.” Another point.

Third, the interview wasn’t with Corin Tucker, who, one would think, would be the most logical band member to interview since she’s kind of the “leader”, is immensely talented, and everybody has a crush on her. But no – I flipped that around so it was the other two, which is a “whoa” move if I ever heard of one. Also I couldn’t get Corin but that’s not the story I told later.

Fourth, the interview was in a pub, and involved beers. How riot grrl is that? That’s right, I’m a fucking feminist, bitches.

Fifth, I am so fucking cool that even though I love the band, I didn’t actually go to the interview even though I had the opportunity. Wow, right? Yeah, I was at home working on a screenplay (the research involved playing Baldur’s Gate II and drinking Vat 69 iirc), I didn’t have time for such frivolities.

Sixth, my ex gave them a copy of the magazine I allegedly worked for, which had a story of mine in there about G.W. Bush, totally critical of that douchebag (there was a bit in there where he dropped his dog because it wouldn’t lick his ear wax off his fingers, fuck yeah punk lit!), and this was when One Beat had just been released so there’s a very good chance that the drummer from Sleater-Kinney read my shitty story about President Bush in an Australian “literary youth” magazine with a quarterly distribution in the hundreds.

So, y’know, suck it.
posted by turgid dahlia at 6:14 PM on October 28, 2009 [8 favorites]

No!! I was so excited to come home and see everyone be all, "you're boring and stop talking" and emhutchinson be all "I know famous people very well. One time I was behind Larry David in line at Starbucks. He bought a $4 coffee drink and left a $10 tip. I thought that was a lot of money. But he looked like he didn't mind spending it for his caramel macchiato."
posted by oinopaponton at 6:20 PM on October 28, 2009

Fifth, I am so fucking cool that even though I love the band, I didn’t actually go to the interview...

Yeah well, remind me to tell you some time about all the celebrities I never met.
posted by DU at 6:23 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

MADE OUT WITH PAUL WELLER
posted by scody at 6:24 PM on October 28, 2009 [7 favorites]

I got a book signed by John Hodgman last year. So there's that, I guess.
posted by Caduceus at 6:24 PM on October 28, 2009

So, y’know, suck it.

Damn, that's so much more credible than hanging out with Marty Willson-Piper when an ex of mine was dating him. First up, The Church had effectively jumped the shark by about 1988, and second, the guy was a bit of a dick.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:29 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

MADE OUT WITH 90 COMMENTS MENTIONING PAUL WELLER
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:32 PM on October 28, 2009 [26 favorites]

Oh wow.
posted by turgid dahlia at 6:34 PM on October 28, 2009

I also had a really awkward run-in with Tom Cruise in an elevator. My nose was bleeding and I told him he was great in a movie he wasn't even in.
posted by turgid dahlia at 6:39 PM on October 28, 2009 [5 favorites]

scody, dedication (or euphemistic acknowledgement) in album liner notes or it didn't happen...

(and 2 of the 90 'Weller' mentions were about infamous old driver Russell Weller, no relation... but I'm sure I've mentioned Weird Al as many times and I HAVE NEVER MADE OUT WITH HIM, just for the record)
posted by wendell at 6:40 PM on October 28, 2009

I confused Paul Weller with Paul Wellstone which made it pretty odd.
posted by rdr at 6:47 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

I've been a music journalist for over 10 years and every time I mention this fact to new acquaintances they want to know "have you met anyone famous?". Trouble is though that I'm more of a indie type person, so I really haven't. But once I actually got to interview Alicia Keys (along with five other people), so I usually answer "yeah, Alicia Keys". I have yet to encounter anyone who finds this impressive. Which is a shame, cause Alicia Keys should be more famous, I think.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 6:50 PM on October 28, 2009

I also had a really awkward run-in with Tom Cruise in an elevator. My nose was bleeding and I told him he was great in a movie he wasn't even in.

Those are the only movies he's great in.

ZING
posted by Caduceus at 6:51 PM on October 28, 2009 [17 favorites]

Moar stories!
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 6:53 PM on October 28, 2009

I also had a really awkward run-in with Tom Cruise in an elevator. My nose was bleeding and I told him he was great in a movie he wasn't even in.

This is more or less a perfect Meta-comment:

1. succinct (30 words or less)
2. invokes curiosity (why was your nose bleeding? were you actually unaware that he wasn't in the movie in question and thus foolish, or aware and thus deeply cutting?)
3. laugh-out-loud funny
posted by philip-random at 6:58 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

I have met that Jonathan Winters fellow a few times and he is one of the nicest, friendliest people I have ever met.
posted by Iron Rat at 7:01 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

That really was awesome on so many levels. Its the first Ask MeFi question that really seemed like a derailed SNL sketch. So brilliant. I desperately hope she was just painful not self-aware.

Did anyone else read the title of the question and think she had a secret sex life she was keeping from her family?

Oh it was so much better. Can we make a list of reasons to keep going in life and put this on it?
posted by jefficator at 7:03 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I also had a really awkward run-in with Tom Cruise in an elevator. My nose was bleeding

"If that's placenta in your nose I will kiss you right now"

"er... I'm gonna take the stairs..."
posted by qvantamon at 7:03 PM on October 28, 2009

Hi everybody, George Clooney here. I've been following this thread with some interest, and I thought I ought to weigh in. The other day, as I was enjoying drinks in my hot tub and endorsing an enormous stack of residual checks, I got a phone call from Conan O'Brien, asking me to come visit him on the Tonight Show. So I tilted my head and smiled in that sexy way the ladies enjoy, and my thoughts turned to the mutual friend Conan and I have.

But first, a little bit of the backstory. While I was reading the script for O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), I was also in the process of buying an enormous new eco-friendly home, and I asked my friend and next-door neighbor Dick Wilson (you probably know him as "Mr. Whipple" from the Charmin commercials) if he knew someone who could move my piano, and he sent me to Elizabeth Hutchinson's husband.

In addition to a generous moving fee--I just gave Mr. Hutchinson one of the residual checks from Batman & Robin (1997)--I also gave him my tickets to a Natalie Merchant concert. I was supposed to go with Meat Loaf, but frankly, you get a few overpriced concert beers in that guy and he's like Jim Cramer at a freegan festival. You're never gonna get the girls with that mojo. I mean, come on, dude.

Anyway, M.Lo (that's what I call him) phones me the next day, saying I was supposed to be his designated driver and complaining he had to sit next to some wacky woman who sang off-key and claimed she dated Conan O'Brien. Isn't that just crazy? I mean, that's even crazier than the plot of Syriana (2005). I still don't know what that was about, but hey, Soderberg.

So, Elizabeth Hutchinson? Your husband may have moved Mr. Whipple's piano, but Conan and Meat Loaf and the rest of us have all agreed you can go on name-dropping, and we'll just keep not inviting you to stuff like the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes and Samuel L. Jackson's croquet party. Now if you'll excuse me, I've on my way to my private island so I can make hot, passionate love to Ambrosia Voyeur on a bed made of money.

More rich and famous than you'll ever wish you could be,

George Clooney
posted by George Clooney at 7:07 PM on October 28, 2009 [120 favorites]

MADE OUT WITH PAUL WELLER

HOLY SHIT YOU MADE OUT WITH BUCKAROO B oh.

Who the fuck is Paul Weller?
posted by adamdschneider at 7:08 PM on October 28, 2009 [9 favorites]

I can't help reading that with the nosebleed as the result of the awkward run in & the movie faux-pas.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:09 PM on October 28, 2009

Patch Adams did my dishes, took my girlfriend out to dinner, and read her diary.
posted by idiopath at 7:11 PM on October 28, 2009

my mother has ridden the elevator with yoko ono more often than anyone else i know.
posted by crush-onastick at 7:11 PM on October 28, 2009

jessamyn once favorited one of my MetaTalk comments.

I WIN
posted by subbes at 7:14 PM on October 28, 2009 [19 favorites]

Burl Ives' name always reminds me of the weirdest screen couple in the history of Hollywood: Burl and Sophia Loren in 1958's Desire Under The Elms.
posted by EarBucket at 7:15 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I saw Keanu Reeves on the sidewalk ... I have no idea why he stared at me though it was probably because I was staring at him

Dude, that's his acting. He just sort of stares ... and you don't really know why. He charges big bucks to do that in front of a camera. Awesome story!
posted by ssg at 7:20 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

When I lived in Detroit a bunch of years back, I ended up a couple times at this reoccurring house party with Jack White. Just a face in the crowd; the longest conversation I remember having with him was that Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was a good film when we saw it playing on a TV in the background.

Then a couple/few years later it was all "Whoa! I know that dude in that music video with Conan!"
posted by Windigo at 7:20 PM on October 28, 2009

yeah well (you're mom's name) fucking (verb your mom did) so fucking (adjective) (your moms name) (unchristian adjective) Amsterdam (walked the streets for several hours this morning) (seeking an apparently inconveniently specific sex toy, though the (adjective) website indicated a sufficiently selection would be available at the store) then (synonym for yelling) at (little e) for (synonym for trying) to open the box (yeah literal box not a synonym) (verb) at some (synonym for prostitute). amd (adjective) (noun) (adberb) train to Antwerp
xoxo,
e
PS hazelnut butter & (adjective) jelly sandwiches
PPS that's what your (mom) said/
adendum YOUR FACE
posted by little e at 7:21 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

That was the highest-quality trolling I've ever seen on Metafilter. Absolutely brilliant.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 7:23 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I shit in Holly Hunter's toilet.
posted by Jon-o at 7:23 PM on October 28, 2009

I have a chair that I'm pretty sure Eddie Rickenbacker sat on.

I guess that would be an "ass drop" rather than a "name drop."
posted by marxchivist at 7:25 PM on October 28, 2009

This is more or less a perfect Meta-comment:

4. I'm a character in a Bret Easton Ellis novel.
posted by turgid dahlia at 7:26 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

laurie anderson really IS more than a one-hit wonder. a few years back, i did a radio show where i played the cultural ambassador from her the ugly one with the jewels release, followed by some middle eastern music. doe dee doe, nothing out of the ordinary.

about 2 weeks later, the faculty advisor for the radio station came to see me during my show. 'i hate to ask this,' she says, 'but were you broadcasting terrorist messages on your show 2 weeks ago?' i probably had some smart ass reply you can let your imagination run wild here. 'no really,' she said. 'someone called the local fbi office & reported that we were broadcasting terrorist messages during your time slot. i have to report back to the fbi on this.' i was kind of stymied for a moment, but then remembered my mini-set w/laurie & the middle eastern music. i think i had to dig up my playlist & give it to the advisor as 'proof'.

so. i've never met laurie anderson although quintron did. she bought one of his drum buddies & he flew to new york to give it to her himself. at least that's what he told me. but i sure hope she reads metafilter & sees this. somehow, i think she'd be downright proud.
posted by msconduct at 7:26 PM on October 28, 2009

I didn't read the whole thread, but Chuck Norris filled me in on the good parts when he called me.
posted by C17H19NO3 at 7:32 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

I met Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock on a pontoon boat.

Then I met Kid Rock again at a party.

Man, that was a nice pontoon boat.
posted by disclaimer at 7:32 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

I have a chair that I'm pretty sure Eddie Rickenbacker sat on.

Do tell.
posted by adamdschneider at 7:38 PM on October 28, 2009

"I met Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock on a pontoon boat."

Pam Anderson and pontoons, together. Coincidence?
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 7:40 PM on October 28, 2009

Yeah, well, I'm married to George Clooney on MetaFilter. Beat that.
posted by greekphilosophy at 7:41 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

4. I'm a character in a Bret Easton Ellis novel.

Ah, now I finally realise why your name sounds so familiar!

Did you know that it was Germaine herself who suggested "Dahlia" instead of Bret's initial choice of words? Said it was less anti-woman or something. Completely ruined the rhyming scheme for our ditty, though.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:45 PM on October 28, 2009

I have a chair that I'm pretty sure Eddie Rickenbacker sat on.

Do tell.

Damn right I will. My Dad's stepfather was at Selfridge Air Force Base at the same time Rickenbacker was there. I have a chair from the officer's club. There were only about 12 chairs there, so Rickenbacker probably maybe perhaps sat in it at one time.

I also have a large bone supposedly from the penis of a walrus that same grandpa got when he was stationed in Alaska. At least that is what the Eskimo that sold it to him siad. As far as I know it doesn't have any connections to anyone famous.
posted by marxchivist at 7:46 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I also had a really awkward run-in with Tom Cruise in an elevator

my mother has ridden the elevator with yoko ono more often than anyone else i know.

A distant acquaintance and his abysmally stupid friend once incidentally got onto an elevator at the same time as Iggy Pop. Already occupying the elevator was Henry Rollins. A couple floors later, Rollins gets off, and as soon as the door closes, the dumb friend turns to Iggy with no idea who he's talking to and says incredulously, "Man, can you believe that was Henry Rollins? HENRY ROLLINS!"

And Iggy's like, "Wow, impressive."
posted by FelliniBlank at 7:46 PM on October 28, 2009 [43 favorites]

Huh. I was going to mention famous people I've met, & the first three are on Metafilter anyway.

I'm not even counting meetups.

How about, I gave Brian Posehn props for coming up with the NAMBLA ad?
posted by Pronoiac at 7:47 PM on October 28, 2009

I see a lot of minor-and-once famous people who sit in my hallway during casting calls. They're usually the type of famous that attaches their face to a character name, as in, "oh, wow, Randall "Pink" Floyd is sitting outside my office." The most recent one was Skut Farkus. I must admit to being impressed with my ability to recognize a twenty-years-older Skut Farkus, although I guess it probably won't come in handy ever again.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:52 PM on October 28, 2009

TELL ME MORE ABOUT MR. WHIPPLE'S PIANO
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 8:00 PM on October 28, 2009

I served Tiki Barber as sausage at Fenway Park during a Good Morning America and he didn't leave a tip so he doesn't get a Christmas card. I also met Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Hediki Matsui and Jason Giambi but that's not a cool story because all my friends are Red Sox fans and they get mad at me for not breaking their knee caps when I had the chance.
posted by lilkeith07 at 8:02 PM on October 28, 2009

I did shots with Spongebob Squarepants. What do I win?
posted by eamondaly at 8:03 PM on October 28, 2009

I bought Jon Voight a drink at a bar in Baltimore. And sat next to Jon Waters at a different bar.

yeah, so I'm pretty much awesome, too.
posted by gaspode at 8:06 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

So I am at the Woodlands Market in Kentfield listening to my walkman (that long ago). It was a Grateful Dead concert. It was from San Diego in 1970. They were rocking and so was I. So much so that I bumped into the guy in front of me. I look up to apologize and it is Phil Lesh. I managed to get out both an apology and some line about thanks for all the good times he helped create. Mr. Lesh smiled and backed away slowly. Much less satisfying than the time I talked to Bob Wier at the Marin County JCC after his Weir and Wasserman show.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:07 PM on October 28, 2009

In '99, at summer camp, I lived in the same hall as the red-headed girl who was in those Beethoven movies. I mean, she was in the movies as a kid, and I went to summer camp with her when we were in our teens.

It was nerd summer camp, too. We hung out a little bit, and did a group costume where she was Queen Amidala and I think I was Qui-Gon Jinn.
posted by muddgirl at 8:07 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Ah, now I finally realise why your name sounds so familiar!

