"margaret suran" > wrote in message
...
>
> I met Emeril twice: The first and last time.
>
> It was at the Fifth Avenue Book Fair, which unhappily is no more. He was
> the Spokesperson or King or something for the Fair that year and people
> had gotten on line, after buying his books, to wait in the hot afternoon
> sun. We waited and waited and were told that he was sitting somewhere in
> air conditioned comfort, chatting and eating and drinking (I don't know
> what he drank, perhaps just soda) and having a good time. The people on
> line were in a really bad mood when he appeared one hour late.
>
> I wanted to have some of his books for Christmas presents for a few foodie
> friends and had bought six or eight. When I got to him, I said "hello,
> nice to meet you" or something and he looked at the books and got really
> nasty. He said he would only sign two or three (up to that point he had
> signed all that were put in front of him, many had as many as I) because
> this was not to his liking, the heat and all the people and he wanted to
> get done and leave. I told him the books had been purchased and I wanted
> them autographed and I was super polite, with many thanks and pleases. He
> was adamant. Someone from the Book Fair of from his publisher was sitting
> with him and told him he MUST sign the books, because there had been no
> limit in the amount a person could buy for the promotion. He became
> nastier and nastier, signed the books, not with his name but with BAM.
> You cannot imagine how I felt. I had spent a good deal of money and he
> made me feel like a beggar. By then, the people who were waiting got
> impatient and the man with him told him to start acting like an adult.
>
> I thanked the man, gathered my books which were finally signed and walked
> away. I really wanted to take the books, tear them up and throw the torn
> mess at Emeril, yelling BAM as I did. I wish I had.

I'm sorry he was such an a**hole during your book-signing, Margaret. You
shoulda thrown the books at him.

Here's one example of when he was nice to his fans: My mom, brother, SIL,
and nieces were all in the audience during one of his shows a few years ago
(the one with Pat Benatar and her husband as the featured guests). During
one of the commercial breaks, he came into the audience and took the hands
of both of my nieces and led them and other kids in the audience up to the
stage/set and got them ice cream treats from the freezer. He was really
sweet to the kids.

Mary