Close Encounters of the Celebrity Kind
[rebelmouse-image 18356562 is_animated_gif=On his 2014 album Mandatory Fun, Weird Al Yankovic sang all about mundane celebrity encounters in the song Lame Claim to Fame. In the lyrics, he mentions being in the checkout line behind Steven Seagal, sharing a public restroom with Jonah Hill and staying in the same hotel as Zooey Deschanel.
A lot of us have that friend who likes to say 'did I ever tell you about the time...' then recount a similarly underwhelming celebrity close encounter.
So Reddit user ghostx2 asked "What's your most mundane celebrity encounter?"
Here are just a few of the highlights.
Sharon Needles
[rebelmouse-image 18356564 is_animated_gif=I once stood behind Sharon Needles at a Lady Bunny show. She stepped on my toe by accident
It was awesome.
Edward James Olmos
[rebelmouse-image 18356565 is_animated_gif=I saw Edward James Olmos on a flight once as I was boarding. He smiled and nodded. My wife wondered why I was grinning like a fool at an old Mexican man.
Stephen King and Molly: the Thing of Evil
[rebelmouse-image 18356567 is_animated_gif=I was sitting on the beach at 7am watching the sunrise, next thing I know, some weird guy is walking behind me with his dog. He looked super disheveled and creepy, and he just kind of waved and kept walking. It was just my mom, stepdad, and I on the beach. That's when we realized who it was - it was Stephen King.
Here's a picture of my mom with him, she was totally caught off guard as he's been her favorite author for decades.
Patrick Stewart
[rebelmouse-image 18356568 is_animated_gif=I waved at Patrick Stewart and he waved back.
Johnny Knoxville
[rebelmouse-image 18356569 is_animated_gif=Sat next to Johnny Knoxville on a plane once.
LeVar Burton
[rebelmouse-image 18356570 is_animated_gif=When I was younger, we went into NYC for something or other, and Levar Burton was at the table next to us. Since I was a kid and watched Reading Rainbow, it was awesome. I was also too shy to say hi or to want to bother him, so he was just there, being left alone.
Shaq
[rebelmouse-image 18356572 is_animated_gif=I was walking into a movie theater bathroom and Shaq was washing his hands. Had I been there 30 seconds earlier I could've stood beside Shaq at a urinal. DAMMIT!
John Goodman
[rebelmouse-image 18356573 is_animated_gif=I saw John Goodman during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I said "I love your work Mr. Goodman." He said, "thanks."
Kid Rock
[rebelmouse-image 18356574 is_animated_gif=My work van broke down in front of Kid Rock's house. While waiting for tow truck I was asked to move by security, when I explained why I was there he came out with a beer. Chatted 10 mins and went back in.
Robert Redford
[rebelmouse-image 18356576 is_animated_gif=I was eating at the restaurant by Sundance Ski Resort. Robert Redford strolled by, walking on lemon wedge that was on the floor. A lemon seed flew out and hit me on the ankle.
Suge Knight
[rebelmouse-image 18356577 is_animated_gif=Walked past Suge Knight and his entourage. Thought to myself, "was that Suge Knight?" and then some girl was like "OMG, that was Suge Knight"... then I was like, "Yeah, it was Suge Knight"
Stephen Hawking
[rebelmouse-image 18356578 is_animated_gif=My friend held the door open for Stephen Hawking, at a Holiday Inn.
Sal Vulcano
[rebelmouse-image 18356579 is_animated_gif=Sal Vulcano from the Impractical Jokers rides with my company a bunch. One time just cause I wanted to talk to him cause i'm a fan I called him to give him his drivers info and he apologized a bunch for various things.
Which is apparently a thing he does, I learned it on the Inside Jokes episode that he doesn't do well socially and apologizes out of nervous habit and it turns out to be true.
Something like "Yea sorry, I can't check my phone sorry, we're taxiing to the gate now sorry".
Eminem
[rebelmouse-image 18356580 is_animated_gif=Saw Eminem getting a slushy at 7-ELEVEn. I too was getting one and said "how's it going" in a very casual manner barely giving notice kind of way. Dude behind counter was acting like the President of the United States just walked in.
