Quoted from misterchaz, posted July 15, 2004, 7:34pm at here

And yes, Yoko was quite nice to me when I interviewed her in 87. 

Huh!?! What!! That's very cool.

P.S.
Did you get her autograph?

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***And you'd still be wrong.

There is no "right" or "wrong" here, just opinion.

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***Again, your unemployment is neither known to him nor relevant.

It doesn't have to matter to Paul; but it mattered to me back then. And given my situation at the time, it's part of the reason I felt I'm being more "inconvenienced" than he was and can't be expected to think he's got it so bad by my showing up to say hello to him for 10 seconds. That's some "problem"!

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***That would be nice.    Seriously, tho, the choice is not to.

Huh? You've been a Beatles fan even longer than I have. Surely you can understand wanting to get an autograph from Paul McCartney in person?

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***Which is still more than the vast majority of his fans will ever get.

Well, you MAKE your opportunity. That's why I chose to do what I did. 

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***I understand, and agree...I enjoyed your stories immensely.  I did not feel you needed to prove anything...but (here it somes)...neither does Paul. 

I originally posted the story just to share it. I didn't say Paul needed to prove anything. When someone wrote "you pissed off half of the Beatles," I had to say that no, I didn't --- but if anything, they kind of disappointed ME.

I stand by my opinions. The bottom line when all is said and done is that Paul really was wrong to grab the gift from the girl's hand and fling it out the window and onto the street and yell at her. Wouldn't you agree there, at least? This is a free country and Paul doesn't own the streets. He was in a limo, and the girl never touched him or anything...

Quoted from Joe_Karlosi, posted July 16, 2004, 10:02am at here

Paul really was wrong to grab the gift from the girl's hand and fling it out the window and onto the street and yell at her.

Famous people understand that people are ALWAYS going to ask them for autographs, but obviously some days it's not going to be convenient or maybe they've got out of bed on the wrong side - you've just been unlucky! I'm sure there are millions of fans with great stories to tell - like that homeless hippy who John found living in his garden!

Regarding Paul losing it with that fan and her statue - he was obviously extremely stressed (and we've sumised why) and all of us have days when we throw our dummies out of the pram... luckily WE never make the tabloids!

I walked into a book shop once, and Pete Best happened to be doing a book-signing in there! So I rushed out and bought a camera! When I got back to the shop, he was more than happy to pose for pictures - and even re-posed when the flash didn't work for half of them!!

I have nothing at all against dedicated fans chasing autographs - if I had the time (and patience) I'd probably do the same. And if I happened to be buying fruit next to a Beatle, there is NO WAY I'm not going to dig in my pocket for a pen and paper!

1.) You're right.  It's your opinion and your opinion can neither be right or wrong.

2.) The 'pissed half of the Beatles' line was funny.  Indicated by smiley.  Lighten up!

3.) Yes, I understand what it would mean to make contact with a hero.  No, I don't think it's up to me to grab the chance.  Perhaps a unique NYC perspective, I don't know. 

4.) I loved the stories and appreciate your posting them.  But by doing so you open yourself up to OTHER'S (non-right and non-wrong) opinions.  You've read mine.

5.) As to the girl I have no comment as I was not there, and agreed, it sounds pretty shitty.

Sure, it seems so easy: making people happy by just signing your name on a piece of paper. That doesn't seem like such an unpleasant thing to do, right? But Paul McCartney has been herassed by people who want something from him almost non-stop for the last 40 years... I can't blame the guy if he gets fed up with it every once in a while... He's a real person and not a public property.

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Famous people understand that people are ALWAYS going to ask them for autographs, but obviously some days it's not going to be convenient or maybe they've got out of bed on the wrong side - you've just been unlucky! I'm sure there are millions of fans with great stories to tell - like that homeless hippy who John found living in his garden!

Well, let's remember that the Lennons were filming that event, so it's easier to be cool when you're kind of playing to the camera lens. And this is especially the case with Paul. From what I've seen, he's all smiles and "public relations" when he's on camera, as witnessed in the BACK IN THE U.S.A. video where he signs a few autographs from out of his limo!

Don't get me wrong, I think you guys are 100% right that I just got Paul on a bad day (as we surmised) and it was indeed a risk I took. I was just unlucky that day, you're right. It's just too bad I had to witness his rage like that; it's not the one image I want to have etched in my mind of my one close encounter with James Paul McCartney, after being a Beatles fan my whole life! But that's the way it went, unfortunately.

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Regarding Paul losing it with that fan and her statue - he was obviously extremely stressed (and we've sumised why) and all of us have days when we throw our dummies out of the pram...