Close, but the line you're thinking of was actually originally "Try getting a reservation at Dahlia now you fucking stupid bastard!"
posted by turgid dahlia at 8:07 PM on October 28, 2009

I saw someone on a train once.
posted by Evangeline at 8:12 PM on October 28, 2009 [5 favorites]

I spoused you, George Clooney. And I see I'm not the first. But it's enough to be on the same screen with you.
posted by Miko at 8:13 PM on October 28, 2009

I served Tiki Barber as sausage at Fenway Park during a Good Morning America

With the typo, this is heartily improved. Name-dropping has nothing on name-murdering-cooking-and-ironically-serving.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:13 PM on October 28, 2009 [15 favorites]

I told Joe Wilson he was a poor representative for our district - approximately one month prior to his yelling at the President. So not only did I meet a famous guy, I'm clairvoyant too!
posted by chiababe at 8:15 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

I think I recognize like 5 names that have been dropped in this thread.
posted by Sassyfras at 8:15 PM on October 28, 2009

I think I saw Wilford Brimley in a Denny's once. This was years ago, before he got diabetes. He was there with Tom Bosley. They shared a sampler and Wilford Brimley got the grand slam.
posted by stavrogin at 8:18 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I demand to hear the Harrison Ford couch punching story!
posted by Meatbomb at 8:19 PM on October 28, 2009

Well, I've met Steven Brust, Armistead Maupin, David Eddings, Bob Mould, Lloyd Cole, Matthew Sweet, Alexander Pate, Pieta Brown, Captain Kangaroo, Glen Cook, the entire line up of "The Wedding Present," some dude from the in the middle from this photo of "Semisonic," David Eugene Edwards, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Quentin Crisp, and so many I can't think of them all! I've also named dropped on meta.

Funny thing is, if the OP had never come back in, it would have been a great question.

I've met tons and tons of "famous" people.

I've worked in a bookstore and I've worked at a radio station. Half the famous people I've met I'd had no idea who they were (Quentin Crisp, Armistead Maupin). I can also say I've met every one of my idols with the exception of Leonard Cohen, Steven Erikson, and Cormac McCarthy. I tend to idolize people that if you hang around after the event are more than happy to have a beer with you (Glen Cook signed like 20 books for me). Michael Gulezian slept on my couch, tried to bribe me to sleep on stage (his music puts me to sleep like a lullaby), and ate my roommate's spaghetti.

Hell, I even once met an NFL player that was a Super Bowl champion. How do I know? He told me. I said to him, "That's a big ring." He says, "That's a Super Bowl ring." Huh! "You have to be in a Super Bowl to get one of those?" I asked. He says, "You don't know who I am, do you?" I admitted I didn't, he introduced himself and left, and suddenly I was surrounded by coworkers and customers asking, "You know who that was?" Of course I just pretended like I'd know all along and said, "That was..." Admittedly this story would be better if I was a sports fan and could remember his name (I could care less since I am not and can't).

My favorite famous person story is: I was walking down the hall, a group of people were walking toward me and the guy I was walking with. There was a more-than-fairly attractive woman amongst the group. The guy asks, "You know who that was!" I said, "No, but I'd like to." He says, "That was Bono!" I looked back, and indeed he was correct. Two things here: 1. Bono is way shorter than I expected him to be, and 2. Only a gay man would have looked at Bono first.

Just saying.

Hi Matt!
posted by cjorgensen at 8:19 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I know a Red Sox fan, who of course I assume has eaten Tiki Barber.
posted by Flunkie at 8:20 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I have met mathowie, jessamyn, cortex and vacapinta. Those are the only names worth dropping. *haughty sniff*

except for pb, of course
posted by Quietgal at 8:21 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

I once was lovers with a woman who is nationally famous in a particular community (she's a famous lesbian-feminist author). I had known of her for years before I met her and got involved with her; a book she wrote changed my life when I was 18. I rarely name-drop her because it really wasn't that big a deal, though I did learn a few things about how not fun it is to be famous (like the time I was at a women writer's retreat in another state and someone there knew I had slept with this woman--that was weird, having someone I'd never met know that about me).

Anyway, I will sometimes say, "Oh, I dated someone a little famous once and..." if it's relevant, like how tired I got of feeling like I was being watched when we went out.

But every time I actually drop her name, I manage to do it to someone I think will be impressed and they've never heard of her.

That's probably good; over the years it has pretty much killed the urge.
posted by not that girl at 8:25 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

This thread is cracking me up. Everybody gets some kind of celebrity encounter or seven. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes irritating, sometimes heartening, but more often than not, they're banal. Because people are human, regardless of their occupation or recognizability. They eat, shit, sleep, shop, take transportation, engage in business, go to hospitals and concerts and offices and restaurants and hotels and generally go about their lives in the midst of all the rest of us.
posted by notashroom at 8:31 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Name-dropping has nothing on name-murdering-cooking-and-ironically-serving.

I had a friend-of-a-friend who was active in the show biz community in Toronto (of all places) who used to be a fairly earnest boozer and partier, who had the wonderful ability (when reasonably soused) to actively go after famous people and:

1. intentionally get their name wrong (ie: see Sting and shout, "Hey everybody, look, it's Phil fucking Collins")

2. ask if he could borrow fifty bucks so he could keep on drinking

At least, that's what I heard. The worst (funniest) thing I actually saw him do was track down one of the Bare Naked Ladies at a small club and demand the guy buy him a drink because he was their biggest fan.

He didn't get the drink but he did almost cause a fight.
posted by philip-random at 8:37 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I've met seven Nobel Laureates.

Well, if by "met" you mean "have been in the same room with." If you want to go with a more conventional definition of "met," it's more like three.

But I did get drunk with one.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:55 PM on October 28, 2009

Upon being shown the tiny, sleeping me in my pram in the corner of the room, she shouted to my Mum over the noise of the records 'ERE! INNY GOT LOVERLY EYES?'

I contend that there is no finer example of the 'proximity to a celebrity' story than this one.


got one:

Jason Mewes tried to pick up my sister-in-law DURING HER BACHELORETTE PARTY.

(Rather than being jealous, my brother thought the whole thing was hysterically funny and would periodically tease her by chirping, "Snoochie boochies!" at her for about a year and a half.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:59 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

Well, I've met Steven Brust, Armistead Maupin, David Eddings, Bob Mould, Lloyd Cole, Matthew Sweet, Alexander Pate, Pieta Brown, Captain Kangaroo, Glen Cook, the entire line up of "The Wedding Present," some dude from the in the middle from this photo of "Semisonic," David Eugene Edwards, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Quentin Crisp, and so many I can't think of them all!

Sounds like a regular "Who's That" of the entertainment industry!
posted by deern the headlice at 9:06 PM on October 28, 2009 [8 favorites]

Jason Mewes tried to pick up my sister-in-law DURING HER BACHELORETTE PARTY

Just how heavy is your sister in law? Jason's in pretty decent shape.^*





* I have no idea who Jason Mewes is.
posted by maxwelton at 9:14 PM on October 28, 2009

My sister used to study acting at one of those teenage theatre groups with Nicole Kidman.

I don't think I met her, but I do remember her name being mentioned quite a bit, as somebody-who-would-go-places.

I might or might not have seen her act in the The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. That is, I can't be sure if the overly tall, overly skinny girl in the lead was her.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:21 PM on October 28, 2009

Metafilter is a hot mess.

Thanks for the entertainment today, guys. :)
posted by Eleutherios at 9:28 PM on October 28, 2009

cortex: Oh, fine, I'm mister heartbreak.

Here's some name dropping for you:

I have met Mister Hearbreak. He is a real guy. He's actually named Bud Shark. As in "Sharkey's Day" and "Sharkey's Night." He runs a print shop above Boulder (in Lyons, Colorado.) I met him at an art gallery opening there. The cover of that album is a print he made with Laurie, although I have heard that he didn't know she meant to write it all about him when they worked together on it (and was pleasantly surprised when he found out.)

I don't remember what we talked about, but I remember that he had a good sense of humor. And at the time I had no idea of the connection. His prints were nice, though. I imagine that if I had known about the Laurie Anderson connection I would have gone up to him and asked how awesome it was to have Laurie Anderson write a whole album about you.
posted by koeselitz at 9:34 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

I'll bet Bud Shark goes up to people at parties and says "you know what? Laurie Anderson wrote a whole album about me." And half the people think "what a name-dropping loser," and half the people think "that guy must be the coolest guy in the world."
posted by koeselitz at 9:38 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

I had coffee with Richard Linklater at Les Amis in Austin, circa 1990 (before Slacker was released).

I sat next to Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick at dinner in New York a few months ago. Horton Foote and a large party were sitting at a nearby table in the same restaurant.

I sat next to Quentin Tarantino and some Asian chick at Little City on Congress in Austin. I told my wife, "don't look now, but that is Quentin Tarantino sitting behind you." Of course, she immediately craned her neck to get a good conspicuous gander at him.

I stood in line at a vegetarian restaurant behind all of the members of REM around 1989 while they were on tour.

That's about all for me.
posted by jayder at 9:40 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

Burl Ives' name always reminds me of the weirdest screen couple in the history of Hollywood: Burl and Sophia Loren in 1958's Desire Under The Elms.

Burl Ives' name always reminds me of a story a guy I knew in college told me once. Or anyway, he told it to a group of people, one of whom was me, although I really only walked in towards the end so I have no idea how the story began, only how it ended. Also, I was pretty drunk at the time, which has probably affected my recall of the story.

So anyway, Hunter (the guy I knew in college who was telling the story that I always think of when I hear Burl Ives' name), had a glass eye. This doesn't actually have anything to do with the story (either the one I'm telling now or the one he was telling 15 or 16 or so years ago), but I always thought it was kind of cool and weird and interesting, especially when he'd take it out of the socket in the dining hall and place it on his tray. Not sure why he did this, but what the hell-- you got a glass eye you might as well flaunt it, right? But anyway, I digress.

Hunter (the guy with the glass eye) was telling this story about his dad, who was or maybe had been some kind of movie or music industry muckety-muck back in the day. And in his story, Hunter's Dad was drunkenly imparting some words of wisdom to his young son.

"Hun," his dad said (remember, this guy's name is Hunter so it's like a nickname not a term of endearment or an ethnic slur), "Hun, lemme tell you something-- Burl Ives has the biggest dick in Hollywood."

Like I said I came into the room a little late and more than a little drunk, so I have no idea how the story began or why Hunter's dad knew anything about Burl Ives' dick or why he felt it was important to tell Hunter about Burl Ives' dick, or even why Hunter was telling this story in the first place, but anyway-- there you have it. Every time I hear Burl Ives' name I am unable to avoid thinking the words "Hun, Burl Ives has the biggest dick in Hollywood."

Also, sometimes hearing Burl Ives' name makes me think of Hunter's glass eye sitting next to a bowl of Captain Crunch. But mostly it's the "biggest dick in Hollywood" thing. Although, in retrospect, it might be more plausible that Hunter's dad was telling him that Burl Ives' was the biggest dick in Hollywood, not had the biggest dick. Whatever. That's not how I choose to remember the story.
posted by dersins at 9:47 PM on October 28, 2009 [8 favorites]

Boy howdy do I ever know how to drop the living fuck out of a name, right?
posted by dersins at 9:48 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

I once told Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to fuck off, kind of.

I once ran my hand up under the shirt of then Prime Minister Bob Hawke. He wears wifebeaters.

I also shat in the home of ex-Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser before eating one of his wife's home made pies.

I have made lunch many a time for Australian Greens leader Bob Brown. Better still, I have destroyed native flora with the aforementioned world famous greenie.

Hmm, antipodean political name dropping just doesn't have the same cachet...
posted by Kerasia at 9:50 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

My favorite celebrity run-in story, which is not mine, but comes second-hand:

My friend from New Mexico has a cousin from South Carolina whose name (as in birth certificate name, or so he claims) is Bubba. He's proud that he's never had a 'real job,' he loves the country music they play on the radio, he watches NASCAR and lives in an honest-to-god trailer, the whole bit. He's actually a very outgoing and friendly guy, but he's sort of Larry the Cable Guy from head to toe.

Anyhow, he's always hated 'the rap music,' but he was in Santa Fe about fifteen years ago visiting my friend when Snoop Dogg played in Albuquerque. I don't know how, but my friend managed to drag Bubba along to the Snoop Dogg concert. Bubba managed to sneak in a bottle of Beam (coke mixed in inside the bottle, natch) and was moving close to tanked as the show ended; of course he spend about ten minutes pissing in the bathroom before they could leave, so the place was pretty much empty as my friend and Bubba headed out of the gates. My friend was already out ahead looking around for the car, and when he turned around, there was Bubba, standing four-square in front of Snoop Dogg himself, who was apparently leading his posse out now that the crowd had dissipated.

Gesturing with his bottle, quoth Bubba: "Mr Dogg, I must confess I'm no fan of the rap music, but I got ta say that "Gin & Juice" song was mighty fine."

At this, Snoop Dogg threw an arm around Bubba's shoulder and said: "You? You hang wit' us tonight."

They smoked weed together all night. True story.
posted by koeselitz at 9:51 PM on October 28, 2009 [65 favorites]

Bud Shark sounds like the nickname of somebody you'd meet in a seedy pool hall.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:53 PM on October 28, 2009

OK, I told myself I wouldn't join in this, but:

My wife and I were out at dinner at a small Brooklyn restaurant a few months ago. About halfway through our meal, my wife nodded toward the table next to us. I snuck a glance at the guy on the side near me, and realized it was Malcolm Gladwell, sitting across from a pretty young woman (as was I, of course).

Our meals were running at pretty much the same pace, so we received our checks at around the same time. In a fit of weirdness sparked by too much wine, when I got the check back with the credit card receipt to sign, I blurted out loudly, "I guess we've reached The Tipping Point!" My wife did a facepalm, but peeked over to see if Gladwell noticed. If he did, he played it pretty cool.

Yeah, that's my celebrity story.
posted by brain_drain at 9:55 PM on October 28, 2009 [40 favorites]

Would this be a good time to tell about the time Ron Jeremy signed my underwear? It was also the night my (now) wife first laid eyes on me. Ron Jeremy signed my underwear, and I got married to a woman who saw me for the first time that night, and now we have the underwear hanging on the wall in our house....

Would this be a good time to tell about that time? Because I don't want to be tiresome.
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:56 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

ericb: *Do you know who I know?*

Dude, it is way too early for Christmas songs, and even if Christmas were tomorrow I don't wanna hear that stupid goddamned song.
posted by koeselitz at 9:57 PM on October 28, 2009

I regret the time I turned up early at a Fall gig in Sydney, only to find Mark E Smith & the rest of the band (circa Extricate) hanging out at the back of the public part of the venue having a few beers, and chose not to go up & talk to them.

I was afraid that Mark might chew my head off with some choice Mancunian slang, which, in hindsight, would have been all kinds of awesome.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:59 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

I met Corey Glover after he played a show at my university, and he was really nice. He said he would put me and a friend on the guest list for a show he was playing later that night, but then we didn't go.

One time some code I wrote crashed Linus Torvalds' computer, but he was pretty cool about it.

Finally, I'm pretty sure I've come into contact with David Yow's sweaty torso, but that's kind of expected when you show up at a Jesus Lizard show.

annoyed with myself now
posted by scatter gather at 10:00 PM on October 28, 2009

"Mr Dogg, I must confess I'm no fan of the rap music, but I got ta say that "Gin & Juice" song was mighty fine."

That's no surprise, really. Songs about alcohol transcend musical genre.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:13 PM on October 28, 2009

One time I was in New York City and a famous person walked by. My mom pointed him out to me but I didn't know who he was. True story.
posted by shii at 10:14 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

UbuRoivas: I regret the time I turned up early at a Fall gig in Sydney, only to find Mark E Smith & the rest of the band (circa Extricate) hanging out at the back of the public part of the venue having a few beers, and chose not to go up & talk to them.