Mark Ruffalo
[rebelmouse-image 18356581 is_animated_gif=Used to work in SoHo, NYC, and one time Mark Ruffalo came in with his kids. When he got to the registers, the cashier didn't recognize him. He asked Mark if he had an account with the store, and then needed to look Mark Ruffalo up by phone number. Mark gave a number that, presumably, was his agents, because when the cashier searched he got back like Julia Roberts, Samuel Jackson, and some other celebs. Cashier looked legit confused, and it wasn't until he was like, "Okay, what's your first and last name?" and Mark went, "Ruffalo, Mark" that the cashier got all red and was like "OMG I LOVED YOU IN THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT."
Mark played it very cool, was super casual, and just in general was a nice dude, even though he obviously wanted to GTFO.
Simon Pegg
[rebelmouse-image 18356582 is_animated_gif=I sold some stationery to Simon Pegg when I was working at Borders.
I honestly did not even think it was him at first because it was like a regular Tuesday afternoon. We really didn't say anything throughout the transaction, but at the end I asked him, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like the guy from Shaun of the Dead?" And he replied in a voice I easily recognized, "I am the guy from Shaun of the Dead."
Gary Busey
[rebelmouse-image 18356584 is_animated_gif=Gary Busey took a photo of my wife and I on our honeymoon in Hawaii. He was surprised we asked him to take our picture instead of the other way around.
Criss Angel & Daniel Tosh
[rebelmouse-image 18356585 is_animated_gif=I saw Criss Angel and Daniel Tosh walking down the street together in Vegas, I said I was a fan in passing and Tosh told me to go f$#% myself.
Robin Williams
[rebelmouse-image 18356586 is_animated_gif=When I was 7 or so they were filming a Jumanji scene right down the street from my house (where Robin Williams handcuffs the cop to the car or something). I climbed a tree in my front yard to watch the filming. In between takes Robin saw me and waved at me. I was way to nervous to meet him.
If you watch the scene it ends with a camera pan and the scene cuts right before it would show my old house and the tree I was in.
Was He Nicer Than Chevy Chase?
[rebelmouse-image 18356587 is_animated_gif=President Ford tossed me a nickel at a parade.
I was 5. I ate it.
I remember my mom holding my head over the toilet as I was vomiting it back up- saying "Damn President Ford!"
Don't be alarmed: There are some terrible corporations out there (looking at you, Nestle) but there are also some great brands that are selling decent products.
I know, surprising, right? Maybe we've all just gotten used to brands selling things of questionable quality that when we stumble across something worthwhile it stuns us.
Hold on tight when you find a brand deserving of your loyalty!
People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor spwf asked the online community,
"What brand(s) do you swear by and why?"
"Their cast iron pans..."
"Lodge. Their cast iron pans are super durable and can last a lifetime."
StillForest989
Not just a lifetime. Your Lodge cast iron will outlive you, if (and even if you don’t) take care of it. Even if they get rusty they can be resurfaced. And damn is it satisfying to resurface a forgotten cast iron pan.
Asics, specifically the Gel-Nimbus series. I've suffered from joint pain and unbearable plantar fasciitis from a relatively young age... These shoes are life savers. Very pricey and I don't love the look of tennis shoes of any type but nevertheless I will praise these shoes to the end of days. Hopefully, I will always be able to afford them once a year.
Glad to hear you've found some much-needed relief!
"Warranty and service..."
"Victorinox. Excellent pocket knives, multi tools and their kitchen knives are probably the best ones you can get under 100 USD. Warranty and service is top notch."
CharacterComb3039
Anyone who cooks, but can't afford or doesn't want to invest in a professional-grade chef's knife should get a Victorinox. They aren't nearly as good as a top tier professional chef's knife, but they are night and day compared with everything else in their price range.
"This one brand..."
"This one brand of granola bars called Sunbelt Bakery. Every other granola bar brand is so dry I can't eat them anymore."
[deleted]
Yes, these are so good! An excellent choice.
"Very comfortable."
"Dickies. High quality pants. They're meant to be work pants so they're pretty durable and breathe well. Very comfortable."
GargantuanCake
"High quality" is right. Those pants last forever.
