Sad when your 'heroes' turn out to be jerks

[DarcyB]

But I do use hero loosely.

 

We got our geek on today going to a Sci-fi convention in town. Saw William Shatner (eh), had Brent Spiner (Data on Star Trek Next Generation) play with the kids, talk a bit with Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. Riker on STNG) who was gracious and wonderful (and Russ' favorite character from the series), saw Christopher Lloyd, and then...

 

...had Micheal Dorn (Worf from STNG) act like a big jerk with the boys. Sitting at a table in the main product room, obviously there to be with the fans, and he wouldn't even speak to the kids..just kept checking his email on his laptop. We were the only ones there, and he wouldn't look up at the boys, didn't acknowledge Connor's questions, and generally just let us know that we were bothering him. Worf had been Connor's favorite characters...and now all he can say is "he was mean".

 

So we had a good talk on the way home about celebrity and how they shouldn't be our 'heroes' ...and a lesson was learned. Makes mom's heart a little sad, though.

[kewb]

I'm sorry he was behaving that way. At least you were able to use it as a teachable moment.

[elegantlion]

Klingons. :glare: Sorry he had that experience.

[Night Elf]

Oh that's sad. When my aunt met him a few years ago, he was as polite as could be. She just gushed for weeks after meeting him. Maybe he was having a bad day?

[dirty ethel rackham]

What a disappointment. I had heard that Michael Dorn was a cool guy, but I guess reports are not accurate. I would love to have been at that convention.

[kalanamak]

You know, I grabbed my heart. We only have one hero, and for a moment, just a I-am-the-center-of-the-universe moment, I thought you meant OUR hero. So relieved.....

 

 

 

(pssssst: David Attenborough)

[Brilliant]

I'm glad Riker & Data were both nice. I like them better than Worf anyway.

 

Is Jonathan Frakes still chubby? I saw a clip of him from a while back, and he had really put the pounds on.

[Unicorn.]

Maybe something was going on at home, and his mind was elsewhere? It sounds like it was a good experience overall though.

[Tree House Academy]

Kirk Cameron did this to us. He was just not nearly the "pleasant to be around" kind of guy that he comes off as (we were at a Christian concernt and he was a guest speaker).

[Brilliant]

Kirk Cameron did this to us. He was just not nearly the "pleasant to be around" kind of guy that he comes off as (we were at a Christian concernt and he was a guest speaker).

 

Oh, that surprises me. I have a friend whose husband has met Kirk Cameron, and he said he was SO personable.

[i.love.lucy]

Seeing these other responses makes me just guess that everyone has a bad day now and then. Sorry you had to go through that.

 

Riker. *sigh* :001_wub:

[Hockey Mom]

I've experienced the same situations with sports "heroes": Dan Marino (BIG jerk), and Todd Bertuzzi (who I actually assumed would be a jerk, and he didn't disappoint).

 

On the flip side, we've met sports "heroes" that had the reputation of being jerks, but were really nice to our family.

[myfunnybunch]

I'm assuming he was being paid to be there for the fans. I expect he didn't wake up and think, "I think I'll hang out and check my email at a convention today." Not only was his behavior rude, it was unprofessional. Boooo.

 

Cat

[Brilliant]

Riker. *sigh* :001_wub:

 

Ha ha. My son's name is Will. My husband insists I named him after Will Riker. I DID NOT! ;)

[FlockOfSillies]

:iagree: Dh and I took a class with him. He's a good guy, as least as far as I could tell.

[unsinkable]

Ha ha. My son's name is Will. My husband insists I named him after Will Riker. I DID NOT! ;)

 

and sometimes it is a coincidence if you name someone

 

John Luke Gerard

 

and it just happens that at the time you loved STNG

 

Is it your fault that it rhymes with JeanLuc Picard????

 

Noooooooooo!

[Dayle in Guatemala]

Kirk Cameron did this to us. He was just not nearly the "pleasant to be around" kind of guy that he comes off as (we were at a Christian concernt and he was a guest speaker).

 

That surprises me! My dh spent a week with him and Ray Comfort in LA and had a great experience and said he was so kind and easy to talk to and down to earth.

 

I know when I have a bad day I could maybe give off a vibe that is negative. Fortunately for me, I'm not a celebrity or public figure and my bad days go relatively unnoticed for the most part. I think it's probably good to give them the benefit of the doubt.

[In2why]

Kind of the same....When I was in 8th grade we took a trip to DC. Part of our day was meeting our congressman Paul Trible. He was horrible, and very rude to all of us.

Fast forward a few years and I actually registered to vote just so I could vote against him. I wondered/wonder if he ever gave any thought that he was treating future voters like crap just because we were teens and he couldn't be bothered.

[pqr]

Yet further evidence that the new crop of actors, athletes and makers of noise, err I mean "music" are, in the main, not worth one's attention. I would do everything in my power to dissuade my children from ever looking up to their ilk. The only thing that I respect about some of today's crop is that some such as athletes generally have a work ethic (train...train...train). (Yes I know that there are exceprions, I am speaking of general behavior)

 

If one is to look for a hero the ground is much more fertile if you delve into the past. While all had their "skeletons," it seems that men of character were a little thicker on the ground and character is a large part of what makes one a hero. It is not necessarily intellect or physical ability but character.

 

If one wants contemporary heros I suggest our servicemen.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/06/green-beret-receives-posthumous-medal-honor-saving-lives-afghanistan/

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/10/sgt-salvatore-giunta-awarded-medal-honor/

 

For heros within living memory.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/768673.stm

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Bader

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Liddell

 

Many of today's "heros" of music and film are not worthy to carry the chamber pots of those listed above.