I was afraid that Mark might chew my head off with some choice Mancunian slang, which, in hindsight, would have been all kinds of awesome.

Holy crap. Yes, that would have been awesome; but I would have shared your trepidation.

Okay, so now I have to bring out the big guns. I once met Dave Thomas, the lead singer of Pere Ubu, after what was probably the best concert of my young life. I was always sad that the thread I posted the whole story in got deleted, but now I can just link to it. (Skip past the post-meetup stuff down to "Almost four years ago...")
posted by koeselitz at 10:15 PM on October 28, 2009

I can hear U2, from my house, right now.
posted by bowline at 10:15 PM on October 28, 2009 [3 favorites]

UbuRoivas: I once told Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to fuck off, kind of.

I once told Australian Prime Minister John Howard to fuck off. He didn't bat an eye.

I think his indifference had something to do with the fact that I was standing in North America at the time.
posted by koeselitz at 10:20 PM on October 28, 2009 [5 favorites]

GOOGLE JEREMY WHIPPLE
posted by davejay at 10:21 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

Let's see ...

Daryl Hannah once came to the shitty BBQ joint I worked at in Texas. I probably would have been more excited were I not trying so hard not to kill myself/others while working that job. I told her she was badass in Blade Runner, though.

Kenny Baker? Nice guy. Anthony Daniels? Not so much.

Most of my name-droppable encounters are only comicbook-famous, though. When I met Frank Miller, I sputtered like a fanboy for a minute, then the conversation took a turn which revealed that he didn't know what freon was. When I was fifteen years old, I showed Mike Grell my portfolio and he said, "Your art teacher should be fired." About two months later, Shaman's Tears got canceled. Ha! Good.
posted by EatTheWeek at 10:26 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

Howard's indifference would have been more due to the fact that "fuck off!" is surely the single phrase that he's heard more than any other, all the way from trying to worm his way into schoolyard cricket games, right through to sliming into the marital bed at the end of a hard day of repeatedly being told in Parliament to fuck off.
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:30 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

"One things for sure -- every time I meet a famous/notable person I remind myself that they take a shit on the toilet just like a do -- once or twice a day!"

Well that kinda depends on how much opiate they've done that week.

St. Alia of the Bunnies writes "Doesn't everyone eventually meet a celebrity or two? I mean, I have and it's not like I get out THAT much."

You're pretty active politically though and that gets you out meeting a wide range of people. I don't think I'm all that atypical in just barely (as in the person is just barely a recognizable celebrity now a days) having a celebrity encounter. The only upside is it's wasn't a "stand in line behind them at starbucks" kind of thing; I fixed their washer. So sadly my best name drops are once removed. A guy I played AD&D with when her playboy spread came out went to school with Pamela Anderson. That was one surreal evening. And my father once knowingly towed the Prime Minister's car because it was parked in a fire lane blocking an emergency exit.

That being said madamejujujive is probably waiting in the wings to swoop down and make a mockery of all of us.
posted by Mitheral at 10:35 PM on October 28, 2009

Only celeb I've ever actually properly met is Brisbane-raised Melbourne-based author Andrew McGahan. It was just after The White Earth came out though I'd only ever read Praise. Anyway, my friend, who was in a band and was good buddies with Frenzal Rhomb, for whatever that's worth, introduced me to "Andrew" and I'm like "Hey, Andrew" and my friend was all "You should read his Last Drinks" and I was like "Oh, that Andrew!" and I shook his hand again like a moron and told him I dug his work and he was all "Cheers" and I offered him a beer and he looked uncomfortable so my friend whispered to me that he used to turn up to parties with a slab of Carlton Draught and then drink the lot and be pretty much sober but was now giving up the drink so that wasn't the best thing to say to him are you some kind of idiot but then I was thinking about it later and I was all Carlton Draught? Pfft.

(One time my ex's dad sent his wife on a beer run and told her to pick up a "slab of tinnies" and when she got to the bottle-o she ordered a "box of cannies" so that was good.)

Also Derryn Hinch pushed in front of me once to get a newspaper so yes he's as much of an asshole in real life as he is on the telly. That same day I accidentally hit a guy in the face on the train.
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:39 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

*spontaneously yodels*
posted by Duke999R at 10:43 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

I once saw someone who looks exactly like William H. Macy walk into a horrible fast-food taco chain in Austin, Texas. I've convinced myself that it isn't him, though. William H. Macy deserves better tacos.
posted by Ms. Saint at 10:54 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

MADE OUT WITH 90 COMMENTS MENTIONING PAUL WELLER

Oh man, you're on to my clever plan. There was going to be a party and exploding confetti out of everyone's computer's when I hit 100! Now I have to start again:

HAI EVERYONE, DID I EVER TELL YOU ABOUT MY COMICAL DEVOTION TO PAUL WELLER
posted by scody at 10:54 PM on October 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

My mom and her friends once drove Peggy Lee to the airport. It was before I was born, but she told me about it.
posted by OolooKitty at 10:57 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

I saw someone on a train once.

Oh wow, I saw that guy.

Good times.
posted by pompomtom at 11:06 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

I knew a guy who knew a guy who knew the Ramones. He mentioned it ALL THE TIME, and appropriated it as his go-to story whenever the subject of music came up, as if it were something interesting about himself. It became a running joke among the rest of us who knew him. So yeah, some forms of name-dropping are truly obnoxious.

But some are really fun and interesting (like several in this thread). Some people even make a second career out of being a name-dropper.
posted by amyms at 11:29 PM on October 28, 2009

The guy who plays Chuck on the tv show Chuck owes me $8 from back in high school drama.

I kicked Crispin Glover.

I tried to buy Matthew McConaughey a drink in a bar in Ensenada. He turned me down, but hilarity ensued on the dancefloor. He danced like a coked-out octopus.

I met Jim Rose when I was giving Mystery Spot tours and he gave me tickets to a show he was doing, and I think I got filmed backstage for a reality show he was doing that never aired.

I also met Voltaire (the goth singer, not the important one you're thinking of) and he invited me to an S&M club. I tried to go but I got lost in Bed-Stuy for a long time.

I rode on a plane with Gerald Ford.

I gave Matt Weiner a scarf, and he told my friend she didn't understand adult sexuality.

You'd think I'd have more by now.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:32 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Also, Jon Stewart pointed and referenced me, offscreen, sitting in the front rown of a Daily Show taping, but WEIRDLY it never aired because it was scheduled for 9/11.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:34 PM on October 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

This guy, sadly no longer around, was Streisand's musical director.

He also told me she was the worst person he had ever met.
posted by Wolof at 11:35 PM on October 28, 2009

When I first started college I met a friend that was a bit of an autograph hunter (that was equal parts annoying and endearing), and he had contacts that worked for major record labels. He'd get free tickets and backstage passes to big recording artist concerts, but I only got to go if I agreed to carry an extra poster, tshirt, or album to sign (so he could have two, one for himself, one to sell).

So we got to the Crowded House concert a bit early and saw the last ten minutes of the opening act. My friend and his other friends were all talking but I was blown away by the music, lyrics, and sheer skills of this musician playing alone, acoustic for thousands of people. It sounded like three guitarists playing at once as he did his thing while singing at the same time.

Crowded House comes on next and we all enjoy it, then go backstage and wait for them to hob nob a while later. I'm standing around like a dolt holding a Crowded House poster and a fist full of sharpies and my friend is nearby with a poster to be signed as well. My friend is ecstatic while I'm bored silly. I spot the opening act guy and no one is talking to him so I walk over and we start chatting, and no one is cutting us off and he's happy to hear me gush about how great he was and I ask how did he learn to play so well and have lyrics that were funny at the same time. I have him all to myself and we hang out for probably 30 minutes but to a shy introvert like me, it's both a) amazing and b) feels like hours.

Eventually the band comes out and Neil Finn flows through the crowd and when he gets to my friend I hear Neil yell loudly "does anyone have a sharpie?!" and I leave my new opening act friend to offer up sharpies and my 2nd poster to get signed and I say great show to Neil and move on.

After it's all over and we're headed home my friend asks why wasn't I near him when Neil Finn came along (that was the whole reason we went to the gig) and asks where I was at in the backstage crowd. I told him I had a lovely time chatting for a while with the opening act, some guy named Richard Thompson that I really needed to start buying albums of.

I've been a fan of his ever since.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:48 PM on October 28, 2009 [24 favorites]

I had a beer with Ramblin' Jack Elliott after one of his shows recently. He was crotchety.

Also, when I worked at Disneyland, George Lucas showed up at my ride with his kids on my day off. (AUGH!) Still, it's probably for the best; I may not have been able to restrain myself from insisting that Han shot first or something.
posted by malapropist at 11:52 PM on October 28, 2009

My sister's best friend from 1993 to 1997 was, at the time, a roadie for The Black Crowes. Me and sis got backstage passes when they were playing at the Butte, Montana Mountain High Festival. Lo and behold who was there hanging out with the Crowes after the show but Willie Nelson and Woody Harrelson! They invited us to smoke from the official tour bong but my sis had to split 'cause she spotted a sexy, clean-shaven Richard "21 Jump Street" Greico and the two of them got to know each other in ways I don't even want to think about, so Willie, Woody, me, and the guys from The Black Crowes are getting high off this bong in the middle of a rockband tent city in this field in Butte, Montana, and guess what happened next! Judy Tenuta and Robert "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle come to the clearing carrying a lot of beers! Oh, what a night that was. I'd tell you more, and there were some big name stars there that night that'd blow your mind if I told you, but I promised I'd keep my big trap shut with them, so there you go.
posted by zardoz at 11:54 PM on October 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

The Montana Mountain High Festival. Of *course* there's an official bong.
posted by ooga_booga at 12:02 AM on October 29, 2009

Back in the early 90's, I was staying at a friends house when she received a visit from the wife of a then globally famous pop star.

Said wife was a midget. But that's not the interesting bit, imo. Said midget used to regularly cuckold pop star husband -- going out clubbing and getting picked up by strange men.

[Not-porgist or cuckoldist]
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:17 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

I regret the time I turned up early at a Fall gig in Sydney, only to find Mark E Smith & the rest of the band (circa Extricate) hanging out at the back of the public part of the venue having a few beers, and chose not to go up & talk to them.

My boss hangs out with Mark E. Smith and has played drums live with the band at least twice.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:24 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

I have seen no less than and probably more than fifteen Christopher Walken films.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:29 AM on October 29, 2009 [5 favorites]

When I was 21 years old, I lived in LA for four whole months (yeah, I'm a total wuss) before I returned to my rural homeland to stay. I decided that big cities weren't my thing. Too much mental static and too much rushing about and just TOO MUCH.

However, during my meager stay, I got to wait on, be introduced to, just plain bump into (physically, in a doorway, Johnny Depp during the 21 Jump Street Years - we exchanged polite "excuse me"s - [deargodthatmanishot]), or have over at our apartment even, a wide variety of then or now famous people.

And you know what most of those folks wanted? To be left the fuck alone to do their daily stuff and leave work at work.

Politicians are a different kind of animal. I met the Clintons when Bill was governor here. They're on the job ALL THE TIME, probably with some exceptions, but I dunno.

I have a mild southern accent, which kind of stopped a lot of folks in LA 20 years ago. Because it makes them slow down for a few minutes. And it sounds friendly and comforting to some people's ears. So yeah, I waited on The Fonz, while the guy I was working with was flipping out (I'm talking jazz hands and high-pitched noises). Having little old me walk up and ask, "Can I help you find anything? No? Well, let me know if you need anything." and then just walking off might have been the best thing I did that day.

My best stories, especially re-telling them on occasion here in Arkansas years later, about any of those times is how THOSE FAMOUS PEOPLE turned out to be just real people with real lives, whether they were really interesting on some other level or just plain assholes.

Sometimes, Billy Bob Thorton comes back to his home state and gets everyone in a fluster. All I can think is that I might like to have a beer with that guy, maybe, if he's not being an asshole that day. But then, I'd probably ask him a question about Pushing Tin just because I liked that movie and then get his whole rant about not being an actor anymore or some shit. But, you know, at that point, I'd likely look him square in the eye while finishing my beer and ask, "You've got the tab, right?" and walk off.

on preview:
I would totally have drinks with Christopher Walken and pick up the tab at the end. That man has class and a work ethic to be envied by most people. I'd be mesmerized by his vocal patterns and just, I dunno...
*enters fangirl trance*
posted by lilywing13 at 12:42 AM on October 29, 2009 [3 favorites]

Big deal.

I sleep with loquacious almost every night.
posted by loquacious at 12:45 AM on October 29, 2009

Oh man, loquacious. How do you keep from calling the tabloids?
posted by lilywing13 at 12:50 AM on October 29, 2009

loquacious: I sleep with loquacious almost every night.

Yeah, well, join the club.
posted by koeselitz at 12:52 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Oh man, loquacious. How do you keep from calling the tabloids?

They're not offering enough yet. The sex is too good.
posted by loquacious at 1:21 AM on October 29, 2009

I had a bowl of menudo at El Rincon Bohemio in Santa Barbara. It was mui tripe.
posted by SteveInMaine at 3:35 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

My 70-year-old mum recently admitted to having shared a bed with Rod Stewart.

'Mind you', she said, 'we were mostly jumping up and down on it. He was only three at the time.'
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:48 AM on October 29, 2009 [20 favorites]

Am I the only one who wants to see that photo of june made him a gemini's mom now?
posted by dabitch at 3:51 AM on October 29, 2009

....Wait, I just realized something.

Do you think ehutchinson ever goes around to people in real life saying "I'm on the same web site as Adam Savage/John Hodgman/John Scalzi"?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:56 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

My mom once ran into some famous actor (I forget who, so that takes a bit of lead out of this story) late at night in an airport. They struck up a conversation, and she said, "Wow, has anyone ever told you you look exactly like [Famous Actor]?"

Then she chatted about how terrible Famous Actor was and how all his movies sucked. He just sat there suppressing the giggles.
posted by Metroid Baby at 4:06 AM on October 29, 2009

I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.
posted by gman at 4:17 AM on October 29, 2009 [6 favorites]

I bumped into Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones a few weeks ago here in London. He suddenly exited a door that we were walking right in front of. In a moment of confusion, I addressed him as "Keith Richards" and he sort of snarled at me. My wife still can't stop laughing about it.
posted by vacapinta at 4:24 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

A good friend of my parents was school librarian at the high school Madonna went to. I asked parents' friend if she remembered Madonna. Librarian answered: "No, but her brother never brought his books back on time."

Oh, and the person upthread who mentioned meeting Clifford the Big Red Dog? I was Clifford the Big Red Dog one summer at the library.
posted by marxchivist at 4:46 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Mr. Whipple's piano

Okay, I found my new band name.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 4:54 AM on October 29, 2009

Eh, you aint got nothing till you tell a moderately to wildly successful celeb to fuck off.

I told Boy George to fuck off, once. It was deeply satisfying.
posted by pinky at 5:01 AM on October 29, 2009

I've seen Bjork naked. Conversely, Bjork has also seen me naked.

(It was in the showers of my local swimming pool - also Bjork's local swimming pool - when I lived in Reykjavik.)

Also, I went to college with the guy who played Little Pete on The Adventures of Pete & Pete.

Also, not concurrently, but I went to the same college as jessamyn.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:38 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

I confused Paul Weller with Paul Wellstone which made it pretty odd.