"It helps clean..."
"Dawn dishsoap. It helps clean dishes and it's great when one of my kids has an accident and I have to wash their clothes. Sometimes leaves a small stain but no smell. It has saved so many outfits."
[deleted]
Fantastic – it sounds like you should be their salesperson.
"They don't use..."
"New Balance. They don't use slave labor to make shoes."
Tink2013
They are comfortable and fit well.
I personally still don't like the aesthetics of many of their shoes, but still recommend them to people who want a good shoe.
"They are a retailer..."
"REI. Stand behind everything in their store. They are a retailer but you can beat something up they sell and they give you a full refund."
bigturkey1738
Many people use them for shoes, for camping gear... all kinds of stuff. They're very reliable.
"I wear my Timberland boots..."
"I wear my Timberland boots almost every day, I’ve had them for almost ten years, and they’re still just about as sturdy as they were the day I bought them."
RedWestern
These shoes tend to last forever. "Durable" is the perfect word.
"One large bottle..."
"Dr. Bronner's Castile soap. One large bottle lasts me about a year and I use it for everything. No toxic BS in them like pretty much every other soap and they smell fantastic."
"Also when I say everything I really mean it. All purpose cleaner, dish soap, body wash, shampoo, carpet extractor wash, dog shampoo, it’s called 18 in 1 for a reason."
drumkid74
If you're interested in the story behind the company, the documentary Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox might be right up your alley.
See? Not all brands are terrible. After reading about some of these, it might be time to change of your buying habits.
Have some suggestions of your own? Tell us more in the comments below!
You know what would be great?
If society could just stop with arbitrary dress codes. If you're not working with the public, why should you have to dress up so much? If you're a police officer, then it makes sense that you'd wear a uniform that identifies you as a police officer. If you're Ted from IT who sits in the backroom all day, I really don't see why you have to come in every day in a suit and tie.
Let's just toss them out, shall we?
People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor Levels2ThisBrush asked the online community,
"What should be socially acceptable but isn't?"
"Leaving the office..."
"Leaving the office whenever you've finished your tasks for the day."
misringuette
This is why I'm so glad remote work is the new office.
"And yet, I get it!"
"Taking off sick from work, WITHOUT giving an invasive reason. I supervise a small team and so I see all the OOO emails, and for gods sake I want people to PLEASE not feel the need to explain in detail what kind of diarrhea is afflicting them, or how bad their period cramps are, or how much bad sushi they ate the night before. Just say “I’m under the weather, I won’t be online today.”"
"And yet, I get it! I do it too! I feel guilty or like I’ll be looked at with suspicion if my reason for taking off isn’t sufficiently debilitating enough!"
"But… we need to stop this. As a manager I don’t care, I don’t THINK the people above me who are also on these emails care… let’s just all agree to take sick days without any details from now on!"
imnotwallaceshawn
I do not miss my retail days where I had to organise someone to cover me and beg on bended knee.
"Cashiers or workers who don’t need to be standing all day not having a stool or chair."
Lavatories
Another thing I do not miss from my retail days. Having to stand for hours and hours only to come home with my feet killing me was not fun.
"Prices on apartments..."
"Prices on apartments and their respectable reasons for such price directly on their websites or advertising without the need for a tour or any secrecy."
Spiceinvader3124
I always assume if I have to ask the price I probably can’t afford it.
"Being quiet..."
"Being quiet/not wanting to engage in conversation all the time."
[deleted]
In Finland, if somebody tries to talk to you, they are probably a tourist.
"Choosing not to..."
"Choosing not to have toxic family members in your life."
[deleted]
It feels very liberating once you accept that you don't have to put up with it.
"Employees..."
"Employees calling customers out in public for being a**holes."
gameboy1001
Absolutely. Many customers get away with treating employees horribly because they know they can do it without any pushback... most of the time.
"The fact that I sometimes..."
"The fact that I sometimes need to take my insulin in public. No, Karen, I am not doing drugs, I need to live."
blubberwinx
You’re getting that sweet sweet insulin high… the high of being not-dead.
"Afternoon naps."
