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!
On an informal mission to read one book a week as long as the eyes allow for such ambition. Fiction or non is not important as long as it entertains and /or educates. To that end the past few weeks have brought a bounty in the form of some wonderful and then not so engaging literature. Among the notables are - Non fiction category: 1. Good arguments by Bo Seo (how to handle a dispute or debate the most efficient way possible) 2. Genesis by Eric Schmidt (and former US Secy of State Henry Kissinger, who recently passed) - how AI might affect our lives as we know it 3. One in a billion - Zarna Garg (an autobiographical look at an Indian born American woman with a bindi narrated in a standup format - yes it is at times cliched but still funny) Fiction: 1. Personal by Lee Child (a vigilante story with Jack Reacher the giant, nomad protagonist of Child's novels goes hunting for a sniper) 2. Ramayana unraveled by Ami Ganatra (she might disagree about it being a work of fiction but oh wel...
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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