I confused Paul Weller with Peter Weller and got all excited about someone making out with RoboCop.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 5:40 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

So I am at this DMB concert in West Palm a year or two back. Staying at the same hotel as the band. After the show there is a madhouse at the hotel bar. Never stopped me from drinking. Hang out long enough with some old friends and their teenage daughters to see Dave and Boyd walk in. Another one of the guys I am with has met Dave Matthews multiple times. Dave walks into the bar area and sees a friendly face, my friend. Next thing I know Dave is doing a shot of tequila with me (ok, two shots) and chatting up the 12 and 14 year old daughters of my friend. The two girls were absolutely paralyzed with fear and excitement. Dave was very patiently asking them about school and their piano lessons. As soon as we took the second shot, he bolted though. I paid the tab. He is short.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 5:49 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I don't think I have told the story about smoking angel dust with James Brown in the red light district of Lahore?
posted by Meatbomb at 5:57 AM on October 29, 2009 [3 favorites]

I was part of Malachy McCourt's entourage once -- I'd been an intern on a theater project he worked on in 1992, and then in 1998 I bumped into him in Dublin and he remembered me. He was doing a show (that was basically a stage version of ANGELA'S ASHES and his on memoir combined) and invited me to see the show and then hang out after. I did, and then after we caught up in this theater bar he told me he and his co-star were scheduled to appear on this late-night radio show and they had to go to the taping now -- and hey, did I want to come along? I shrugged and said okay. I ended up having this great conversation with the radio producer about the difference between Irish and American decency standards while she and I split a bottle of Merlot. I never got her name, but she was pretty damn cool.

....Oh, Malachy's a sweetheart too.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:58 AM on October 29, 2009

St. Alia of the Bunnies writes "Doesn't everyone eventually meet a celebrity or two? I mean, I have and it's not like I get out THAT much."

You're pretty active politically though and that gets you out meeting a wide range of people. I don't think I'm all that atypical in just barely (as in the person is just barely a recognizable celebrity now a days) having a celebrity encounter.

Well, I tagged along with my husband which is how I got to meet Bob Dole (really nice, really funny guy) but most of my celebrity encounters took place inside Waffle Houses.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:00 AM on October 29, 2009

Did I ever tell you about the time I went to this Grateful Dead show at Cole Field House and stayed at my buddy's house whose father was a US Senator at the time? So we make it back to his house after the show and stay up all night playing ping pong and smiling. In the morning, or the end of our long evening, the Senator is in the kitchen hanging out with us. He is making pancakes for all. THe phone rings and Mrs. Senator yells down from upstairs, "Honey, the White House is on the phone." I am still feeling the effects from the show so giggle to myself that there is a talking house when the Senator picks up the phone and says, "Yes Mr. President. " a long pause. Then another, "Yes, Mr. President." He finally hangs up after a few more of those. I say to him, "Why did you hang up? I wanted to say hello." The whole time I was thinking, "Wow, Jerry Garcia last night and Ronald Reagan today. Who will believe it?"
posted by JohnnyGunn at 6:05 AM on October 29, 2009 [3 favorites]

Christopher Walken impressions are on my list of Top Ten Favorite Things. Whenever things get slow at work, I beg anyone around me to give it their best shot. Good impressions, bad impressions, dancing, anything. It kills me every single time.

So one night at work, I was begging the lady that wrote my paychecks to do a Christopher Walken impression. She wouldn't do it. I kept begging. She said it was too terrible for the world to ever see. Then she said, "I can't do a Christopher Walken impression, but Christopher Walken did an impression of me once..."

Went on to tell us a story where she was strolling a Manhattan street alone, with her Walkman bumping something good enough that she had a little head-bobbing strut going on. (She is not the type of person easy to picture with a head-bobbing strut.) Suddenly, there was a tall guy in front of her, kind of blocking the path.

When she looked up, all startled-like, it was Christopher Walken, smiling and bobbing his head in time with hers, right up in her face. Smiles all around, I guess, and not a word exchanged.
posted by lauranesson at 6:10 AM on October 29, 2009 [14 favorites]

Also, I went to college with the guy who played Little Pete on The Adventures of Pete & Pete.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 8:38 AM on October 29 [+] [!]

Heh, I went to high school with him. I also ended his hockey playing career. Whoops!
posted by Grither at 6:14 AM on October 29, 2009

I kicked Crispin Glover.

Please to elaborate?
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 6:16 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

Dude, Burl Ives. Burl Ives!!
posted by fixedgear at 6:17 AM on October 29, 2009

My favorite celebrity encounter: in 1995-1996, I learned perl and wrote a useful script relating to e-commerce. I made it available online as a hosted script, and got some customers using it. One of them was a merchandising manager for a band I'd never heard of (being out of the loop for contemporary country music at the time), Diamond Rio. Tony was a great guy and we had lots of conversations, and one day he called me up and said, "Watch the CMAs tonight. We're going to be on," so I did, and realized this wasn't the bar band I thought they were.

Tony sent me a couple of CDs, t-shirts, etc., and tickets and backstage passes to their next show in the area. My then-5-year-old daughter and I went, met Tony and his wife (president of the fan club and sister of the lead vocalist). They were great, but we stood there talking so long the band had left by the time we were done.

So Tony sends me tickets the next year when they're back in the area, at a much bigger venue, with Martina McBride opening for them (they won their CMA that year). He also sent backstage passes. My girlfriend and I went, and this time we got backstage and met the band, who were all nice guys, but when I introduced myself to Dana Williams (lead singer), he said, "I've been wanting to meet you!"

It turned out Dana and one of the other guys (I forget which) were very nice, pretty geeky and interested in such things as perl and e-commerce, and we had a very friendly and surprisingly (to me, anyway) geeky conversation. There was no sex, drugs, booze, rock'n'roll, or telling celebrities to fuck off, but he's the only celebrity I know of who ever looked forward to meeting me.
posted by notashroom at 6:20 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

OMG, we live under the same sun!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:44 AM on October 29, 2009

God, this thread is tiresome.
posted by Miko at 6:52 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I guess it's too late to tell how about 20 years ago Ursula LeGuin came to my house for dinner and I cooked moussaka. Or how Denzel Washington apologized very humbly to my gf and me in a hotel elevator in Montreal for any inconvenience the film crew (also staying at that hotel) might be causing. Or getting out of the way of Ben Vereen (dressed in a suit and oddly dapper long cape) being hustled through the Denver airport by VIP handlers?

Yeah, I thought so.
posted by aught at 7:05 AM on October 29, 2009

God, this thread is tiresome.

Wasn't that the point? That was what the original question was about, and then illustrated in spades by the asker and many others since.
posted by notashroom at 7:11 AM on October 29, 2009

God, this thread is tiresome.

I couldn't agree more. Yet here we are, reading along and leaving tiresome comments of our own instead of doing something else. Metatalk, you and I have a strange relationship sometimes.
posted by Kwine at 7:16 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

The stories I want to hear more about, from the original thread and this one, are "punching Harrison Ford over a furniture disagreement" and "kicking Crispin Glover." PLEASE?
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:25 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

I once owned a Basset Hound whose mother was the sister of a basset Hound owned by Mac Davis. Yes, THAT Mac Davis! Send an SASE and $5 for an autographed 5 X 8 glossy of me with the dog.
posted by Daddy-O at 7:27 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Oh, oh, and! One time I saw Christopher Walken cook a chicken when I was watching the Youtube.

Christopher Walken impressions are on my list of Top Ten Favorite Things...bad impressions...anything.

You betta watch, your step.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:30 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

God, this thread is tiresome.

Wasn't that the point? That was what the original question was about, and then illustrated in spades by the asker and many others since.

Um, yeah, it was the point. It was a reference back to the original thread. And, evidently, not as clever as I thought it might be.
posted by Miko at 7:58 AM on October 29, 2009

I once spent some time between Sarah Mclachlan and a sofa, and I got drunk with the Archbishop of Canturbury.
My GF has told me not to tell the Archbishop of Canturbury story any more.
posted by Floydd at 7:59 AM on October 29, 2009

My dad is kinda-famous-to-metfites famous but I ain't telling.


So I'm going with Calvin Klein unsuccessfully hitting on a friend at Bowery Bar.

Also SCODY MADE OUT WITH PAUL WELLER
posted by The Whelk at 8:02 AM on October 29, 2009

The people with all the good stories are keeping thier mouths shut, I bet. It's like how the truly rich never discuss money.
posted by amro at 8:04 AM on October 29, 2009 [4 favorites]

My cousin did an album cover for the Village People. She used to take photos of performers at a casino, and so got to meet a lot of people - she has a great shot of herself mugging it up with James Brown. She never bragged about it, which I always thought was damn cool.

I've decided that when and if I do ever meet a famous person, someone I admire, in a situation where I am actually free to interact with him/her, my plan is to offer to buy him/her a cup of coffee or a drink. Nothing more. Simply say "hey, I really appreciate what you do, and would love to buy you a cup of coffee as a small token of my respect." I mean, come on - everyone wants a photo, a signature, something. I'd rather give than get, because at the very least I'd end up with a good story and (I hope) the person I met would be much less likely to be annoyed by the whole thing.
posted by caution live frogs at 8:13 AM on October 29, 2009

I sat next to Homer Simpson for a few minutes, and I've peered into Phil Spector's soul.
posted by malocchio at 8:17 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I met a number of artists, musicians, and other assorted celebrities when I lived in Brooklyn in the early nineties--some of whose work I'd enjoyed since I was a teenager--but none of them affected me as much as meeting Deke Slayton after the Apollo-Soyuz mission*, when he went back to Sparta, Wisconsin for a visit. When I shook his hand, I saw that he was wearing a Mercury 7 tie tack, and I thought to myself, "That's right, Deke--they kept you from going up in the Mercury because of your heart murmur, but you stuck in there, and you showed them." It was like a secret message between us. (Yes, I was a young space buff--why do you ask?)

*I will say, though, that it was a little amusing to see how short Lou Reed is in person. He also had a mullet at the time; not his best look.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:20 AM on October 29, 2009

The people with all the good stories are keeping thier mouths shut, I bet.

Okay, you got me. But just this once I'll tell you. I have an Ovassapian airway autographed by Andranik Ovassapian himself. He goes by Andy and agrees with me that the routine use of stylettes for endotracheal intubation should be avoided. I hate to brag, but let's see anyone top that!
posted by TedW at 8:21 AM on October 29, 2009 [6 favorites]

My studiomate got hit on by James Brown on two separate occasions when she still lived in LA. Apparently he was not averse to hitting on women 1/5 his age...

Also, does it count that I got to interview Terry Pratchett for an hour one month before he got knighted? (Oh, but it was over Skype...doesn't count, does it?)

Man, my celebrity stories are LAME.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 8:25 AM on October 29, 2009

Don't get me started with all the Jesus stories.

OOh! Tell that one again about that time at the beach when you rode on his back!
posted by TedW at 8:25 AM on October 29, 2009 [9 favorites]

Andrew 'dice' Clay almost hit me with his car, called me a 'fucker' for walking on the sidewalk he wanted to cross. It was the least memorable part of that trip to Santa Cruz.

Governor Fitial accused me of being a satanist because I called him a "scumlord".

Michael W Smith was an arrogant jerk to do sound for.

I stood in line for 2 hours to shake hands with Dan Akroyd, and get a bottle of vodka signed.

Heck, I got my tongue double-pierced on local TV news, as a favor for a friend.
posted by nomisxid at 8:30 AM on October 29, 2009

My dad is kinda-famous-to-metfites famous but I ain't telling.

Oh yeah? My dad was in Popular Science.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:32 AM on October 29, 2009

My friends and I had just seen Mitch Hedberg perform in a chapel at Amherst College, and had all nearly passed out from hyperventilation due to the constant laughter from the show. We jumped into the car and decided to head over to Wendy's in order to grab some food before heading home. On the way over to Wendy's we joked about going to the hotel Mitch had mentioned he was staying at but obviously didn't do that because we weren't crazy stalkers. I jokingly said it would be great if he went to Wendy's also.

So we're waiting in line at the Wendy's and sure enough, he walks in. All of us immediately notice him and that quiet ventriloquist style tightlipped "Holy shit, it's Mitch" passes between us. He's still got his aviators on, even though it's 11 p.m. So we walks up behind us in line and after about 10 seconds I say "Hey we just saw your show, great show" etc etc and I hear my friends agreeing. He seems pretty surprised to be recoginized by people who just saw him perform and thanks us. Then pulls a wad of cash out of his front pocket and says he'll buy our Wendy's for us. We laugh and thank him and my friend says "Oh you should order quick, they said they're about to close." Mitch goes "Aww fuck man. I hate when they're about to close, the food always fucking sucks!" and promptly turns and walks out, waving to us as he leaves. We are slightly stunned, and laugh at the pure Hedbergian nature of it all.

Mitch Hedberg didn't buy us Wendy's.
posted by haveanicesummer at 8:39 AM on October 29, 2009 [34 favorites]

Also my grandmother once told me that she'd met and talked to for a decent amount of time, a bunch of young (to her) men who sat on a bench with her in an airport. They talked with her politely, them initiating the conversation. Eventually she asked what they were travelling for and they said they were in a band. "What band?" she asked, knowing she would be unlikely to know who they were. "Motley Crue" they responded, and she said back "Well, you certainly LOOK like a motley crew!"
posted by haveanicesummer at 8:42 AM on October 29, 2009 [16 favorites]

Um, yeah, it was the point. It was a reference back to the original thread. And, evidently, not as clever as I thought it might be.

I've been spending a lot of time talking with my super-literal aspie daughter and I think it's making me a bit more literal than usual. Sorry about that.
posted by notashroom at 8:42 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I could tell you about all the famous folks I've met, but you'd only care if you were a bike geek.
posted by fixedgear at 8:48 AM on October 29, 2009

I lived with the member of an American band that is very popular in Europe and was beat up by the frontman of an American band that is very popular in America. He is an asshole, and he owes me $300.00, because at the time we were having shows in our living room to make rent, and we had a crazy next door neighbor who was always threatening to shoot us because of the noise so paid out of pocket to sound proof the entire house by wrapping sheets of drywall in carpeting and pushing it up against all the windows. He promised me he'd pay me back when he got the security deposit back but he never did. I'm sure the licensing fees on their one hit, used as the theme song for a syndicated show and in car commercials, could more than cover the $300.00.

Oh. Also this
posted by orville sash at 8:55 AM on October 29, 2009

> isn't this what the banhammer was made for?

I'm sitting here with Will Wallace and Robbie Burns and we're all three totally OK with it. But we've been hitting the single malt for a couple hours now and we'd probably be OK with pretty much anything.
posted by jfuller at 8:57 AM on October 29, 2009

Lucy Ricardo once met William Holden at the Brown Derby in Hollywood!
posted by ericb at 9:02 AM on October 29, 2009

I know a guy who used to look EXACTLY like Al Frankin.

A few years ago, he was sitting in an airport and a couple came up to him and said, "Hey! Al Frankin!"

"I'm not Al Frankin."

"Oh, you don't have to pretend with us. We KNOW who you are! We are such big fans!"

"I swear, I'm not Al Frankin."

"Oh, we won't tell anyone you're here. Can we have your autograph?"

He relented and gave them his (actual) autograph, after which they went away and left him alone. I like to think that, when Frankin was elected, they pulled the autograph out eagerly, examined it more closely, and were absolutely crestfallen.

