Originally Posted by The Batlord (Post 1845753)

I never liked that line of thinking. So, fans are entitled twats who don't really see celebrities as people so much as a potential experience to tell their friends about, and that's okay cause it's just that one guy we all want to hassle anyway who gets the shaft. This is the same mentality that killed Princess Diana. Yes, it was the photographers who ran her off the road, but the paparazzi wouldn't have been there in the first place if all of us didn't make it so ridiculously profitable to stalk celebrities with a camera.

I love me some celebrity news and **** when it's Lindsay Lohan in court again or Kanye West walking into a street sign, but I'm also not going to get self-righteous when they give me the finger. I'm a pimple on their ass as much as a part of the public who made them rich and famous in the first place. So if Neil Peart doesn't want to entertain everyone who thinks his time is community property then who am I to criticise him?

Originally Posted by Trollheart (Post 1845768)

You're The Batlord, that's who! :D
But you need to think of it from the other side too. Say you're a fan who's got to see, let's say Rush, for the first and maybe only time in your life. You've travelled hundreds of miles and spent a lot of money getting there. You've waited in the rain or snow for your idols to appear. Geddy and Alex sign, sure, but Neil won't, leaving you without the set. Sure, it's hardly the end of the world but you'd think the guy would care a little, as I said before, about the people who put him where he is? You can't deny that without fans buying his albums and going to his gigs that he would not be where he is today, so why not give them their little moment?

Originally Posted by The Batlord (Post 1845771)

Sure, it would be nice if they made time for you, and it's understandable to be disappointed if they don't, or even to be offended with how they turn you down, but they're under no obligation do anything but show up and play music. And to be perfectly honest, if I were a celebrity I might get fed up with the 10,000th person who walked up to me and acted like there's some unwritten rule that I was at their disposal like a doctor on call.

Originally Posted by Frownland (Post 1845774)

No TH, asking for autographs is like Princess Diana's death in every single way.

Originally Posted by Trollheart (Post 1845772)

Meh, you'd love the attention. You'd be ASKING people to take your autographs, you know you would! :D


Bull****. Is this a strawman? My first one? People seeking a name on a piece of paper as proof they met someone has nothing whatever to do with people who are paid to get compromising pictures of celebrities to sell their ****ty papers. You think people ROB autographs? If you can't get it you can't get it. Nobody forces anyone and nobody (normally) makes a profit out of it. Nothing even remotely in the same universe, pal.

Sure, it's all down to the cult of celebrity and personality worship, but if you're going to tar everyone in that sphere with the same brush you're gonna need one ****ing wide brush.

Originally Posted by The Batlord (Post 1845778)

Jesus Christ, you simply can not entertain notions you aren't already entertaining. You're like a less incessant version of Chula. The paparazzi are simply your surrogates who do what you aren't willing to do yourself to violate a celebrity's privacy. Demanding autographs and cellphone pics is the less invasive end of the spectrum, but it's still entitled. Fine if the artist is open to taking pics with fans, but if they're not then that's their business.

Originally Posted by Frownland (Post 1845780)

Harrassing celebrities for photos and autographs to flip them on eBay could be called harmless I guess.