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My Most Embarrassing Fan Moments

April 7th, 2010 - Uncategorized - 20 Comments »

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Being a fan of someone usually brings out the worst in me. Somehow I manage to find new ways to embarrass myself every time I encounter someone I’m a fan of. It’s emotionally crippling. Here are a few examples of what I’m talking about.

3. Chris Martin
Coldplay is one of my all-time favorite bands. Tripp and I had floor seats at one of their concerts a few years ago in Atlanta. In one of the encore songs, Chris sprinted out into the audience and stopped one foot in front of me to sing the entire song. So, I did what any self-respecting 25-year-old male would do in that situation – I extended my hands as high as they would go (picture someone with an eight-foot reach trying to grab something off of an eight-foot-one-inch shelf) and tried desperately to touch a hem of his garment. I think tip-toes were involved. I turned around, expecting to be surrounded by a sea of other arm-raisers. Nothing. Just me and Chris. Sadly, there is video footage of this.

2. Dave Ramsey
Dave’s teachings have literally changed my family. And because of that, I always thought about how I would thank him if I ever had the chance to meet him. Well, a few years ago at Catalyst (before I was involved in the event), I was hanging out outside before the doors opened. I looked over next to me and there stands the legend himself, Dave Ramsey. So I took a deep breath and went over to thank him. I was a little nervous, and my go-to nervous tic in that situation is an upper back pat-slap, you know, just to deformalize the encounter. After about 16 pat-slaps, he finally interrupted me and told me I was going to need to “lay off his back a little”, due to the fact that he just had surgery on it and currently had stitches in the pat-slap region. So I did what anyone would have done in this situation. I pulled out my cellphone and pretended I just got an important call.

1. Michael Cera
I’ve actually dedicated an entire post to this encounter – by far my most embarrassing fan moment (photos included). Click here to read it. I promise it will be worth your time.

Any embarrassing fan moments of your own? I’d love to hear them, you know, to help me feel better about myself.
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Post sponsored by Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney, Robert N. Susko

  • http://mom2chelnjustin.blogspot.com Allison

    Picture it, Clifton, New Jersey, the year was 2000. While my commute was only about 8 miles, it usually took aboutt 30 minutes to get home. The car I drove back then had a radio, but the dial wouldn't work. Stuck in the middle of a few stations & all I got was static. So, I usually opted to SING on my commute.

    I'm sure I looked funny driving down Route 46, my mouth moving a mile-a-minute. Thank goodness for air conditioning – the windows were up & no one could hear that I wasn't actually singing along/listening to the radio.

    I had recently been promoted to lead computer operator & given my 1st cellphone. While I might have been working in IT, I was NOT a technology guru. I knew NOTHING about locking the keypad – NOTHING!!! Can you see where this is going?

    One day, on my way home from work, I began to sing. Mind you, it's not like I decided to sing a very current/popular song. Nope. I opted to sing – you guessed it – Ave Maria. Not only was I singing 'Ave Maria', I decided to sing it OPERA style. Oooh… and after the first line or 2, I didn't know the words, so I just made them up – pretending I sang in Italian.

    Something made me check my cellphone & I had noticed that it was connected to my boss' line. Embarrassed, I said 'hello' & there was no answer. I hung up & didn't think about it again.

    The next day, my boss called me into his office. No problem. Picked up a notebook & pen and walked on in. He started telling me that he had received an interesting voice mail the night before & said I should probably hear it. He had this smile on his face… something was going on. All of a sudden, everything CLICKED! Of course he wasn't on the other line the day before while I was 'singing' – it had been RECORDED on his VOICE MAIL!!!

    Ohhhh… the HORROR! I was MORTIFIED! He was laughing hysterically. I KNEW he had listened to it – and probably the whole thing. With my luck, he saved it & played it for a few others around the office.

    Yep! My 15 minutes of fame…. all on an office voice mail. Needless to say, I learned that day the importance of locking your keypad.

  • http://www.robshep.com Rob Shepherd

    I hope this helps…
    When i was in tenth grade I met my favorite band…dc Talk. Before I met them I had a bunch of questions. When I met them I froze and all that came out of my mouth was "remember me."

    I met Perry Noble at Catalyst two years ago. He started asking me about my church. After I told him about it he said "Wow, that's amazing." I then replied with "it's no Newspring." It got awkward after that and he ended the conversation quickly.

    I'm normally ok with meeting new people but when I meet someone I look up to I become an idiot. I'm very aware of this so I often just kee my mouth shut. I sat in front of you and Tripp during one of the sessions at Catalyst last year. I wanted to tell you guys how much I enjoy your blogs and videos. I turned around one time to talk to you guys but I froze and just smiled. I held the smile for way too long and then convinced myself to just sit down. I don't think you noticed because it didn't become a blog.