"Afternoon naps. I’m on team nap. Give me 25 minutes to charge up and I’ll give you back 3 hours of high quality work. Everyone wins. Plus I go home with extra energy instead of dead tired."
Governmentwatchlist
Short naps don't work for me. I can't do a 25 min recharge. When I take a nap it needs to be like a solid 2 hours
"Speak up!"
"Salary transparency. For some reason, in the US, there’s a taboo or stigma around discussing one’s salary. This should be done openly and freely, with zero embarrassment or judgment. The only winners from avoiding these conversations are the corporations that are able to pay people differently for the same roles. Speak up!"
Jumping_Bear
The "for some reason" you're referring to is simply propaganda on behalf of corporations.
It's evident that something's got to change around here, and we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!
Have some observations of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
As much as many of us don't like to disrupt the status quo, there is only so much time a person can tolerate a miserable situation before things become so unbearable that they ultimately have to peace out.
For some people, it takes a while for them to reach a breaking point. Eventually, there comes a time when they realize their self-worth is more important than continuing to please others who don't appreciate them for the sake of keeping up with appearances.
Curious to hear from people whose patience ran thin and made a strong decision, Reddit Prestigious-Order-62 asked:
"What made you say 'f'k this sh*t im out?'"
The unwarranted reprimanding was something that was never mentioned in the initial job description.
Feeling Criminal
"In the late 90’s."
"One time I got pulled into the Security office at a Department store I worked at. They accused me of constantly using the sales day coupons for people that didn’t present one (we always kept an extra copy at each register). I had watched my own department boss do it many times so I assumed it was okay. We didn’t even collect the coupons to be counted for the cash office, we just chucked them after use."
"They claimed I lost the store hundreds of dollars and had been watching me 'for months' do this awful, unforgivable crime for people spending 90 bucks on already bloated price designer jeans. I’m sure the occasional 10% discount was just devastating. 🙄""I got this huge lecture of how I was LITERALLY stealing from the store and they COULD call the police but would give me a chance to work off the damage. I couldn’t believe how criminal I was made to feel over it. The best part when they called my boss in who pretended to have never done it before to save her own a**."
"I asked if they were firing me. They said 'Yes and No. You will be let go, but you can choose to work off the damages so we don’t take you to court.' I told them I will just quit and asked for my last check. They said they will deduct what I owe from my last check. And I said 'Well then you need to show me all the footage and prove that I was stealing.' They wouldn’t produce footage, finally called the cops, and when the cops arrived, they were just as confused and called it an internal problem and advised them that this was overblown. I think they felt sorry for me. So finally upper management came in and just said 'just issue the last check, I will sign it here.' So much drama over so stupid a thing."
"It was sad because that actual day my Mom and daughter had come to the mall to meet me for lunch and I had to explain I just was forced to quit that job and was never allowed in that store again like I was some awful jerk."
"It was nice a few short years later, the entire chain bankrupted."
– Munich11
Power Trip
"A coworker waited until we were in front of a large group of people to start 'disciplining' me for something 'wrong' I did (I took my lunch 15 mins late to help another coworker) when she wasn’t even my supervisor. Applied for a job transfer the next day and couldn’t be happier where I am now."
– _shes_a_jar
Abusive Boss
"I had a piece of sh*t of a boss. He'd praise you in private but berate you in public. In front of coworkers and customers. Always about stuff that didn't matter."
"He'd also happily break company policy to side with customers after you spent an hour telling a customer you can't give them stuff for free, for example. Any time he was around, everything was miserable."
"My only regret is that I wasn't there to see him marched out by corporate when he got fired, because I had gone on to a better job by then."
– redisforever
Human Punching Bag
"I used to work in a Kitchen at a pub, it was grim work, but I had freinds there and had worked there for 3 years, So it wasn't too bad."
"One Christmas season we were being absolutely pumped, full out functions and busy services. My boss at the time was very stressed and fair enough, We were busy, We were all working overtime and full out. He used any excuse to completely blow up and absolutely scream at me for little to no reason, essentially him yelling at me was his stress relief. But fine, whatever, kitchens are rough places, no appolagies or anything, move on."
"I then go away for 3 weeks over the Christmas holidays and spend the time road tripping around the country having an amazing time."
