Autograph Anyone?

Want an autograph from Johnny Depp? Chances are, he'll sign something for you — and not be a jerk about it. Autograph magazine'sannual list of the ''10 Best and 10 Worst Hollywood Signers" is out. The magazine said editors compiled input from autograph-collecting judges based in Europe, New York and California in ranking the celebs. Johnny Depp was chosen as the most gracious autograph signer in 2007 followed in order by:
2. Matt Damon
3. George Clooney
4.Jack Nicholson
5.Rosario Dawson
6.John Travolta
7.Katherine Heigl
8.Jay Leno
9. Dakota Fanning
10. Russell Crowe
Will Ferrell is deemed the worst celebrity signer, followed by
2. Tobey Maguire
3. Joaquin Phoenix
4. William Shatner
5 .Renee Zellweger
6. John Malkovich
7. Julie Andrews
8. Bruce Willis
9. Teri Hatcher
10. Scarlett Johansson.
Even the best signers don't sign sometimes, the worst sometimes do. Just because they're on the worst list doesn't mean they're bad people and on the best list good. As for me, I'll never understand why people seek autographs. I have none? How about you? I can't explain why people treat comedians, singers, actors, writers musicians or other performers so special. But their celebrity does garner autograph seekers.
Maybe the point of a person wanting autographs is not to have the autograph, so much as to have the record of having been there, in the same place at the same time, as the celebrity him or herself. But what's so important about that? I don't get it. It's a second hand link. But I do understand the ones who collect for a purely historical record.
The hobby of collecting autographs is known as philography. Some collectors may specialize in specific fields and try to collect as either a hobby or for sale later at profit. The problem for fans is that some celebrities, particularly sports stars, don't sign them for free. They sell their autographs at sports shows.
Ugh! How mercenary is that. But I can understand why some celebrities won't or reluctantly sign their names at all for their fans. Some people badger celebs for theirsignatures, holing out inside the celebs hotel or restaurant to pounce on them. Some people yell negative comments at a celebrity if he or she refuses to sign, even if they engage in friendly conversation with the fan. For whatever reasons, some celebrities just don't want to sign on some days.And often fans INSIST on an autograph and do not bother to say "Thank You" to the celebrity for the time and effort taken to give the autograph.
Also some people sell your autographs they get from celebrities ("Can you sign for my sick little boy who has terminal cancer"), making it a profitable "business" for the fan at the expense of the celebrity. Those people are stalkers of sort..stalking for the celebrity autograph, not so much stalking the celebrity personally.
On the other hand, being a celebrity who is enriched by public attention may mean the celebrity should be gracious and sign for the fans who makehim or her wealthy. In our age of electronic communication original handwritten letters are growing scarce. Messages sent via fax or E-mail are replacing the original letter written on paper with pen. So finding autographs the old way is a dying art.
However, the autographs available to be collected are becoming more rare, and the individuals whose handwritten letters can be collected are becoming fewer in number. They sure are more dear than an isolated signature on apiece of paper or back of a program. To touch a relic from our cultured history, to actually own a piece of history in the form of an autograph isn't a bad thing. But it's just not for me.
What do you think about getting autographs from people you admire? If you were a celebrity would you sign them? For whom? Under whatconditions?