Who goes around getting someone's autographs? Obviously a large chunk of humanity. I was at a recent conference where an apparently successful author had just published a book on the hot topic of the day. After the conference there was a mad rush of book buyers to get this person to sign their copy of the book.
Now first question -
In today's day and age of rampant identity theft do these authors actually pen their signature like they were signing a check? Or do they have a fake signature to give out to the millions of dolts that want this scribble on an otherwise pristine copy?
In case of the latter its already a sham since what that person does on someone's copy of the book is equivalent to graffiti as its not the real thing.
If it is a real signature then it actually might prove that the book belongs to the signer and not the signee and further screws up the idea of owning a new copy.
If the person signing is giving out his signatures willy nilly to any homeless that profers a copy of this book he wrote then it would be cool to see if his accounts got breached.
Second question -
Going back to the actual subject of why certain indivduals feel the urge to get signatures on stuff from celebrities is a mystery to my simple mind. I say celebrities because other than my bank no one has ever asked me to sign my name on anything. So it goes to say that certain people feel awed by other humans to the point that they will go for any crap that the so called celebrity doles out.
There are examples of Brittany Spears' hair and other detritus (including Reagan's blood sample and someone's last breath - that stinks) of other personalities being sold on eBay for monstrous sums.
If you really think hard you will realize there is no meaning to the idea of collecting anyone's signatures on anything anyway. What does that prove? To whom? Unless its a personally addressed note with certain significance, collecting stuff at random book signings and sportstar autographs on balls and bats and caps are an example of vanity to the extreme. Not to mention a huge bother to the person being accosted to get him to scribble on your stuff. Although some show offs actually enjoy the idea of signing off on any surface given a chance.
Moral of the story - Signs are pointing to a doomsday not far away!
This autumn the weather gods cooperated as we took a family trip in the northeast to see six states that qualify or makeup what is known colloquially in America as New England. Mass, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island (tiniest state in the union). The outing helped tally up the states we either lived in, visited or have worked in to 47. Guess which three have eluded this intrepid traveling family. Any rate the drive was all in about 1,800 miles and included some memorable geographic wonders or points of interest. Easternmost part of state of Massachusetts being one. Furthest drivable road east in Mass being another. Visit to all Ivy League schools (term harkens to a collegiate athletics conference and generally regarded as elite academic institutes of some repute worldwide) is another random bucket list item of which this trip afforded the chance to knock two more of the list. Dartmouth in Hanover, NH and Brown (and its sister institute the RISD - school f
With some recent experience of signing book copies, I can say that at least I wrote a personalised note to the buyer, before doing the real thing..but I have not really wanted anyone to sign anything at all. Maybe it's a Type A and Type B type thing. I must have some other disorder!
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