"First shift back, not pleased being back, he makes a snarky comment."
"F'k this, Im out."
– Freddy54323
Even though these employees weren't chewed out in front of co-workers, the low salary without room for negotiation made them not wanting to stick around for much longer.
You Only Get One Job
"They cut my hours so I had to get a second job. 3 days before I was supposed to start said second job, my manager at the main job told me that I couldn't get this second job because I had main job first and I needed to make it my priority. That's when I said f'k you and left. I didn't even give a notice, I literally just sent an email saying I wouldn't be coming in the next day, grabbed my sh*t and went home."
– ginger_princess2009
Meager Wage
"I used to work Retail and after 7 years at the company, I found out I was only making 50 cents more an hour than someone who just started yesterday. I understood if they couldn't pay me more and asked for a good schedule. 7-3 or 8-4 every day and the same two days off every week. I didn't even ask for weekends off."
"I was told that they couldn't give me a good schedule so I quit."
– maybeashly
Situations weren't much different outside the work place. Social dilemmas prompted these Redditors to say, "nope."
Rude Reception
"Went to a pub because a friend kept asking. When I got there, he was with a group of people I didn't know, so I introduced myself and got the next round. As I come back with the tray, I hear them saying something along the lines of 'why is that b*tch still here? I thought she was just supposed to drop off a bicycle?' 'Ya, we don't want her to come to <this other town with more pubs> and now she is drinking with us?' 'She's so dumb' *proceeds to imitate and ridicule me as I was actively listening and nodding when I was having a conversation with my friend."
"Gave the beer to random people and walked right out after saying good evening to my friend and briefly explaining I did not appreciate being tricked into being a bicycle taxi for people who hate me directly after meeting me."
– ILikeLamas678
A Shocking Incident
"I was on my boat fishing for bass. I casted out my line and watched the lure hit the water but the line just floated in the air. Lightning and thunder crashed and the line fell to the water. F'k this sh*t, I'm out."
– fsh4fun051
Femme Fatale
"She lined my bed with broken glass put the blankets over it and I dove on in lol."
"Edit: She was violent/crazy and on drugs, was like the 20th attack I took and that made me really think lol."
– MyLifeForAuir1Ally For The Ex
"I found nudes of his ex (from ten years ago) that I’d previously asked him twice to get rid of tucked in a pair of MY socks. Our couples counselor asked why he’d kept them and he said, 'You know. In case I ever needed to blackmail her.' He said it like it was a perfectly normal and reasonable thing to plan to do. The therapist and I locked eyes and I noped the f'k out of there and moved out."
– Previous_Mood_3251
Most of these Redditors realized leaving their situation was better than dealing with the consequences of sticking around.
The latter is never a good option. Why remain in a scenario you know is already going to consume your soul?
The lesson for today is–Don't be miserable. Your sanity is worth saving.
Besides, you would never know that something better awaits if you just don't get the F out.As we enter into the summer months, people now have to decide whether or not they want their morning coffee to be hot or iced.
Lucky for them, it's delicious either way.
One could make an argument that foods that are equally delicious hot or cold are perhaps the best, or at least the most reliable.
And this can include foods which are not customarily sold both hot and cold (cold pizza anyone?).
Redditor NectarineOther4989 was curious to hear which foods people enjoy either hot or cold, leading them to ask:
"What is something that tastes good both hot and cold?"
Fresh out of the oven, or the next day!
"Cookies."- SuvenPan
Chocolate withstands all temperatrues
"Brownies."- Reasonable-Software2
Can't go wrong with fruit and pastry
"Pie."
"Apple pie."- Hak_Saw5000
This doesn't only apply to food
"Revenge."- pushthestartbutton
Let the flavor develop
"Banana bread."
"2 totally different flavors depending on warm vs cold from fridge."- nonkowledge
So many to choose from!
"Sandwiches."- Designer-Usual1691
A matter of textural preference
"Cheese, ya fools."- eat_dontpray_love
Under a hot greek sun, or during a cold winter's eve.
"Spanakopita."- mrsxpando
While there's no better smell than a batch of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven, those eating them the next day likely aren't missing out either.