Agreed.  Besides, this girl has photos posing together with Paul dating back to the early '70s. It was upon seeing her at this hotel AGAIN that set him off. I don't think he would have been thrilled  no matter WHO he saw at his hotel that day, but seeing this girl in particular seemed to inspire a bad reaction. Kind of like, "YOU AGAIN?? YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TODAY!!" -- He really wasn't addressing me or the one other girl who was with us.

By the way, you're not going to believe this part of the story (which I left out).. After I was dissed by Paul, I walked back to catch the train and I actually saw what looked like another McCartney looking through a shop window with his girlfriend. I recognized him immediately -- he was Mitch Weissman, the "lookalike" who played Paul in the BEATLEMANIA stage show in 1978. I swear to God, true story! I just shook his hand and told him the Paul story I had witnessed only minutes earlier. It was like a TWILIGHT ZONE episode!

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2.) The 'pissed half of the Beatles' line was funny.  Indicated by smiley.  Lighten up!

Yes, I realize that. I wasn't annoyed, it's just that I guess I'm a stickler to "make it understood rightly". No anger here -- just that, even with the smiley and the joke, the truth is that "I" didn't do anything to them!

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3.) Yes, I understand what it would mean to make contact with a hero.  No, I don't think it's up to me to grab the chance.  Perhaps a unique NYC perspective, I don't know.

Well, it's the old "if you snooze, you lose" philosophy, no matter where you live. Say you're a big fan of McCartney, both as a Beatle and especially as a solo artist - and you know you've got a rare opportunity to possibly see him and maybe get an autograph. Do you take the opportunity or let it pass you by? To me, it's a no-brainer. It should be a natural excitement to fans as serious into the group as we are. They're not going to knock on your door, y'know!  

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4.) I loved the stories and appreciate your posting them.  But by doing so you open yourself up to OTHER'S (non-right and non-wrong) opinions.  You've read mine.

Very true and very fair. However, it's worth keeping in mind that fans most often like to block out any notion that their heros could be so nasty. They try to deny it or make excuses. Unfortunately, I wish this WAS a dream!

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Sure, it seems so easy: making people happy by just signing your name on a piece of paper. That doesn't seem like such an unpleasant thing to do, right? But Paul McCartney has been herassed by people who want something from him almost non-stop for the last 40 years... I can't blame the guy if he gets fed up with it every once in a while... He's a real person and not a public property.

Oh, believe me, I understand. I do try to imagine what it's like ... Paul gets up, goes outside, there's a mob waiting for autographs. He gets into a cab, the guy wants his autograph. He then goes to a TV studio, every technician wants an autograph. Etc... Etc...
The ones who get lucky, think he's cool. The ones that are unlucky think he's not. I really get it.

But about Paul's not being public property -- who's being treated like "property" when the star says "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!!!"...?  I mean, I love the Beatles and I don't want to sound like I'm bashing the guy, but Paul may have a right to say this if we're loitering on the grounds of his own home, but he can't come to America, where I live and "belong,"  and be on a public street (we three fans were waiting across the street of the hotel at the time, by the way, as the hotel owner made us stay there). Not really the right choice of words that Paul used. But then again, it's not like he planned what he was going to say, word for word - it's just the way he reacted.

One more tidbit: After Paul stormed into the hotel that day, the PR guy (I believe his name is John Hammil) came out to me across the street and basically said, "Look -- Paul isn't signing any autographs this trip. But if you'd like, if you write down your name and address, I'll have a signed photo mailed to your house".

Well, I wrote it down. Never got anything.
But he succeeded in getting rid of me....

Quoted from Joe_Karlosi, posted July 16, 2004, 9:25pm at here

But about Paul's not being public property -- who's being treated like "property" when the star says "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!!!"...?  I mean, I love the Beatles and I don't want to sound like I'm bashing the guy, but Paul may have a right to say this if we're loitering on the grounds of his own home, but he can't come to America, where I live and "belong,"  and be on a public street (we three fans were waiting across the street of the hotel at the time, by the way, as the hotel owner made us stay there). Not really the right choice of words that Paul used. But then again, it's not like he planned what he was going to say, word for word - it's just the way he reacted.

It does sound a little harsh of him (to say the least), but she's been stalking him for 20 years, so I guess Paul probably told her to stay away more than once in the past, hence the "You're not supposed to be here". Could it be that she has a restraining order or something?

Plus, he also could've just said "f*** off", but when you're dealing with a long time stalker, "You're not supposed to be here" sounds fairly nice, almost like an advice.

