Question of the Day

So, if the Michael Richards kerfluffle has reminded us of anything, it's that celebrities ain't exactly what they portray on the teevee.

Duh. We don't need to be told this, right? We know that celebrities are human beings, and their persona (or characters, if they're actors) isn't necessarily what they are when they're sitting around their house in their underwear, eating Cheez-its and watching Lost.

However, when we have a brush with fame, and the celebrity is very different than what we're used to seeing, we're still a little shaken up, aren't we? We know that we shouldn't expect, say, Anthony Edwards to be just like Dr. Mark Greene, but we still sorta expect it.

So, what brush with "fame" have you had that brought you back down to earth? And I don't necessarily mean movie stars; it could be a local newscaster or the like.

I've met many celebrities because of my past job as an event planner, and just from living in Manhattan. Here's two examples, positive and negative:

Steve Allen: I was really excited to meet him. We had him scheduled for a book signing at my store, and I couldn't wait to meet one of the living legends of comedy. He was a monster. I'll spare you the details; let's just say, I was incredibly relieved when his driver came to pick him up. (By the way, his driver had bad directions on the way to the store, causing them to be around an hour late. When I went out to greet him, Mr. Allen was actually screaming at the driver, "I'll have your job!" I was amazed to actually hear that chestnut coming out of an actual human being's mouth.)

Jeff Foxworthy: I hate redneck humor. His act isn't exactly my cup of tea. I was dreading this. Mr. Foxworthy proved to be one of the most humble, friendliest people I had the privilege of hosting. He had a genuine gratitude not only for his fans, but for everything my staff did to make him more comfortable. And he was funny. Color me gobsmacked.

So how about you?