  • Todd Weiden

    LA, 2008, walking on Hollywood Blvd – there is Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords. I stop him and ask to take a picture…”All right mate”…the picture is taken and now I must end the “celebrity spotting”. All I can muster is “Business Time, right?”, with an umcomfortable laugh. His response: “Yep, right mate”, and walks off annoyed. Win for the Aussie, fail for the American.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Kevin_Keigley Kevin Keigley

    I am sad to say that I was in the 12th row at an MC Hammer concert. As he made his way around the floor, surrounded by his bodyguards, I stood in my chair and reached out as far as I could. I touched his sweaty shoulder, and then his bodyguards touched me to the floor. I was on my back as I watched Hammer dance away. I literally screamed, "Hammah! Please don't hurt 'em!"
    I am serious.

  • adam keyes

    Charlotte, I met Brian Johnson (he's a worship leader in CA, by no means a celebrity, but I think he's cool). We talked for a minute after he just played for a session I was in. Then as the 45 second conversation began coming to a close, the awkward moment was looming as he's too nice to end the convo, and I'm too selfish to let the next person in line have their turn. So I freaked and said "Well, if I'm ever in California, I'll look you up." He just looked at me. Apparently I'm a stalker. I walked away.

  • http://www.givinguponperfect.com Mary

    My embarrassing fan moment is actually with another blogger. I attended my first blog conference last February, and I was so excited to meet Shannon from Rocks in My Dryer. Her writing about Compassion has changed my heart so much, and I just wanted to tell her that. After she spoke in a panel, I made my way up to the front (read: plowed straight through the crowd of women and just about knocked Shannon down) and told her what I just told you. Except, when I told her, I started crying. CRYING. It was so embarrassing!! (Thankfully, though, nobody has video footage of my incident.) :)

  • Bryan

    I caught Cera reading a mass market science fiction book after our little incident. I was a little relieved because when he tells that story next time he's on Leno, I have some dirt on him.

  • Brian

    my dad saw Daryl Hall (of Hall and Oates) in the airport and went up to him to tell him how much of a fan he and his son were back in the day. Mr. Hall was very touched and asked what was some of my dad's favorite songs. My dad could not think of one Hall and Oates song. Mr. Hall was visually upset and walked away. I love that story.

  • http://trippcrosby.com Tripp Crosby

    I have footage of this. Who wants to see it?

    • adam keyes

      i desperately need to see the chris martin footage.

  • http://www.thechurchofnopeople.com Matt @ The Church of No People

    Don’t have any stories of my own. But don’t feel bad. Michael Cera makes a living at being awkward and embarassed.

  • Kyle

    My most embarrassing moment was when I watched all that unfold with Michael Cera and then video taped yall standing and smiling at me. I still don't know how I am the only one not in the photo when I am the one who spotted him…

  • Leigh

    1. In the eighties I saw Michael Jordan at a celebrity golf tournament and screamed like one of those girls you see in old Beatles footage–He looked at me like I had thrown up on his shoes and all my friends pretended they didn't know me. But I knew his caddie and he gave me the coke can MJ drank out of. Really, he did.

    2. Fairly recently I saw Kay Arthur at the airport (She is a rock star among the womens ministry circuit in case you don't know) Anyway . . . I approached her and it was going well until she said something about one of her books and I said "Oh I have loved ALL of your books." She's written several hundred and I have read all of one and a half. She looked at me and I knew she knew I was lying. But she was gracious, in an "alrighty then" kind of way.

  • stacikristine

    Oh my goodness. This made me laugh! I–unfortunately–haven't had any fan encounters. I wish I did, but I can't even think of any famous people that I've met…

  • http://www.evanforester.com Evan Forester

    Hey at least you had the guts to say something to these people. I once saw Greg Maddux (by far my favorite baseball player) at the movies. Instead I just stood behind him in the concessions line staring with my jaw dropped for 8 minutes. I had no intention of buying anything because I was a broke high schooler, I just wanted to stand near him! After he left I realized I had no exit plan and was forced to spend my life savings on some popcorn.

  • http://twitter.com/ScottTodd77 @ScottTodd77

    My most embarrassing moment was at last year's Catalyst in ATL. After the first session I ran in to an old friend outside. As I was speaking to him I see Andy Stanley walking up behind my friend. I jumped out in front of him like a stalker and shoved my hand into his face to shake it. He took a half step back to shake my hand and I asked him for a picture. He looked at me like the creep that I was and said, "Sorry, man, no pictures." I was crushed and humiliated, but I still haven't washed my hand!

  • http://abrahamchronicles.com Dustin

    I once took a leak next to Louie Giglio at a Northpoint stall once. We both head-nodded at each other. #whatsup

  • Jeff Sullivan

    (dang iPhone sent my last publish before I finished!)
    So I waited for John Piper to come wash his hands. When he did, all I could think to say was “hello and I’m enjoying the conference.” Then I just walked out. Of course, never even shaking his hand.

  • Jeff Sullivan

    In case your wondering, half my story about meeting John Piper in the bathroom at Desiring God Confetence was cut off by my phone. Now it feels anticlamatic to retell the story. Writing on a world famous blog makes me nervous!

  • Josie

    I love embarrassing moment stories, mostly because I know I'm not the only one who does them! (Those are hilarious, btw) I wrote a post a couple years ago of my encounter with Jars of Clay which continues to be number 1 on my list. ;) http://www.lucyshouseblog.com/2008/12/05/91-met-s…