And another thing I'd like to add (no offense):

It's cool if you want to meet your idol when the chance is there, but I think that when you're wasting days of your life just to meet someone for a few seconds, you really degradate yourself and make some kind of supreme being of the other. It's almost as if you say to that person that those few seconds of his life are of more worth than an entire day or your own life.

I believe that all people are equal and that doesn't just mean that I think that no one is less than me or you, but it also means that I think that no one is more. Not even Paul McCartney.

Again, no offense.

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And another thing I'd like to add (no offense):

It's cool if you want to meet your idol when the chance is there, but I think that when you're wasting days of your life just to meet someone for a few seconds, you really degradate yourself and make some kind of supreme being of the other. It's almost as if you say to that person that those few seconds of his life are of more worth than an entire day or your own life.

I wouldn't have minded investing some time to see Elvis, to be at Woodstock, to see The Beatles at Shea Stadium, to say I met JFK, etc....

I really don't think that approximately 24 hours or so - split over the course of three different days,  not consecutively in one long session - is a big chunk out of the entire 42 years of my life! I mean, it averages out to about 8 hours a day, or 3 full work days. I've certainly wasted more of my time at work!   And at least I got to see Paul, and my wife was with me that first time in 1993 to take tons of photos of Paul in and out of the hotel, getting into the limo. I don't know how huge a fan you are of the Beatles, but it's hardly a big deal to me to do this! I can't think of anyone else I'd go to this length for, other than Paul and John Lennon.

I guess I'm a little surprised that I even need to explain the joy and excitement of this to a Beatles Fan, but what else can I tell you?  These are The Beatles, not Fifty Cent....

Maybe being 25 (I just checked your profile) you don't have the same sense of importance and relevance as I do regarding the Beatles, and that would make a difference, I think. But really -- all the best things in the world are worth waiting for, as the saying goes. I'm a Beatles Fan with a firsthand Beatles experience. Granted, the one in '95 wasn't pleasant, but I've got 'em. How many fans can say that?  

Hardly a "waste" of my time, and one of the most interesting experiences of my life.

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Could it be that she has a restraining order or something?

Plus, he also could've just said "f*** off", but when you're dealing with a long time stalker, "You're not supposed to be here" sounds fairly nice, almost like an advice.

No, there was no restraining order. And the girl was very attractive, not some sort of freakizoid or anything. She wasn't hurting him. Anyway, regardless of how Paul's words read here on the computer, he YELLED in a nasty tone and threw the gift out of the window. Nothing nice about it, trust me. A real shocker.

Well his friend happened to be killed by a stalker so maybe it just freaks him out. That and the fact that his wife was dying at the time probably didn't put him in the greatest mood. But yeah, how rude of him not to stop and sign another bunch of autographs!

Also, I don't think a persons age has anything to do with getting how important the Beatles are. Some people just don't go in for the whole idol worship thing. I think seeing him in concert is much more exciting than seeing him get into a car or sign a bit of paper. Now if he sings to you while signing it......

Quoted from Maccalvr, posted July 16, 2004, 4:34am at here

Huh!?! What!! That's very cool.

P.S.
Did you get her autograph?

No, I talked to her for a few minutes, and I have a photo of us shaking hands.
She was quite gracious and nice.


Her wailing and screaming were a bit disarming tho. 

Quoted from Joe_Karlosi, posted July 16, 2004, 9:17pm at here

Yes, I realize that. I wasn't annoyed, it's just that I guess I'm a stickler to "make it understood rightly". No anger here -- just that, even with the smiley and the joke, the truth is that "I" didn't do anything to them!

***No, of course not, and I doubt anyone except you thought that.  Which is fine, because we all read things that hit us just...wrong.



Well, it's the old "if you snooze, you lose" philosophy, no matter where you live. Say you're a big fan of McCartney, both as a Beatle and especially as a solo artist - and you know you've got a rare opportunity to possibly see him and maybe get an autograph. Do you take the opportunity or let it pass you by? To me, it's a no-brainer. It should be a natural excitement to fans as serious into the group as we are. They're not going to knock on your door, y'know!  

*** I agree.  I wormed my way uninvited into the Yoko interview, and I tried to get Paul's autograph at the press conference when it was over and everyone rushed the stage but I was too slow.  SO believe me, I understand the need to make the opportunity if need be.  I didn't do a very good job explaining that concept.



Very true and very fair. However, it's worth keeping in mind that fans most often like to block out any notion that their heros could be so nasty. They try to deny it or make excuses. Unfortunately, I wish this WAS a dream!

*** Of course.  Human nature.  ANYone I meet, if they are rude, forever color my impression of them, famous or not.  And a hero is a hard thing to see fail.