(I've met the dudes from the Sonic commercials)
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:19 AM on October 29, 2009

Folks, this has been one hell of a MeTa, but I'm pretty sure lewistate just trashed his dissertation and is thinking something like, Maybe I can do something about MySpace, facebook and class divisions . . . .
posted by barrett caulk at 9:21 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

I've met the dudes from the Sonic commercials

Well, I met the guys from the Ocean Spray commercials; so there. :-)

(My family's a supplier for Ocean Spray, and one year the folks came to NYC to see that "bog" they set up every year in Rockefeller Center. The two actors were there mingling with the crowd. ....The younger actor is really hot, and deliciously snarky.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:27 AM on October 29, 2009

Steven Tyler knocked me down in the House of Blues once.
posted by jefficator at 9:29 AM on October 29, 2009

I attended Brownie Hill nursery school in Addison, Illinois with Bobby Hull, Jr. I dimly recall meeting his dad once or twice at parent pick-up/drop-off time.

Allen Ginsberg complimented my old bf's tie.

Will Oldham autographed the sleeve of my copy of his "Puff the Magic Dragon" 45.

I spent about 5 minutes surreptitiously gaping at Smokey Robinson (Smokey Friggin' Robinson!) at O'Hare Airport.

When one of my old lit. profs was an undergraduate at Swarthmore many moons ago, his roommate's older brother, a graduate economics major, somehow managed to score himself a personal audience with Ezra Pound, who at the time was ensconced in St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington DC. So he offered to take the two younger fellows along, and they all drove down and spent, I dunno, half an hour, an hour? chewing the fat with Ezra. He wore a smoking jacket and bedroom slippers (and yes, pants), and he drew a small picture of a vortex for my prof., which he later loaned to one of his teachers and never got back!
posted by FelliniBlank at 9:35 AM on October 29, 2009

That really was awesome on so many levels. Its the first Ask MeFi question that really seemed like a derailed SNL sketch.

Yes, I had the feeling she was a Kristen Wiig character.
posted by jgirl at 9:48 AM on October 29, 2009

Also, I share a laundry room with a famous MeFite!
posted by jgirl at 9:49 AM on October 29, 2009

I don't know if this counts, but I once had a server at Bennigan's who claimed to have stolen a pair of Garrison Keillor's shoes. Evidently she had to pick him up at the airport for a talk at her school, and he was a real dick to her. He inadvertently left his shoes in the car, and she kept them.

I've always wanted to tell that story as my own, because I love it so. But people would demand to see the shoes, and I don't know, it would end up being a lot to maintain after a few years.


Oh, and my wife was almost bumped into by Liz Phair once. But I was there- I saw it.
posted by Shohn at 9:51 AM on October 29, 2009

You know, a bunch of people have met me. One day they'll be able to remark on this fact.

Though it'll probably be said in a conspiratorial tone and be followed up with "No shit! He just seemed like a regular, nice guy! Who'd have guessed..."
posted by quin at 10:05 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Cool, if we're doing the by-proxy ones now then I've got another.

My dad once showed Sir Mix-a-Lot property in our home valley during the zenith of Baby Got Back's run on the radio. In so doing, he mentioned to Mix that I was a fan of his and played his tapes over and over again in my room. According to my dad, Mix then said "Great, when I move in, he can show me the spots!"

He didn't wind up buying the property. Too bad. It still tickles me to picture Sir Mixalot rolling around w/ 13-year-old ETW, as I show him the drive-in, the beaches that tourists don't know about and that one spot back in the hills where my buddy Nick and I once totally saw a badger.
posted by EatTheWeek at 10:06 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Since I work in publishing, I get to interact with some pretty famous authors and/or other personages on a fairly regular basis. It's just part of the job, and most of the time isn't terribly notable.

One time, however, my direct line rang, and when I answered, the words I heard were "Hello. This is Dan Rather. I'm trying to reach Peter Ginna." You have to imagine it with the voice. Oh my God, that voice is something else. All of a sudden, I'm saying, "Yes, sir, Mr. Rather" (when was the last time I said sir in conversation? Or called someone Mr.?) and scooting around the office to find Peter like my pants are on fire.

How he had gotten my number, I have no idea. All I know is that hearing that voice speaking directly into my ear inspired me to a kind of deference I hadn't used since I was a child in Alabama. The whole thing was more interesting to me for my reaction than for the interaction itself.

The best "famous person" moment this week was seeing a package from Gay Talese meant for my boss that used one of those free return address labels that charities give you, which called him "Ms. Gay Talese."
posted by ocherdraco at 10:10 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

My wife used Queen Latifah's bathroom.
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:12 AM on October 29, 2009

My family used to own Jennifer "Nobody puts Baby in the corner" Grey's cat, or maybe her piano--I can't remember which (but it was one or the other). I'm pretty sure it was the cat.

I looked down Madonna's top at the Who's That Girl premiere afterparty when I was 12. She was a diamond and didn't fuss about it, as I can't imagine I was very subtle.

I posed with Nic Cage for Vanity Fair magazine wearing an Elvis costume.

Face from the A-Team gave me a ride to school in his limo once. I was sorry he was such a dick about the new BSG, because he seemed like a nice guy at the time.

John Cleese yelled at my Dad and me for following him down the street doing silly walks.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:14 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

One time, however, my direct line rang, and when I answered, the words I heard were "Hello. This is Dan Rather. I'm trying to reach Peter Ginna." You have to imagine it with the voice. Oh my God, that voice is something else. All of a sudden, I'm saying, "Yes, sir, Mr. Rather" (when was the last time I said sir in conversation? Or called someone Mr.?) and scooting around the office to find Peter like my pants are on fire.

I did something like that once -- I used to work for someone who was tangentially involved with theater, and one day he had a director from L.A. visit him (they'd worked together on some project). The director told me he'd given our number to his assistant, so people may call in to talk to him while he was meeting with my boss.

And sure enough, at some point, the phone rang and a voice asked for that director. "I'll see if he can take the call," I said, all professionalism. "May I ask who's calling?"

"My name is Henry Winkler."

I automatically just said "One moment, please," and put him on hold without thinking -- then it hit me, and I just blinked. Then got up and poked my head into my boss's office and told him who it was, and then asked, "...is it okay if I tell people that I very briefly spoke to the Fonz?" They both just cracked up, and I put the call through.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:16 AM on October 29, 2009

? called me at work, and left his home number. Then I called him at home.
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:26 AM on October 29, 2009

Yeah, whatever, I once fixed Francesco Clemente's toilet.
posted by From Bklyn at 10:35 AM on October 29, 2009

cjorgensen,

I read your comment as "Half the famous people I've met had no idea who they were"

which I'm sure is true in the right circles.
posted by lukemeister at 10:36 AM on October 29, 2009

I was interviewing to be the personal assistant for a wealthy New Yorker once. He took me to lunch with Tova Borgnine. At some point during lunch his phone rang and I answered it, hoping to demonstrate my superlative assistant skills. An oddly familiar voice asked 'is Bob there?' and I answered 'who's calling, please?'. 'Tell him it's Jack.' I handed the phone to Bob and said, haltingly, 'I think it's Jack Nicholson.' So Bob takes the phone, and in answer to a question, says 'Oh, I'm having lunch with Tova Borgnine and [widdershins], two lovely, lovely ladies' and proceeds to have a 5-minute conversation where Jack is trying to get Bob to get him into an exclusive golf course. (Yes, a golf course so exclusive that Jack Nicholson couldn't get in on his own. Apparently they do exist.)

I didn't get the job, but Jack Nicholson has heard that I'm a lovely, lovely lady, which is almost as good.
posted by widdershins at 10:38 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

I just wish that thread had stayed open long enough for miss lynnster to get in there and make MINCEMEAT out of it.
posted by padraigin at 10:42 AM on October 29, 2009 [3 favorites]

I was stuck in traffic next to Marion Barry once. I said "Hey, Marion Barry, how's it going?" he said "Alright man, this traffic is terrible!" and then we sat there awkwardly for a couple minutes.
posted by electroboy at 10:43 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

"My name is Henry Winkler."

I had lunch with him once on a film set. He was the kind of big star that didn't mind rubbing elbows with normal crew members and the meal tent was packed with very few available seats ... and suddenly there he was, right next to me, star of one of my most HATED TV shows of all-fucking-time (everything after about Season-2).

Nice guy. I seem to recall he was pretty earnest about some fairly loopy new age crap. Knowing me at the time (early 90s), I encouraged the weirdness.
posted by philip-random at 10:45 AM on October 29, 2009

*** taps foot waiting for dirt on Clifford the Big Red Dog ***
posted by lukemeister at 10:52 AM on October 29, 2009

And I have actually gotten drunk with Hasil Adkins, who admitted to me that he couldn't read. Suck on that, peons.

Feh. Who HASN'T gotten drunk with Hasil Adkins?

Mike Watt bought me a beer once. I think I came a little bit.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:52 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Dude, Burl Ives. Burl Ives!!

He was frickin awesome in Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.
posted by heyho at 10:59 AM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

electroboy: I was stuck in traffic next to Marion Barry once. I said "Hey, Marion Barry, how's it going?" he said "Alright man, this traffic is terrible!" and then we sat there awkwardly for a couple minutes.

Reminds me of another good one, again not mine:

About ten years ago friend of mine from Minnesota did his AmeriCorps time in DC. At the end of it, they had this big party with hors d'œuvres, drinks, etc. And Marion Barry was there to give a little speech.

After the speech, everybody was standing around, and my friend (as he is wont to do) was hanging out by the snack table. Marion Barry strolls over, looking over the various condiments and the little signs, and while he's doing so he starts munching on a doughnut. All of a sudden, he sees one that he's apparently never seen before, but which happens to strike his fancy. He quickly dips his doughnut in the light, creamy stuff and takes a bite. Suddenly he exclaims "blech!" – he spits the rest of his mouthful in a trash bin and tosses the doughnut in after it. Then he turned to my friend and whispers confidentially: "take it from me &ndash that 'hoo-moose' stuff is disgusting."
posted by koeselitz at 10:59 AM on October 29, 2009

If this thread could somehow be combined with this thread, it would be a Good Thing. I mean, let me tell you about the time I evaded the Mummy using only a ring of invisibility and the lid off a can of dog food.
posted by mygothlaundry at 11:00 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

A post to explain why I'm not name-dropping...

I vaguely know someone who's now quite famous (you've mostly all heard of him). He used to hang out with my brother, they even collaborated before he was successful. Later on, he got into a relationship with the sister of a very good friend of mine.

When he started getting some recognition in my town, people would mention him and I'd say how I knew him. I'd see him every so often at parties, we'd chat, etc.

Then after a few years he got quite well known indeed, internationally. And all of a sudden, I really didn't want to mention that I knew him. Because it was so obviously name-dropping. And...lame, I guess. Especially as the connection was reasonably tenuous, and especially as a lot of other people in town were digging up every connection they could find to him ("I met him once"; "my mother knew his family" kind of stuff).

And I'm especially loathe to mention him because I know that other people who know him have leaked stories or pictures to the press, or online, and I know that he and his partner absolutely hate that (quite rightly, I think). So the little thrill that I might get out of being able to talk about occasional inside information or gossip is really overcome by knowing that doing so would not make him happy. [Basically like what lilywing says above about people wanting to be left alone]

Last time I saw him, I felt that he was a bit more distant, and I wonder if it might have been because he doesn't want to open up, except around people that he really trusts.

(On the other hand, I feel like saying 'I saw x in the park' or 'had a phone call from y' is a different kind of beast altogether)
posted by Infinite Jest at 11:00 AM on October 29, 2009

...when he went back to Sparta, Wisconsin... in the early 90s I hitchhiked through a good part of WI, Sparta WI was a low point in that trip, no rides, hot and dusty.
posted by edgeways at 11:03 AM on October 29, 2009

and suddenly there he was, right next to me, star of one of my most HATED TV shows of all-fucking-time (everything after about Season-2).

How could you hate arrested development? Youre insane!


. . . unless you meant that other show he starred in. what was it called again?
posted by Think_Long at 11:05 AM on October 29, 2009

I can hear U2, from my house, right now.

I know right? I mean, it was last night and all, but I could hear them too, from 1.5 kilometers away, and hear the people singing along as well, and then I got slightly nostalgic because I saw them in 1992 and it was great, and now they're touring with this grotesque spectacular sort of setup and I'm all, Sorry Bono, not this go round. We used to email back and forth all the time, you know, and by all the time I mean never.

I had a happy exchange once with Noam Chomsky about subject-verb-object order. Other than that, unless you care about the mid-80s West Coast punk scene, not really anybody. Except Thom Yorke, who was perfectly nice, contrary to reputation.
posted by jokeefe at 11:06 AM on October 29, 2009

I sat behind Peter Dinklage at Equus

I saw Daniel Radcliffe in Equus!

......Wait. I'm doing this wrong, aren't I?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:08 AM on October 29, 2009

"I just wish that thread had stayed open long enough for miss lynnster to get in there and make MINCEMEAT out of it."

FFFFFOOOOOGGGGGGGEEEEERRRRRRTTTTTTTYYYYYYYYYY!!
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 11:20 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I sat behind Peter Dinklage at Equus

I saw Daniel Radcliffe in Equus!

But did you see Radcliffe's Dinklage?
posted by GeekAnimator at 11:24 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

A friend of mine and her girlfriend were once in a movie line with David Duchovony (during the X-Files years). He was trying very hard, and mostly succeeding, to be polite and not stare at them as they kissed.

I once shared a movie line at the Fifth Avenue with Gordon Campbell, then as now the Premier of BC. We talked about the movies we were going to see (us: heart-wrenching drama; him: monsters/explosions). I was having a warm moment about democracy and equality and how he was behind us in line waiting his turn and blah blah before the staff came along and ushered him into the theatre through a side door. So given the chance to kick him in the shins for all the terrible things he was doing to the province, I found I just didn't have it in me.
posted by jokeefe at 11:25 AM on October 29, 2009

(Thank you for the song, cortex. The boyfriend wandered in from four rooms away to find out why I was cheesing out.)
posted by lauranesson at 11:27 AM on October 29, 2009

One of favorite Mefite brush-with-fame stories is Astro Zombie's encounter with Bo Diddley.
posted by marxchivist at 11:27 AM on October 29, 2009

I wish there was a little side bar wiki thing for really long threads that would sum up what you missed.
posted by chunking express at 11:29 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

My wife used Queen Latifah's bathroom.

I know somebody whose wife used Queen Latifah's bathroom.
posted by zennie at 11:38 AM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I just realized that some sociopath is reading all these right now and cribbing the best ones as their own stories for all future namedropping sessions. We're creating a monster!
posted by haveanicesummer at 11:44 AM on October 29, 2009

I was working retail a few years back, a between-jobs thing in an off political year. At this store, the staff typically accompanies the customer through the store to find things needed.

Marion Barry walks in. I say, "well, hello, Mr. Mayor! What can I get for you?"

"A screw!"

Me: "Oh, for what?" (Wood screw, sheet metal, there are different ones.)

Mr. Mayor: "For my hose."

(I am going to have to be careful ... this thread is not a career-builder!)
posted by jgirl at 11:55 AM on October 29, 2009

Bitch set him up!
posted by dersins at 12:04 PM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

When I was about ten, I sat next to Melissa Gilbert on a flight to Boise.

When I was about 24, I sold Layne Staley a bunch of throw pillows.

Man, I'm dull.
posted by Skot at 12:08 PM on October 29, 2009

I played roulette once with Rickey Henderson, only I had no idea who he was. Drunk frat boys kept coming up to him and shaking his hand and saying "Hey, hey Rickey, we love you man!" He was very gracious and always said thank you. I was standing next to him and finally leaned over and said, under my voice, "I'm sorry, don't take this the wrong way, but I have no idea who you are." He leaned over and said out of the side of his mouth, "That's okay. I'm just a baseball player." We went on playing and joking for another hour or so, and then he and his wife left to go up to their room. As they left, his wife gave me a big hug and said "Thanks for being a normal person around him."

