#1
I was working in radio at the time and our city had a big four-day festival each year with different bands, etc. Our station always sponsored one of the stages so we would have meet and greets for the fans with the performers, intro the acts, etc. I mean - it's a midsize city festival .... we're not getting Beyonce, ya know? But generally smaller up-and-coming bands or bands that were bigger a decade prior.
Well they showed up like it was an alternate universe where it was 1980-whatever and they were the biggest band on the planet. Spent the whole time making fun of the fans that showed up to their meet and greet, dissing the festival, dissing the city, and acting like they didn't belong there. Honey, you guys are lucky you got the gig. Ugh.
For best I'll say Bob Dylan. His hotel was a third of the mile up the street and it was a beautiful day so he just decided to walk on down all by himself to the arena before his sound check for the concert and the poor guy working security didn't recognize him (I know he was young, but come on!!) and told him that he couldn't let him in without the appropriate backstage pass. Dylan just said it was no big deal and walked back up to his hotel and called someone to find out where he could get a pass. The guard was MORTIFIED when he found out and everyone was running around freaking out, but Bob just walked on back. LOL. He was super nice to the guy who didn't recognize him the first time, too, and told him he was just doing his job and he should have had a pass or had someone to meet him at the door. Class act ... 100%.
According to entertainment expert Sington, from LA, there are lots of strategies that stars can employ to maintain their energy and positive attitude during their interactions with fans.
For one, they should certainly prioritize self-care. It's essential (for everyone, even if you're not famous yet). The expert advised getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and getting regular exercise. "Many celebrities also practice mindfulness techniques like meditation or yoga to manage stress and stay grounded," he said.
"Visualizing positive interactions can help shift their mindset and approach encounters with optimism. Additionally, setting boundaries and limiting fan interactions when necessary allows them to recharge and avoid feeling overwhelmed," Sington explained to Bored Panda.
#2
#3
I’m anonymous for the obvious reasons , I left the job as her assistant 2 years ago and I’m very thankful for it .
She’s a huge brat , whatever she wants , she wants it within the next 5 minutes, if not she humiliates her staff .
One day she asked me to bring her a herbal tea , I was on my way to the kitchen that her dog starting barking at me ( I was new at that time ) and it took me some time to calm that dog by giving him a chewy toy . I was late by maximum 15 minutes and when I gave her the tea , she spit the tea on the floor right by my side and called me a useless pig .
Her whole family is like this , I’ve seen them closely for months , she doesn’t even care to talk politely with her mom , she scolds her and calls her names every once in a while .
Once she told me to make a strawberry smoothie for her , she didn’t like it , she put fish in the smoothie , blended it and made me drink the WHOLE smoothie , she’s a very mean person who needs to know her true place but we common people just can’t do anything , can we ?
"Some celebrities even develop specific phrases or responses to keep interactions brief and polite while maintaining a friendly demeanor. Ultimately, finding a balance between engaging with fans and preserving their own well-being is crucial for celebrities to thrive in their demanding careers."
We were also curious to get the entertainment expert's thoughts on how fans should react if they have a particularly unpleasant or downright rude interaction with a beloved star. "It's important to approach the situation calmly and thoughtfully. While it might be tempting to react emotionally or publicly shame the individual, it's often best to take a more measured approach," Sington said.
"First, consider the context of the interaction. Was the celebrity stressed, tired, or simply having a bad day? Sometimes, external factors can influence behavior. If the encounter was minor or unintentional, it might be best to simply let it go," he said.
"However, if the behavior was particularly egregious or hurtful, you could consider sharing your experience with a trusted friend or family member. Remember, while celebrities are public figures, they are also human beings who deserve respect, and at the same time should be responsible for their behavior."
#4
Edit because I remembered: Michael Jackson did the same thing with an assistant... he actually hid under a blanket most the flight. I kind of feel like with him, it was more of an “extreme social anxiety” thing.
#5
Many kept to themselves. But the cool ones? Mel Brooks (wanted to open a restaurant with the same food right across the street haha), George Clooney, John Travolta (Hi, I’m John), Quentin Tarantino, Alice Cooper, Willy Nelson, Daryl Hanna, Playboy TV (but that’s another story). Once we had Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Neil Peart, at one table!
#6
Legendary pop star, producer, designer, and reality TV judge Pharrell Williams urges everyone to prioritize empathy. “I think empathy is the most important thing. It’s not a natural thing to just literally think of others all the time. It’s just not. You constantly have to challenge yourself to be a little bit more open to what other people are going through,” he told the New York Times Magazine.
Despite what Williams says, the absolute majority of human beings are hardwired for empathy, and its impact and importance can’t be understated. But he's right about us not being used to caring about people 24/7, which can be overwhelming. Empathy isn’t just about being ‘nice,’ social cohesion depends on it. Sarah Konrath, an associate professor of philanthropic studies at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, told CNN that empathy motivates us to take action when we see other people suffering.
