Pat Benatar book signing: no memorabilia, no photographs, no inscriptions, .........but a bunch of rules to sign by.

[Stephen Duncan]

Once again, I just chuckle and laugh. Once again, I need to tell myself to try and understand. Once again, I must remind myself that a signed book is all I was paying for. What I am talking about is the book signing for Pat Benatar Friday night, 6/18 at 7pm, at Borders in Westwood. For the price of the book, fans could get the pleasure of seeing classic '80's pop rocker Pat Benatar sign such book and say a few brief words to you, but that is all that you are going to get. Nada mas.............

There were no memorabilia to be signed that night, per thier rules. Okay, this I understand. I have always been of the thought however that one book should equal one piece of memorabilia, OR one person (no matter how many books) should equal one piece of memorabilia. Anyways, don't like it, don't agree with it, but I get it.

No photographs of or at the event either. Okay, I understand. It is Miss Benatars signing and if she doesn't want her photograph taken, I suppose that is her right to decide such. Again, don't like it, don't agree with it, but I get it.

The house rules were to have your book ready and the flap open to page 6. She is only signing page 6. Looking at page 6, it's the books inner title page in bold print along with the authors and publishing house name taking up 3/4ths of the page. Simply a terrible page to have signed. House rules per this Borders staff member is "no, I'm sorry, she is only signing page 6." What about if I wanted the cover signed or page 5 which is a clear open page less the title of the book, in a very small font? It's going to be my book, not hers. Why should anyone care where it is signed. Even if I wanted the back of the book signed why should anyone care? Don't like it, don't agree with it, but this one I did not get.

We were also told by staff members no inscriptions on your book. Whoa, whoa, whoaaa!! What???? As this staff member stated, "there is just too many people as Miss Benatar is only scheduled to sign for an hour". An hour??????? On a Friday night in Los Angeles, her only California thus far scheduled book signing? What, ..........does she turn into a pumpkin shortly after 8pm?? Who signs for an hour only long book signing in Los Angeles? Even Paul McCartney was scheduled for 2 hours and Elton John stayed for 4 hours.

I thought for a while I was back in Sister Patricia's 5th grade classroom at Catholic School. I have heard of rules, but this was way too silly. It was clear there were 3 entities all working here: The author, the publisher and the venue. However it surely seemed all were not on the same page. The signing started shortly after 7pm which gave me a chance to count the amount of people in line at zero hour: 327 people with a maximum of 3 books (most with just one or two books). A fair crowd, but by no means would it be considered a mob or all that packed. Gene Simmons and Keith Richards; well over 1000+ at Tower Records was a mob. Carlos Santana, Bob Hope, Madonna, Tony Bennet, Nick Mason all had way more people yet offered inscriptions (though Madonna stopped inscribing mid way through).

As I made my way up to the table, Miss Benatar was looking as beautiful as I remember her from seeing her in concert during the 1980's, or once in person at The Hard Rock Cafe in the 1990's. Wonderful smile, sharp deep eyes, and friendly as seemingly as can be. She was dressed beautifully and made up ready to greet her fans. I asked her to please inscribe just one of my 3 books, to where she kindly replied, "I can't, it would hold up the line". (hold up the line, you got to be serious?) Yet she had no problem chatting with me about the 1982 US Festival (and small talked everyone else at her table), and petted a poodle which this lady in line had in her arms, all of which I suppose didn't hold up the line.

In conclusion, I respect the fact that an artists signing is their signing. They (and thier publisher) always set the rules. However, when your running such a tight ship and you rule out every other element that true fans might want to obtain, how receptive really is the celebrity being to the fans (or are you simply selling the cattle and sheep aka the paying fans, a signed book or two)? I understand rules as life is full of them. However, some of these multi million dollar celebrities need to lighten up. Book signings should be a fun and very rare chance for both celebrity and fan to meet, ever so brief. Profitable for the author and rewarding for those that took the time to attend the event.

Offer to sign a piece of memorabilia and plan on staying a bit longer. You might just end up selling more books. Borders even had a coffee shop on the same floor. I would of been more than happy to get Miss Benatar a strong cup of "Joe", should she of needed a half way through kicker.

By the way, I got my books signed on page 5. The blank page beside page 6.

[mark peterson]

She has a place over here on the island, however Ive never seen her.Maybe thats a good thing!

[Stephen Duncan]

SHE was real nice, all the RULES were not.

[Steve Cyrkin, Admin]

Signing's a battlefield.

[Bjarne Soderholm]

Did you need to get a wristband for the signing? Because that is what we need here in Orlando.

[Josh Board]

Headbands..."signings a battlefield" ... holy cow, this was some funny stuff.

I had a crazy experience with Pat Benator, but I'm saving it for a column (I can't waste all my good stories on these posts!)

I will say...I know we've talked about this and you disagree with me SD, but I like to tell people why they're doing something silly. I would've said "I'm buying 3 books, you're not going to sign the two albums I brought...but you can't inscribe one book? And you were petting a poodle for a minute or two, which surely would hold the line up more than writing my name, which would take 3 seconds."

You know what, though. To play devils advocate...I've seen people that say "no, no...you spell it Stephen, with a "ph" not with a "v"..." and then the star is all flustered and mad.

I have another story, involving someone that kept asking a woman how to spell her name (singer of General Public and English Beat). And what happened goes down as one of the strangest personalization stories I've ever heard. It'll be in a future column, too.

[Robert S Levinson]

I've done hundreds of book signings over the past ten years (including the Westwood Borders). Most book collectors, especially those after first editions, prefer the signature on t he full title page. That's where you usually find it, but not always, and not because it's a rule. Some collectors prefer signature only. Others ask for signature and date. Some request personalization. Others ask for the inscription to include a line from the book; some even come prepared with a line or two of choice. I've always made it a practice to oblige every request, with the new book and with any earlier titles the collector might have brought to the event.

[Stephen Duncan]

The early birds got a red wristband (those before 4pm & "special guests"), from 4pm to about 6:30pm got orange wristbands (that was me) and then there was some other color for those arriving later.

..........................with all the rules I thought I might be wasting my "Precious Time".

[Josh Board]

I don't think yuo can say Pat Benatar is nice, but the rules are strict. She could make the rules different if she was "nice." My story, when I finally write it, many will think she is super sweet. I actually think the exact opposite, but that she has smart, nice people working for her.

[Stephen Duncan]

You crack me up Josh. I think we have seen much and both are "too nice" in our comments. These celebs are all acting, .....even at a signing. We both know it.

Travis, I understand the photo thing and the memorabilia thing, but do agree if they were really there mutually for their fans and just not to sell books, a 4 book limit per person and 1 piece of memorabilia per person is more than fair. The entire 1 hour set aside to sign in a city the size of L.A. is just plain looney.

[Joe OBrien]

I wouldve walked out and never got on line