Also, Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul, and Mary, is an unsufferable man who wears turtlenecks in late summer in Texas, unironically.

And my best encounter: I had dinner one night with Molly Ivins and Paul Wellstone and a few coworkers. We were mostly mute and listened to them tell stories. They'd both been on Leno and Letterman, and they discussed the experiences. (Leno, nice guy, they said. Letterman, not so much.) I knew at the time it was an awesome night and that I'd always remember it. But it wasn't until after they'd both died and we'd been through 8 years of Bush/Cheney that I realized how lucky I was to have had that experience, and how much we still needed them around.
posted by mudpuppie at 12:12 PM on October 29, 2009 [6 favorites]

John Cleese yelled at my Dad and me for following him down the street doing silly walks.

This exact thing is mentioned in the new Monty Python documentary.
posted by pinky at 12:14 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

*** taps foot waiting for dirt on Clifford the Big Red Dog ***

Not actually that big; smaller than a collie, in fact. Humped my leg.

No, sorry, that was just Lou Reed again. Never mind.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:24 PM on October 29, 2009 [6 favorites]

You only name-drop when you are with people who you know won't be starstruck. People whose exposure or experiences with famous people are similar to yours.
posted by Zambrano at 12:27 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Bill Bradley, former US Senator and professional basketball player tells a story about a famous person (him) meeting a regular joe. It is also about power. So Bill Bradley is asked to participate in some event where he is seated on the dais eating before he is to speak. He is getting served his meal when he asks the waiter for an extra pad of butter. The waiter says, "sorry, one per person." Bill, just having been elected to the senate replies, "Do you know who I am?" THe waiter replies in turn, "No, do you know who I am?" Bill, says, "No, who are you?" The waiter responds, "I am the guy in charge of the butter. One pad" and walks away. He learned about being humble and who has the real power. I saw Bill Bradley play basketball at Madison Square Garden once.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:36 PM on October 29, 2009 [11 favorites]

John Cleese yelled at my Dad and me for following him down the street doing silly walks.

This exact thing is mentioned in the new Monty Python documentary.
posted by pinky at 3:14 PM on October 29 [+] [!]

Awesome! I can't wait to see it. I can only hope he mentioned my dad and me by name. Hey Cleese: that restraining order will soon lapse--and when it does, funny walks will be had again, you cranky old bastard.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 12:36 PM on October 29, 2009

Wait, "pad" of butter? Not "pat" of butter? WTF?
posted by Rumple at 12:41 PM on October 29, 2009

Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio -- are you getting this? I knew him! Personally. A fellow of infinite jest, if you know what I mean. No, I couldn't possibly explain -- that would be a breach of confidentiality. I'm taking Yorick's secrets to the grave. So to speak.
posted by grobstein at 12:44 PM on October 29, 2009 [12 favorites]

Wait, "pad" of butter? Not "pat" of butter? WTF?

I know, that totally ruined the story, amirite?
posted by fixedgear at 12:50 PM on October 29, 2009

EVERICHON: That was the best show I've seen since Throwing Muses!
SIMON RAYMONDE: * eye roll * Thanks?
posted by everichon at 12:57 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

The Cocteau Twins actually defriended me on MySpace.
posted by malocchio at 1:10 PM on October 29, 2009 [5 favorites]

Yeah, well, I'm married to George Clooney on MetaFilter. Beat that.

Oh, yeah? Well, I'm married to George Clooney on MetaFilter and I have his regards!
posted by Space Kitty at 1:33 PM on October 29, 2009

I met China Kantner while shopping once. We were both 13 and dressed like Madonna so we hung out for the afternoon. Later that week, my dad met Grace Slick, and had a nice chat with her about their Madonna-daughters. About a month after that, a friend of mine was walking across a parking lot when she was hit by a car driven by Paul Kantner. Once Marty Ballin fixes a flat for my grandparents, the stalking of my friends & family by Jefferson Starship will be complete.


Also, I know the medical history of lots of famous people, but I can't tell you anything because of HIPAA.
posted by dogmom at 1:40 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I went to high school with Linus Van Pelt.
posted by bondcliff at 1:41 PM on October 29, 2009 [3 favorites]

speaking of U2 in Vancouver ...

1981 (their first visit). They played a 3 dollar show to a sold out Commodore Ballroom (1000 seater but everyone was standing); played all the songs from their first album plus one or two others; replayed two songs for their encore. A great f***ing show.

Anyway, this was back in the day when you could legally park your car in the alley behind the Commodore, which is where mine was. So after the show, it's me, my brother and a couple of friends all packed into a Volkswagen Rabbit (probably smoking a joint) and there's a knock on the window. I roll it down and it's Adam Clayton wondering if I'm the "car-hire", which is kind of a weird thing given the fumes that must've been spewing out ...

I considered for a moment tossing my brother and friends and taking him out on the town, showing him all the best clubs, buying him drinks, making my first famous friend ...

But I didn't.

And now, while I'm at it, already doing way more than my share of name-dropping in this thread, let me also state for the record:

- partied for a couple of hours once with Joe Strummer
- did a night on the town with Jello Biafra
- shook Pierre Trudeau's hand once, saw him at church another time
- rode an elevator with Jacques Villenueve and Bruno Gerussi (not the same elevator)
- answered a few questions from Jeff Goldblum (another film set)
- pissed at a urinal next to to one of the actors from Summer of 42 (no, I didn't look)
- got squirted with a water pistol by a 13 or 14 year old Leonardo DiCaprio
- passed Peter Fonda on the street once (he was videotaping various homeless folks)
- drank in the same bar as Patrick McGoohan + Michael Penn (at the same time)
- almost stepped on Lou Reed while sneaking through the crew entrance to some TV shoot
- probably a few others I'm not instantly recalling ...

And every single one of these counters (EXCEPT ONE) was uptight, unnatural, didn't feel at all healthy. The famous person wasn't comfortable. I wasn't comfortable. All the various others involved in the situations weren't comfortable. Such is the nature of fame, I think. More disease than blessing. I wouldn't really wish it on anyone.

That said, my run-in with Joe Strummer was pure cool fun. It was some after hours party in Vancouver, October sometime (ie: harvest time for BC Bud). I had half a joint in my hand that none of my crowd wanted, so I just blindly handed it to the stranger next to me.

"Thanks," he said with a familiar rasp ... and so on. I quickly rolled another joint. He bought a round of beer for everyone at the table, like that proverbial friend we'd known your whole lives that we'd never actually met.

The Monty Python line comes to mind:

"Must be a king."
"How do know that?"
"Doesn't have shit all over him."
posted by philip-random at 1:41 PM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

One time Abraham Lincoln (yes THAT abraham lincoln) shat in my mouth for literally 666 days straight, lol, no big deal (nbd) whose pooped in your mouth???? dont worry we cant all get shitted on by the captains of industry/legends of huistory. That reminds me I got pooped on in outerspace also, by a russian (big surprise, lmao, lol)
posted by Damn That Television at 1:48 PM on October 29, 2009 [5 favorites]

FFFFFOOOOOGGGGGGGEEEEERRRRRRTTTTTTTYYYYYYYYYY!!

In case anyone is wondering what that was about: here.
posted by TedW at 1:53 PM on October 29, 2009

Yeah, well, I'm married to George Clooney on MetaFilter. Beat that.

I'm all you'alls spouse, bitches.
posted by The Whelk at 1:56 PM on October 29, 2009

I was putting in a heating system on Ludlow St. in the early 90's and this guy - Ricky(? he was like the super of the whole block) - or something was 'helping' me by telling all the tenants (three, I think) that I was going to have to turn the water off for an hour or two in the middle of the day. Nice guy but a mess.
"You tell everyone Ricky?"
"Yeah yeah yeah."
"That I'm gonna have to turn off the water? They know there'll be no water?"
"Yeah yeah yeah."
"For like an hour or two?"
"Yeah yeah yeah"
"Alright, let's get to it."
"Yeah yeah yeah"
I turn off the water (that actually came from the building next door, you had to crawl through a hole in the basement wall to get to it) and get to work. I'm blissfully toiling away when after about a half an hour this godawful crash and whalam comes from the sidewalk and this woman with crazy gray-streaked hair, her arms in plaster up to the elbows comes storming into the space,
"Ricky you fuck you turned off my fucking water! I've got a model covered in fucking plaster upstairs and you turn off my water! What the fuck are you doing? What the hell are you doing you fucker..."
"Oh Kiki, man, Kiki, I'm sorry, I totally forgot - we're doing work for Val, see, and we like needed to turn off - just gives us, like, another half hour."
"Jesus Christ Ricky, you can't fucking do this to me anymore..." She shook her head knowing/sadly and climbed back out of the basement. Luckily, I got done quickly and had her water on in another hour or so.
That Kiki Smith, what a mouth.
posted by From Bklyn at 2:09 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I have no name dropping stories. but a friend of mine met Bono and Isabella Rosellini at the same shindig.

turns out his best friend in the world is her nephew. last name rosellini and everything. so they're backstage at some performance she's doing somewhere and Bono comes in to congratulate her afterward. Bono proceeds to hang out with her for a while, having drinks, and my friend - who is literally the biggest U2 fan in the world (he insists their albums after Zooropa are good, for instance) - gets to talk to him. the story as I remember it:

Bono: you look glum. how are you doing?
friend: I failed a math test. It sucks. (he's in like junior high at this point, btw)
Bono: Ah, I was never very good at math either. I've always felt that an education is important, but that they shouldn't put so much emphasis at being good at everything.
friend: ok.
Bono: keep your chin up, boyo.

when he told me this story, I came up with an only slightly related plan. Every time I meet a celebrity, I'm going to either a) mistake them for another celebrity, and refuse to be corrected on it, or b) mention their earliest, most obscure work and tell them they should have kept up the gig. examples:

Oh, you're Jim Carrey, right? I loved you in The Duck Factory. It's a shame you didn't keep up the acting gig! You had real talent! I'm sorry, Eternal what of what? Very funny. Let's come up with other stupid movie names!

To Bono: Oh man, I love your music! The only song of yours I was never very fond of was Friday I'm In Love, though. That song sucks, no offense.

Oh my God, you're Jack Nicholson! Didn't you play the doctor in The Who's Tommy? I KNEW IT WAS YOU! Did you get to meet The Who? I bet it must have been amazing being that close to someone so famous.

etc...
posted by shmegegge at 2:11 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

oh wait, I worked on The Chappelle show. I am famous in my own right, bitches.
posted by shmegegge at 2:11 PM on October 29, 2009

Sometimes I hang out at Gallagher's house. (Not Noel. The watermelon guy.) But I guess that's kinda the opposite of what's going on here.
posted by turducken at 2:19 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

oh wait, I worked on The Chappelle show. I am famous in my own right, bitches.

"my imdb page, let me show you it"
posted by dersins at 2:19 PM on October 29, 2009

As a side-effect of my spouse’s profession I've met many bona fide-to-middling celebrities and won't bore you all with my stories, all of them decidedly banal non sequiturs in which both celebrity and I are bored, confused, uncomfortably attired and overly-air-conditioned. My entire take away from these "namedropping" threads is that the human ego, like hope, springs eternal AND THAT SCODY MADE OUT WITH PAUL WELLER. OMG Scody! I’d have never brushed my teeth again!
posted by applemeat at 2:25 PM on October 29, 2009

My mom was on the same airplane as Billy Squire once. She asked the flight attendant if she could have his empty beer can.

To this day I can't figure out 1) how my mom knew who he was and 2) why she brought me home that beer can.
posted by slogger at 2:32 PM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

One day when I was in junior high, I was complaining about some homework to my friend and her relative from out of town, it was only later that I realized that I'd been bitching about a three page essay to Pauline Kael.

My parents went to the Catskills to the town where my mother's extended family had spent summers when she was a kid. They found the hotel where the family used to go in the evenings for entertainment and noticed that it had a bunch of cars parked around it and it seemed to be being renovated. They wandered onto the grounds and saw some tents set up and heard some good gospel coming from one of them and decided to check it out. The people who were there told them that it was a community being founded by a church in New York City and that they were welcome to stay and listen for a while. The people they were chatting with insisted on introducing them to the minister who was involved in organizing the whole thing. Later that night I got a phone call - they knew that they had been introduced to someone famous but had no idea who this guy was - "So who is this Reverend Run guy?"
posted by sciencegeek at 2:33 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I was snippy to Carrie Fisher. In my defense I was a teenager, I didn't recognize her with her hair down (it was 1980), and she did ask me a pretty stupid question. To her credit, she did not pull a blaster on me.
posted by contrariwise at 2:43 PM on October 29, 2009

Weird: I was in an old AskMe just now and read a pretty funny joke about a person who claims they know everybody.
posted by yeti at 2:44 PM on October 29, 2009

My mom was on the same airplane as Billy Squire once. She asked the flight attendant if she could have his empty beer can.

To this day I can't figure out 1) how my mom knew who he was and 2) why she brought me home that beer can.

There's a "stroke me" joke in there somewhere but since this is your mom we're talking about I'm going to go ahead and leave that one alone.
posted by dersins at 2:44 PM on October 29, 2009

Opps. Link to joke.
posted by yeti at 2:44 PM on October 29, 2009

Rosie O'Donnell once offered me gum. I declined.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 2:46 PM on October 29, 2009

If Ambrosia Voyeur doesn't come back and explain in great detail the Kicking Crispin Glover Incident I really might cry.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 2:46 PM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

dersins: "oh wait, I worked on The Chappelle show. I am famous in my own right, bitches.

"my imdb page, let me show you it""

well, when I said famous I meant "awesome." and I don't have an imdb page because not only am I awesome, but I'm also broke and I don't want to pay imdb for shit.
posted by shmegegge at 2:53 PM on October 29, 2009

Related: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rijCrZOpj_Y
posted by mad bomber what bombs at midnight at 2:55 PM on October 29, 2009

JohnnyGunn: Bill Bradley, former US Senator and professional basketball player tells a story about a famous person (him) meeting a regular joe. It is also about power. So Bill Bradley is asked to participate in some event where he is seated on the dais eating before he is to speak. He is getting served his meal when he asks the waiter for an extra pad of butter. The waiter says, "sorry, one per person." Bill, just having been elected to the senate replies, "Do you know who I am?" THe waiter replies in turn, "No, do you know who I am?" Bill, says, "No, who are you?" The waiter responds, "I am the guy in charge of the butter. One pad" and walks away. He learned about being humble and who has the real power. I saw Bill Bradley play basketball at Madison Square Garden once.

I used to work as a valet at a hotel in Santa Fe that saw some pretty famous people. I was unfortunately not there the day this happened, but one of the valets who happened to be sort of a jerk, this South African dude, got into a big fight with Val Kilmer once. Val wanted to park his own Hummer in the front lot, but it was against the rules for guests to park there because of liability and such. So this valet is telling Val over and over again that he can't park his car, and Val is getting more and more angry, and finally Val crescendos to the inevitable: "Do you know who I am?!"

And this South African guy answers blankly (and completely honestly): "No. I do not know who you are. Now, sir, may I please have the keys?"

We laughed about that one for a long, long time.
posted by koeselitz at 2:56 PM on October 29, 2009

not only am I awesome, but I'm also broke and I don't want to pay imdb for shit.