Meanwhile, psychological scientist Jennifer Lerner, from the Harvard Kennedy School in Massachusetts, explains that humans need empathetic skills in order to make societal cooperation possible in the first place. According to her, it’s important to distinguish between empathy (perceiving what someone is feeling) and sympathy (compassion).
“[A] common mistake is to leap into sympathy before empathically understanding what another person is feeling.”
#7
The big “good guy” at the time, Hulk Hogan, and at the time my personal favorite, was there. We waited for him to finish his set of reps when we approached him for his autograph, but before I could even finish a sentence he looked at my friends dad and pointed at his face, and said “buddy, you need to keep your snot-nosed f**king kids away from me.”
i was crushed, here was my idol telling me to say my prayers and eat my vitamins basically telling me to beat it. Oddly enough, a bad guy at the time and a guy I loved to hate before this day overheard, and he was taking a break from his reps, Mr. Perfect came to me and my friend and initiated conversation. “Hey, kid, show me how much you can bench press.” He even spotted me as I lifted maybe the bar and two 5–10lb weights.
#8
The nicest celeb according to my friend was Sophia Loren. She's very kind, not pretentious and would even remember the names of people.
#9
Dr. Brothers was on one of her flights. She asked, “Dr. Brothers, is there anything I can get for you?” No answer. So she asked, “Dr. Brothers, is everything all right?”
Dr. Brothers’ personal assistant answered, “Dr. Brothers doesn’t speak to the paid help.”
And she got her wish. Everybody completely ignored her for the remainder of the flight.
It makes a person wonder what kind of psychological advice she would have for a person who is self-absorbed and sanctimonious?
The moral of the story here is that irrespective of who you are or what you do, you still have to grab the can of Glade before you leave the bathroom.
There are two main types of empathy: emotional empathy (intuitive, centered on compassion and concern) and cognitive empathy (systematic, more accurate, and focused on imagining yourself in another person’s shoes). Ideally, you’ll have a mix of both.
While many empathetic processes are automatic (thanks, mirror neurons!), you can be deliberately empathetic and activate them. Furthermore, we can reinforce our empathy by socialization and being in an environment where we’re incentivized to care about others and their perspectives. When you depend on other people for something, you’re motivated to understand what they feel.
It’s not healthy to idolize and hype celebrities up too much. Yes, they might be in the spotlight and be super talented and successful, but they’re still human beings. At the end of the day, everyone has their strengths and flaws. Some stars might never have learned how to interact with other people in a meaningful way or to forge deep, authentic connections.
Others might struggle with self-esteem issues and believe that they have to create an entirely fake persona or put others down to avoid being vulnerable and getting hurt. Still, others might not even realize the consequences of their own actions until someone calls them out for their rudeness.
#10
#11
#12
Developing more empathy and self-awareness isn’t impossible for most people (barring literal psychopaths). It just takes a lot of time and a dash of humility to admit there’s room for growth.
What’s the rudest or most confusing encounter you’ve ever had with someone famous? On the flip side, what’s the most positive celebrity experience you’ve had, dear Pandas? How do you think you’d treat your fans if you became a star overnight? Tell us all about it in the comments!
#13
I moonlighted as an events waiter in London in 2003 and worked at that years Elton John White Tiara Ball Party. I was offering canapes during the garden reception and came across Hugh Grant who simply stared at me as if to say who the hell are you to be in my presence. One of his a*s kissers eventually answered on his behalf, because it was obviously beneath him to do so. I just thought what an ignorant a**ehole.
Most celebrities that I encountered at such events such as Sir Michael Caine, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush Lulu, Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela were in fact exemplary in their politeness and class. Especially Orlando Bloom who seems a charming guy.
#14
Adam Levine is terrible. He constantly talks down to people and is super smarmy/smug if you’re not a fellow celeb. I’ve literally witnessed him being a huge diva to network execs, which was super embarrassing.
#15
He behaved badly by talking to us which pissed off airport security.
#16
#17
#18
In 1993, she boarded a ship - on which I was the band leader - as guest cabaret 'star'.
We had a band call. This is where the cabaret artist wants to go through his or her set with the resident band to make sure everything will run smoothly.
She decided she was going to hate our drummer who was a brilliant guy as well as musician.
We got a few bars in to her first song and she stopped us.
'Oh, no, no, no, no darling. That sounds simply awful.'
Then there were other snide comments:
'Have you ever actually backed a vocalist of high caliber before, darling?'
Etc etc etc.
My patience ran out. I asked her, 'Excuse me, may I ask, if there is no band, how do you perform?'
'I don't understand. Darling.’
'Let's say, for arguments sake, if we were to suddenly come down with food poisoning, how would you perform?'
'Why, I'd use my backing tracks of course, darling.'
I then said: 'We've all suddenly come down with food poisoning, you're on your own.'
I went straight to the cruise director, and having told him how she'd spoken to us, I had his full backing.
#19