 

 

As to men from Star Trek, worthy of being honored, James Doohan "Scotty" landed in Normandy with the U. S. Army on D-Day.

Edited October 24, 2010 by pqr

[Jean in Newcastle]

What some of you seem to be describing are celebrities who are nice to adults but less than kind to children.

[HootyTooty]

That sucks for the kids. Overall did they have fun?

 

Do you have a twitter account? I would write him on twitter and let him know. Never know, maybe he'll apologize (probably not) but at least maybe he'll read that he lost 2 fans due to his behaviour.

[nmoira]

 

(pssssst: David Attenborough)

Ahhh. No matter how stressed I get, merely thinking about him brings my blood pressure down. :001_smile: His autobiography, Life on the Air, is not to be missed.

[kalanamak]

Ahhh. No matter how stressed I get, merely thinking about him brings my blood pressure down. :001_smile: His autobiography, Life on the Air, is not to be missed.

 

The first time I heard Churchill's 1941 speech to the coalition, the final line made me think of DA immediately:

"Lift up your hearts; all will come right. Out of the depths of sorrow and sacrifice will be born again the glory of Mankind."

[nmoira]

 

What some of you seem to be describing are celebrities who are nice to adults but less than kind to children.

Then there are the ones who are tolerably nice to adults, but light up with children... though the only one I can think of off-hand is Johnny Depp.

[cindergretta]

I remember in Junior High I was a huge soccer fan. I just loved it - indoor and outdoor. Well, Ricky Davis (captain of the men's outdoor team and a member of our local indoor team) was going to be at the mall. I was so excited to go! But when we actually got to the mall, I hesitated. I really admired this guy and was soooo afraid he would be a jerk. I finally went down to where he was set up. Oh wow! He was just awesome!! He was so kind. (My mother gave him a book with the team's photos in it. He had *all* of them sign their photo and mailed it to me with a card for my birthday!! Now that is a hero.)

 

I'm sorry your dc were treated so unkindly and felt disappointed. I wouldn't be too thrilled with that!!!!

[Jeannie in NJ]

when my son was about 6 (now 13) he had to spend Christmas week in Cooper Hospital in Camden. A couple of the guys from the Philadelphia Flyers came on Christmas Day and visited the childrens ward. They gave ds lots of special gifts including autographed photos and autographed hockey puck. Dh and ds even got to go later on to a Flyers game. I didn't know who the guys were since I don't know hockey but dh and ds knew who they were and were very happy with the visit. They were young guys and very nice.

[hillfarm]

Have you seen the movie, Galaxy Quest? (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177789/ )

 

It is a wonderful take off on a William Shattner type character, Star Trek team types, who are over the hill and worn out on the convention circuit. Then real aliens come to them for help... Very cute.

 

Perhaps watching it would help your dc to understand a bit of what actors go through when they become type cast in one particular character and what a grind the public appearances become.

[ereks mom]

Klingons. :glare: Sorry he had that experience.

 

:lol: Exactly what I was thinking!

[elegantlion]

I stood in line for hours one day to meet Kyle Petty. It was freezing outside and he had not qualified for the race to be held that day. He was signing for at least an hour by the time I got to the table. He was the epitome of composure and grace. They were handing out these huge posters that had his car with the track, which happened to be the hometown of his sponsor at the time, and the inaugural race for the track. So every time he signed one he was reminded that he wasn't driving that day.

 

He never broke a smile and even took time to have pictures taken with people that wanted it. I have mine in my profile.

 

That was the one time I was nervous that it would be a disappointment to meet someone I admire.

[katilac]

Of course everyone has bad days, but when I was 15 and making minimum wage, my manager AND my parents told me, "You can have a bad day, you can just never let anyone know it."

 

Actors who are going about their lives are entitled to ignore fans to a certain expent. Actors at a convention are being paid. They need to suck it up.

[keptwoman]

This reminds me of the episode of Big Bang Theory where Sheldon gets to challenge Will Wheaton in a game, the Will Wheaton who stood him up at a convention many years ago. Hilarious!

[Cinder]

I stood in line for hours one day to meet Kyle Petty. It was freezing outside and he had not qualified for the race to be held that day. He was signing for at least an hour by the time I got to the table. He was the epitome of composure and grace. They were handing out these huge posters that had his car with the track, which happened to be the hometown of his sponsor at the time, and the inaugural race for the track. So every time he signed one he was reminded that he wasn't driving that day.

 

He never broke a smile and even took time to have pictures taken with people that wanted it. I have mine in my profile.

 

That was the one time I was nervous that it would be a disappointment to meet someone I admire.

 

:confused: About the bolded part above. Do you mean he never stopped smiling? In context that's what it sounds like you're saying. I always took the phrase to mean he never smiled. Not trying to nitpick, just confused as I haven't heard this phrase used this way. :001_smile:

 

Cinder

[elegantlion]

:confused: About the bolded part above. Do you mean he never stopped smiling? In context that's what it sounds like you're saying. I always took the phrase to mean he never smiled. Not trying to nitpick, just confused as I haven't heard this phrase used this way. :001_smile:

 

Cinder

 

Yes, posting while distracted. Sorry. :001_huh: No, he had one of these on his face the entire time :D, just not green or cheesy. He never stopped smiling would have been a better way to phrase that.