Huh? I've never paid imdb a dime. If stuff you've worked on is listed and you're not in the crew credit listing, just submit your name & credit. It can take awhile for credits you submit to finally show up there, but if they're real, they'll show up eventually.
posted by dersins at 3:08 PM on October 29, 2009

Anyway, my friend, who was in a band and was good buddies with Frenzal Rhomb, for whatever that's worth

Oh, an ex of mine & her (all female) housemates were credited in the liner notes for Frenzal Rhomb's first album. Apparently, the band used to hang out at their place all the time, whatever that means.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:09 PM on October 29, 2009

huh. no shit. hm hm hm.
posted by shmegegge at 3:10 PM on October 29, 2009

One time, a mate & I were climbing up a hill to see an old Crusader fort in Palmyra, Syria, when we got talking for a minute or two to an Aussie woman & her travel guide - nothing much, just some of that regular, banal travel chitchat: "Where are you from?" and "How long have you been travelling on this trip?" and so on.

After the woman continued on her way, her guide lingered a second & whispered breathlessly: "Do you know who you just met?!??"

"Er, no, don't recognise her at all"

"She is one of Australia's Most Famous Scientists!!!"

My friend, completely nonplussed: "So what? His mother is also one of Australia's most famous scientists"*

The guide stood, lost for words, for a few seconds, then turned on her heels & strode off without saying another word.

So, I have apparently met one of Australia's Most Famous Scientists. Only, I still have no idea who the hell she is, and nor do I care.

* This is not strictly true. In fact, it's not true at all, other than that she worked in a scientific field.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:24 PM on October 29, 2009

One of my favorite "meeting a celebrity" stories (which I've told here before*):

An old friend of mine is a flight attendant and self-taught specialist in two fields: Antique Chinese Porcelain and British/American Colonial Period Furniture. He became a flight attendant for the sole purpose of being able to travel to museums on his off-time. His vocation allows him to indulge in his avocation and true love: art appreciation. He has quite a following and is often invited to lecture at museums around the world. He's a darling, and lives in a self-induced "bubble." He doesn't watch television, listen to contemporary music, etc. Most free time is devoted to studying, research, traveling and consulting to collectors and museums.

About 15 years ago he was invited to an opening of an exhibition at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. At the private reception he found himself queued at the hor-d'oeuvre table. He soon became engrossed in a conversation with an engaging fellow in front of him.

They chatted for a good 20 minutes about their shared interests in art, photography, etc.

A half-hour into the chat, my friend asked: "So, what is it that you do?"

The reply: "I'm a musician."

"What kind of music? Classical?"

"No, contemporary pop music. Maybe you've heard of me. I'm Elton John."

My friend had no clue whatsoever: "I'm sorry. I can't say I am familiar with you or your music."

Elton John loved it.

Elton John along with his partner/husband David Furnish are close friends with him to this day.

Previous MeFi FPP: You're that guy! You're famous!
posted by ericb at 4:01 PM on October 29, 2009 [8 favorites]

Last week, Randy Bachman adopted my cat. I still don't know how it happened.
posted by yellowbinder at 4:08 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Randy Bachman from Vinyl Tap???
posted by GuyZero at 4:13 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Flashes of Quincy!
posted by rigby51 at 4:17 PM on October 29, 2009

Oh, and I saw Corben Bernsen in New Orleans during Mardis Gras. This was probably 1994. Me and some friends are waiting to cross Canal Street and there's this big white limo kind of parked off to the side. The window is down and there's some kind of undefinable commotion around it. Us being really drunk, like the rest of the city, saunter over and walk up to the back window right when the guy inside powers it down and it's Corben Bernsen. Dressed in a fancy tux and bowtie, he's drinking something and his face is beet red; he was possibly even drunker than I was.

I said something almost certainly stupid, like "Hey, Corbin, how's it going?! Enjoying Mardis Gras?!" And he laughed and said something unintelligible and powered the window back up. And that was that.
posted by zardoz at 4:18 PM on October 29, 2009

That Elton John story reminds me of a friend (a serious classical music student at the time) who ended up talking with a polite, intelligent balding guy at an art show for a couple of hours ... who turned out to be Brian Eno.

Not that it made an immediate impression on my friend. But he did note the name, went to a record store a few days later, bought "Music For Airports" (because he liked the title) ... and it rocked his world (as only ambient music can). To hear him tell the story, it lead to him immediately dropping out of his "serious" music studies, ditching academia altogether and eventually becoming a radio DJ whose forte was dark and troubling experimental stuff ...
posted by philip-random at 4:21 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I think if I were to ever meet a famous person, I'd like to give them the chance at introducing themselves. I bet that just never happens and it's gotta be unnerving and almost vulnerable that everyone you (the famous person) see and meet knows your name, but you don't know who the heck you are.

Hi, I'm Sassyfras. What's your name?"
posted by Sassyfras at 4:25 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

err . . ."but they don't know who the heck you are."
posted by Sassyfras at 4:27 PM on October 29, 2009

Look, celebrity stories are only interesting if they're humiliating.

I've been insulted by Kevin Smith, Faye Dunaway and Prescott Bush. The latter two hung up on me. Faye Dunaway called me, hung up on me, called me back, hung up on me, and then called my boss, yelled at him for a few minutes, and then hung up on him.

When I was in college Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. called me up for an interview when I had the flu. It was after midnight, my roommate and I were both asleep, and when I answered the phone I sounded like a cross between a billygoat and a frog. I also forgot all my interview questions, as I was doped up on cough syrup.

This was about three years after I accidentally headbutted his uncle.

Another time I was on a film set interviewing Ivan Reitman, who was working on My Super Ex-Girlfriend with Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson. It was a very last-minute thing, that interview, and I didn't have time to do any research beforehand. I didn't know who Ivan Reitman was, but I figured he was some struggling film director. So I asked what it was like to be working with big stars like Thurman and Wilson. Reitman looked at me like I was nuts. I didn't realize he had directed Ghostbusters (and yes, Ghostbusters 2) until I got back to the office.

I have more stories, but they're not humiliating enough to be entertaining. I can only tell you the following: Don't answer the phone if Faye Dunaway is calling. Don't ask Kevin Smith for Skee-Ball tips. Don't ever, under any circumstances, call Prescott Bush. And never forget that Ivan Reitman directed Ghostbusters 2.
posted by brina at 4:38 PM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

The only celebrity meeting (not that I really have any to speak of) which really made an impression on me was bumping into Polly Harvey in downtown Seattle around 1993, when she was touring Rid of Me. I got to say some stuff to her and she actually thanked me. I shook her hand. I probably would have genuflected if given a bit longer. But we only kept her for a minute and then off she went to do some shopping. She was oh so very tiny-- at 5'7" I was looking down at her-- and beautiful.
posted by jokeefe at 5:13 PM on October 29, 2009

Someone in this thread is trying way too hard. And actually sounding like the original OP.
posted by panboi at 5:16 PM on October 29, 2009

I met Ben Krass once. He was wearing a lapel-less suit.
posted by fixedgear at 5:21 PM on October 29, 2009

@panboi Some *one*? I was kind-of embarrassed about a recent Googlewave whoring thread I started here and wondering if I should quit Mefi while behind but clearly lots of people are now sinking to my level of assdom. Welcome, all, to Metafarkle!
posted by pomegranate at 5:40 PM on October 29, 2009

OK ok so, like, this one time, me and MrMoonpie and a bunch of mefites were rearranging furniture in, like, this famous art gallery and Ian McKellen was there and you'll never guess! Us and Ian McKellen got kicked out of the museum!! Then we all walked down the street and Ian McKellen bought an Obama souvenir because he's like a total Obama fanboi but we didn't want that stuff because we were going to a club and I was about to faint.

True story!
posted by zennie at 6:03 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

My wife started this mishegas.
posted by pianomover at 6:19 PM on October 29, 2009 [6 favorites]

"New York's amazing! We saw Muhammad Ali and the Supremes walking out of the subway!" -- Monty Python album cover
posted by msalt at 6:25 PM on October 29, 2009

bumping into Polly Harvey in downtown Seattle around 1993

That would make her MetaFilter's Own [with only one degree of separation] ^TM PJ Harvey, right?
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:36 PM on October 29, 2009

My friend from Belize showed me one of his baby photos back in university. Some old man was holding him, I didn't recognize him so I'm all like "and this is special, how..?"

"Dude, don't you recognize him? The mayor in Batman?"

"..."

Years later I realize it was Walken. Heh.
posted by papafrita at 6:38 PM on October 29, 2009

I used to drink at the same London pub as Rick Astely's brother.


Does this count as having Rickrolled MeTa?
posted by goshling at 6:42 PM on October 29, 2009

Richard Simmons busted me coming out of a cookie store. I had a huge bag full of cookies, too. He gave me a talking to.
posted by Addlepated at 6:52 PM on October 29, 2009

Seeing someone on the street or going about their ordinary commerce, and mentioning it more than 24 hours later, does not accrue any coolness (unless it was Greta Garbo on the Upper East Side. That's right, you heard me.)

The celeb has to say something to or about you, as a bare minimum, preferably on video.
posted by StickyCarpet at 6:56 PM on October 29, 2009

David Cassidy. That's all I'm going to say about that.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:04 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

My wife started this mishegas.

I bet your house is interesting right about now.
posted by Miko at 7:06 PM on October 29, 2009

The celeb has to say something to or about you, as a bare minimum, preferably on video.

Now, see, if you folks knew who Ron Kenoly was, I'd be set!
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:09 PM on October 29, 2009

Oh yeah, I'm also a member of the same online community as Steve Wozinack.

SUCK IT METAFILTER I WIN THE THREAD!!!1!!!11!!!!
posted by slogger at 7:12 PM on October 29, 2009

Is Johann Hari reading this?
posted by motty at 7:21 PM on October 29, 2009

Can I address drop?

In June 1969, my family moved into the house at 1431 Flag Ave. S, St. Louis Park, MN.

Next door to 1425 Flag Ave. S.

We kids grew up there and so did they.

Our house was a beige-yellow with an orange front door (it was the 70's). Their house was black with white trim. I think our former house is still beige-yellow. Their house was changed to grey, but I can't remember when.

We sold our house after my dad died in 2005 (my mom died in 2004).

Their parents also lived in their home for a long time. Mr C. had a heart attack, I think in the mid or late 90's. And they sold their home and moved into a condo or townhome nearby some time after that.

Once or twice, my parents watched their house when they went to New York to visit the boys.

I do remember my mother mentioning something about how their mom seemed a little bewildered by her sons' success.

They kept to themselves and so did we, so I don't really have any interesting anecdotes to share. Other than, the one thing I remember most about E., (he's a year younger than me) is that I almost never saw him talking to anyone on the school bus, oh, and also, he had an afro back then. I really can't tell you anything about J. For some reason, I don't remember seeing him on the bus much at all. Don't know why. I do know that for part of the time J went to a local Hebrew school instead of public school. E. might have as well.

Mr. C. was outside a lot doing yard work. He often talked to himself. He seemed like a sweet man to me. I have no memories of their mom at all. I have one brief memory of their sister sitting under a weeping willow tree that was in their back yard right next to our yard.

I know they've mentioned running around the backyard with super-8 cameras. Which has always struck me as strange, since I don't have any memories of seeing them outside much at all. Neither does my brother or sister.

We knew that both of their parents were university professors. He taught at the U of M (Econ I think), and she taught at St. Cloud (Art History or Art Appreciation, or something like that.) St. Cloud is a hecka long way from St. Louis Park. We always wondered how she could stand such a horrible commute, especially in the winter.

We always thought of all of them as super smart, and I think we were probably a little intimidated by that.

Both my brother and sister and I laugh about how awkward it is to drop these names, since you'd think that if you lived next door to them for so many years, you should have lots to share, and we just don't.
posted by marsha56 at 7:21 PM on October 29, 2009 [7 favorites]

Marsha56, as far as I am concerned, you win this thread.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:52 PM on October 29, 2009

I dunno. That address didn't ring any bells for me at all. Even after looking it up on google street view, I still have no idea what house that is.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:56 PM on October 29, 2009

Can I address drop?

Survey says 'no'.
posted by pompomtom at 8:00 PM on October 29, 2009

helpful link.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:00 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Actually, I do remember when Mr C.'s heart attack was. J and his wife came back and were at their house. I don't remember if E was there. J and his wife were standing outside talking quietly, and my brother-in-law and his son were coming up the walk to my parents house and saw J and F, and my brother-in-law said to my nephew, "See that lady standing over there. She won the Oscar for best actress." My nephew gasped.
posted by marsha56 at 8:07 PM on October 29, 2009

Well, I sat at the next table from Al Franken at a Greek restaurant in NYC once. I also got to go backstage with a small group and meet Micky Hart a few years ago.

However, my favorite celebrity story happened to an old co-worker of mine, "C", a number of years ago. C had a small apartment, so when friends came to town he usually put them up at the Tabard Inn, which is a small quirky hotel in Washington, D.C. that has a nice restaurant. One evening, C picked up a friend at the airport and dropped her off at the hotel. The next day, she told him that she had been in one of the common areas, I think the bar, when two people began to play guitars and sing. She thought they were really good but it was kind of late so she did not call C and tell him to come over, because she did not want to disturb him or wake him up. C was curious and grilled her about their names. She had never heard of either of them, but thought they were named Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt. At that point, C (inwardly wailing) mildly expressed his feeling that if something like that ever happened again, it was *perfectly* ok for her to call him and tell him to come over, even if it happened to be late. He assured her that he really would not mind!
posted by gudrun at 8:08 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

The pro at the bowling alley near our house in Ohio when I was a kid was a pretty well-known bowler I understand. I forget his name right now.
posted by longsleeves at 8:26 PM on October 29, 2009

It was where the HTTP Error 403 was conceived?
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:52 PM on October 29, 2009

Not anywhere near North Dakota.
posted by philip-random at 9:21 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

A long time ago, when I was still doing that sort of thing, I placed a pizza order for Linus Torvalds. He was really nice, and seemed a bit surprised that some pizza phone monkey had any idea who he was. He was right to be surprised, though, because when I told my dumb coworkers about it, none of them had any idea who I was talking about, or why I was so excited.

Also, the director of Quest of the Delta Knights yelled at me on the phone because he had trouble finding one of his other crappy movies on the Netflix site. Jerk.
posted by maqsarian at 9:24 PM on October 29, 2009

Rumple: "Wait, "pad" of butter? Not "pat" of butter? WTF?"

I stand by "pad".
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:40 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

One time two guys from Johnny Clegg & Savuka walked up to me on the street in the middle of the day and asked if I knew where to get pot.

My high school girlfriend is an editor at a Big Two comics company, and one of my Math Team buddies from the same era is a highly-regarded indie comics creator

My dad played spoons with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in junior college, and was tight with the Dead's road manager

My mom was housemates with pre-fame Michael Bolton, in the house I'm pretty sure was later occupied by Bill & Hillary Clinton in their law school days

My family was friends with "Joe from Chicago," former voice of Nickelodeon

My stepdad was briefly Hulk Hogan's lawyer

Does anybody read down this far?
posted by jtron at 9:49 PM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

While I am here in this thread did I ever mention the time I was skiing in Vermont (the only time I ever have or will ski) and one of my friends brought a friend from Pittsburgh with him for the weekend. THis was back a long time ago, when I was in college and could smile all night long. Anyway, this friend of a friend, trying to break the ice, asks if anyone wants to smoke a joint. Of course the answer from one of us was, "Yes." FOF responded in a familiar sounding voice, "I knew you would." For the next hour I tried to place the voice and the phrase. "where did you say you were from?" I asked. Pittsburgh. Nothing rang a bell. Then, suddenly, it dawned on me. "What is your last name?" "Rogers." I saw Fred Rogers from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood smoke weed. I always thought his dad was high on something.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:51 PM on October 29, 2009

I read down that far jtron. Hulk Hogan's lawyer, huh?
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:52 PM on October 29, 2009

One time, a mate & I were climbing up a hill to see an old Crusader fort in Palmyra, Syria...

Never did Syria, but when I was in Turkey they used to call me "Australian Delight".
posted by turgid dahlia at 9:54 PM on October 29, 2009

JohnnyGunn writes "I stand by 'pad'."

I'd say pad. As in writing pad, concrete pad, note pad, carpet pad etc. Generally a flat, often rectangular or square piece of sometimes squishy material whose width and depth are much greater than it's height.

But apparently pat is also correct. I sense a rumble, someone fire up the languagehat symbol.

jtron writes "Does anybody read down this far?"

FYI: IE only nests small a layer or two deep.
posted by Mitheral at 10:33 PM on October 29, 2009

Now it all comes back. A pub in London. DRUNK. Bjork sits down at the next table with a friend (also female). One of the guys at the table with me (a commercial/rock-vid director) decides, fuck it, I might as well hit on her. What's the worst thing that could happen?

He hit. Bjork + friend gave us all a dubious look, and split.

Later we all pigged out on Indian food. I awoke the next morning to the smell of vomit. Not my own.
posted by philip-random at 10:37 PM on October 29, 2009

I once mistook Geoffrey Rush for my friend's Dad while out shopping. I think it was because he was vaguely familiar looking and well, to a teenage girl most old men look pretty similar.
posted by jacalata at 11:06 PM on October 29, 2009

> "I stand by 'pad'."

Device for making butter pads

I'm afraid I have some bad news for you... and this inventor as well. Do not want.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:15 PM on October 29, 2009

My wife used Queen Latifah's bathroom.

Number 1 or Number 2?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:47 AM on October 30, 2009

(and that is exactly why nobody reads down this far)
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:11 AM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm sitting here in Tom Hanks 'naf-naf' jogging shirt (I often sleep in it) and have his undies in my lower bureau drawer. No joke.

And jtron, I LOVE Johnny Clegg & Savuka! (Wanders off to rummage through the CD's.)

JohnnyGunn, I think that must have been a dream you had. NO WAY did my beloved Mr Rogers smoke weed.
posted by jeanmari at 5:09 AM on October 30, 2009

I'm still reading.. My uncle is kinda famous in literary circles in Australia. Val Lehman (Bea from Prisoner) is friends with friends of mine and I sat through a workshop where she bragged shamelessly for an hour before starting a crappy chinese whispers things which was her only concession to it being a workshop and not just an opportunity to go on about her dubious acting career (which, nevertheless, she has made a living from for thirty or more years, more than I can say). I sat behind Rolf Harris when he was eating a meat pie at the Blue Star at Coalfalls and bragged about my latest starring role at the amateur theatre.

Actually, I think name-dropping z listers is kinda lame and daggy so forget you ever read this, okay?
posted by h00py at 5:27 AM on October 30, 2009

Freepatentsonline.com is not really the authoritative language site.
posted by fixedgear at 5:28 AM on October 30, 2009

When I was a freshman in college, I cornered Magnus Pyke, the head of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, at a conference, and said he had to do something to end world hunger. He listened politely until his colleague extricated him and they went to lunch.
posted by lukemeister at 5:50 AM on October 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

Someone in this thread is trying way too hard. And actually sounding like the original OP.

Eh, I'm getting more of a tongue-in-cheek vibe from it all -- I don't think anyone seriously thinks that these casual blips of chance encounters are REALLY like "knowing them like this (crossing two fingers)", the way the OP seemed to. If you mentally attach a "Hamburger" tag to the entire thread it's actually kind of fun.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:09 AM on October 30, 2009

I lived in L.A. in my 20's so you would think I would have many, many fabulous stories to tell...and maybe I do...but most of them are like this: I lived in Fred MacMurray's old apartment. WhoooHooo..suck it, Son of Flubber fans!
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:15 AM on October 30, 2009

If you REALLY wanna get Z-list, well, several of my friends have been used as 'enhancement talent' by the WWE

Mitheral: I did not know that about IE, possibly because I never ever ever ever use it by choice
posted by jtron at 6:20 AM on October 30, 2009

Oooh ooh, also! I recently found out that my friend Arthur Frayn is actually Zardoz - you know, the giant floating head guy? "The gun is good, the penis is evil?"
posted by jtron at 6:26 AM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

SLoG,

That means you're one degree of separation from Barbara Stanwyck. I'm not worthy!
posted by lukemeister at 6:28 AM on October 30, 2009

Mitheral: I'd say pad. As in writing pad, concrete pad, note pad, carpet pad etc. Generally a flat, often rectangular or square piece of sometimes squishy material whose width and depth are much greater than it's height... But apparently pat is also correct.

You can spell it however you'd like, but if you're under the impression that the saying derives from the same sources as "pad" you're actually wrong. A pat or pad of butter is so called because a "pat" was originally something you make by patting a material together into a lump. [cite] That link there mentions that it's in the same morphological region as the 'pat-a-cake' nursery rhyme.
posted by koeselitz at 6:38 AM on October 30, 2009

JohnnyGunn: I stand by "pad".

I find that extremely odd. I stand by keeping my legs between my torso and the ground.
posted by koeselitz at 6:39 AM on October 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

I stand by keeping my legs between my torso and the ground.

Now face north!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:40 AM on October 30, 2009 [9 favorites]

Also, someone from the UK should correct me on this if I'm wrong, but – I recollect someone from over there being completely confused when I referred to a little ounce of butter (what we usually seem to call a 'pat') as a 'pat of butter,' and I was told that a 'pat of butter' over there is about a pound. This would make sense in the old style, at least, when 'a pat' was just however much you patted together, probably usually a lot more than an ounce. So I have a feeling that even the size of a pat of butter has been through some colloquial changes over the last hundred years or so.
posted by koeselitz at 6:46 AM on October 30, 2009

OED says: "5. A compact, flattish, mass of some soft substance (esp. butter), shaped by or as by patting." So any size will do. But I suppose a wodge seems likely to have been cut off a pat rather than formed by independent or supplementary patting.

Which reminds me, now that David Shepherd has died, I well recall being at his mother's Instow Post Office being served de-hatted mince pies with a wodge of clotted cream interspersed. The piano didn't appear to have been moved in some years.
posted by hawthorne at 7:12 AM on October 30, 2009

oh shit i almost forgot here's a picture of me with Christopher Walken hanging out in Denver
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:27 AM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

I had just shaved my head the day before and was now walking into the Raph's in Sherman Oaks. I come through the door and start past the check out counter when three early teen girls let out that scream / squeal. "Oh my god it's Bull from Night Court!"
posted by pianomover at 8:10 AM on October 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

Someone in this thread is trying way too hard. And actually sounding like the original OP.

I know! Can you believe that guy? Also, did I mention the time when I bit Sean Lennon in the ass?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 8:11 AM on October 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

I just want to tell you all that I used to hang out with Gene Chiovari *all the time*! And I still talk to Jason Finklestein regularly.
posted by Reverend John at 8:20 AM on October 30, 2009

Johnny Clegg? I thought we were talking about famous people. I spent one Halloween driving Johnny Clegg around Madison in my old Ford F-350. ("Now this is an AMERICAN truck!" he said) Took him to WORT for an interview, then took him to Jack's Shoes where he bought fifteen pairs of Chuck Taylors. He autographed the dash, and when I sold the truck the guy who bought it said: "Who?"
posted by Floydd at 9:26 AM on October 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

TOM. HANKS. UNDERWEAR. PEOPLE.

Who wants to guess, boxers or briefs? Because I will tell.
posted by jeanmari at 9:46 AM on October 30, 2009

jeanmari: Who wants to guess, boxers or briefs? Because I will tell.

I think you're remembering a film. And it was boxers, wasn't it?
posted by koeselitz at 10:28 AM on October 30, 2009

Koeselitz: Nope. I have 'em. IN MY POSSESSION. Not boxers.
posted by jeanmari at 11:32 AM on October 30, 2009

JohnnyGunn, I think that must have been a dream you had. NO WAY did my beloved Mr Rogers smoke weed."

It was his son. Not Fred himself. For real.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:33 AM on October 30, 2009

TOM. HANKS. UNDERWEAR. PEOPLE.

*small smug smile* I can top that.

Drew Barrymore. Tube socks. ....And nothing else.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:41 AM on October 30, 2009

Empress, I think jeanmari is suggesting that she owns Tom Hanks' underwear (which beats my Tom Hanks story by a nautical mile).

In context, your response suggests that you own Drew's tube socks and nothing else--which is not as good a story (though it may still beat my Drew Barrymore story, in any event).

However, if you've seen Drew Barrymore wearing nothing but her tube socks, you may have won the Internet.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:47 AM on October 30, 2009

Drew Barrymore. Tube socks. ....And nothing else.

My boyfriend spent a not insignificant amount of time with Jim Carrey while naked (both of them). This happened on a movie set (or so he says -- ba-dum-bum!), so I don't know if that counts. But evidently Jim Carrey is hung like a beast, and he is well-aware of it.
posted by scody at 11:49 AM on October 30, 2009

But evidently Jim Carrey is hung like a beast, and he is well-aware of it.


IN WHICH THE WHELK MAKES A VERY MATURE DECISION AND SAYS NOTHING.
posted by The Whelk at 12:36 PM on October 30, 2009 [8 favorites]

evidently Jim Carrey is hung like a beast

You can have your very own for Halloween.
posted by netbros at 1:31 PM on October 30, 2009

However, if you've seen Drew Barrymore wearing nothing but her tube socks, you may have won the Internet.

I have indeed seen that very thing.

Well -- me and about 50 other very surprised patrons of a certain club in Tribeca in the early 90's.

I can't say it's something I could have ever predicted seeing.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:50 PM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

One for the Brits: during this year's Edinburgh Festival I saw Peter Duncan drinking beer while wearing his Blue Peter badge. So wrong.

And while I'm here, a pat of butter in UKasia is just a little bit, not a pound.
posted by penguin pie at 1:50 PM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

I don't really have anything controversial or humiliating. Rather bland really.

Natalie Portman came into my butcher shop the other day and ordered a couple of veal steaks.
posted by Nick Verstayne at 2:37 PM on October 30, 2009 [3 favorites]

jeanmari: Koeselitz: Nope. I have 'em. IN MY POSSESSION. Not boxers.

Look, this is about times we've met celebrities by chance. If stories about times we stalked celebrities, broke into their houses, and stole their underwear counted, then I would've won this thread a long time ago.
posted by koeselitz at 4:55 PM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

I told you so. I told you that name dropping plus a good story makes a great story. Becuase this thread rocks.

I've already told most my name dropping stories. A blasted Lee Majors peeing down my leg at urinal in a bathroom in Vegas. Offending Henry Rollins in First Class. Stories from when I was grip. But there are a couple I can only tell in person. A couple good ones.
posted by tkchrist at 6:03 PM on October 30, 2009

If stories about times we stalked celebrities, broke into their houses, and stole their underwear counted

Except it was by chance and they were given to me freely. No breaking in required. It was the late 80's :)

Threads over. EmpressCallipygos-wins-with-a-buck-naked-except-for-tube-socks Drew Barrymore. Pity that there weren't more camera phones back then. I'm very interested to see what she'll do with the Internet now that she has won it.
posted by jeanmari at 6:16 PM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

so it's the late 80's, and I'm on my way home from school when my car breaks down. I call for a tow truck, and wait at my car for them to arrive. It's a sunny day, so I'm sitting sideways in the driver's seat with the door open and my legs out of the car. A fancy red sportscar pulls up behind me and a pouffy-haired blonde guy gets out and asks if I need any help. I say no, thanks, I have a tow truck coming. He looks a little crestfallen, but smiles, waves and drives off. That's when I realize that I'd just been offered a lift by Rod Stewart. I was wearing a very short skirt and heels, (it's ok to dress trashy when you're a teenager, right?) and it must have looked like the beginning of a really cheezy rock video - except for the "no thanks" bit, of course. and the fact that my car was a shitbox.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 6:51 PM on October 30, 2009

This isn't a win-the-internet caliber celeb encounter, but I attended the same showing of Trainspotting as Cy Twombly.
posted by jayder at 2:14 PM on October 31, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm very interested to see what she'll do with the Internet now that she has won it.

Well, I am an Empress...
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:00 AM on November 2, 2009

Last week Thursday I stood really close to director John Waters at MOMA.
posted by msali at 1:53 PM on November 2, 2009

I also met the members of the band Camper Van Beethoven in San Diego in 1990 in a laundromat after a show.
I also muscled my way back stage at a Yo La Tengo show in Rio a few years back (I was drunkity drunk, which made it easier).
Furthermore, as a child, William H. Macy bounced me on his knee and pronounced me to be the most beautiful child he had ever laid eyes upon.
posted by msali at 3:19 PM on November 2, 2009

William H. Macy bounced me on his knee and pronounced me to be the most beautiful child he had ever laid eyes upon.

Yeah, but what does William H. Macy know? He has to look at William H. Macy in the mirror every day. That's gotta skew your perspective some.
posted by electroboy at 4:13 PM on November 2, 2009

Screw you, electroboy, I am fucking ADORABLE!
posted by msali at 4:19 PM on November 2, 2009 [1 favorite]

Yeah, but what does William H. Macy know? He has to look at William H. Macy in the mirror every day. That's gotta skew your perspective some.

I actually saw William H. Macy a few weeks ago, and I gotta say, he's not a bad-looking guy at all.
posted by Bookhouse at 4:44 PM on November 2, 2009

I tried to wait until this thing was nearly closed, but I can't.

My older brother sat on the lap of Idi Amin in a London cab once - back in the 60's. He was a little baby (my elder brother that is).
posted by Nick Verstayne at 10:45 PM on November 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Screw you, electroboy, I am fucking ADORABLE!

Aw, honey, you were adorable. William H. has moved on.
posted by electroboy at 6:36 AM on November 5, 2009

When I was a little kid Bruce Willis was filming a movie down the street and I would go share my toys with his daughters in his trailer. I just thought he was a homeless dude.

I also got to sit on Shamoo's back at SeaWorld. Yeah, we hung out. No big.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 4:44 PM on November 5, 2009 [2 favorites]

My mom just reminded me. When I was three, I managed to piss off Brendan Behan. It was a hotel in Ireland. We were guests. He was drinking in the bar. I was no doubt buzzing around being cute and pissed him off. He asked the bartender to remove me. The bartender said, "Certainly, Mr. Behan, as soon as your settle your bill."
posted by philip-random at 8:54 PM on November 5, 2009 [2 favorites]

As an infant I was dandled once by Buckminster Fuller.

(Family legend also has it that I was conceived backstage during a triple bill concert of Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and Savoy Brown at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, which my parents managed at the time [would have been summer of 1970]. This story may be apocryphal.)
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 7:57 PM on November 7, 2009 [2 favorites]

The agency is up-for-sale. Is there a management buyout (by Don and possibly Roger) in the works ... and will they rehire/retain the others?

Oh my! The season finale follows this plot line!
posted by ericb at 10:39 PM on November 8, 2009

Just wanted to mention that, thanks to this thread, I knew who played Mr. Whipple at a crucial moment during our family game of Thanksgiving Balderdash and built up an insurmountable in a single turn. Thanks, Metafilter!
posted by EatTheWeek at 11:34 AM on November 28, 2009

Thus is namedropping found to have a positive effect on our everyday lives.
posted by philip-random at 11:40 AM on November 28, 2009 [2 favorites]