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Physical Contact

Skybird

Last year I met my favourite singer three times and with a lot of these Meet and Greet-type things you get a photo and the celebrity usually puts their arm around you whilst the picture is taken.

I have always felt uncomfortable with any physical contact with most people, particularly men. The trouble is that I've never really known how to handle it and end up worrying excessively that I will offend someone.

My favourite singer is a really lovely, gentle man and I enjoy meeting him and listening to what he has to say. I'd like to meet him again if he tours here but I just worry constantly that might offend him if I pull away from him when he puts his arm around me for the photo.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to make this sort of thing easier?

  • Thank you both for the suggestions. :)

    They're both ideas that I'd imagine could work. I like the hat idea as I wear hats a fair bit anyway.

    Hope said:

    Or you could just tell him you find physical contact difficult, but do not want to offend him, and is it alright just to stand next to each other? Honesty is the best policy Smile

    Would you tell him that it was because you had a form of Autism in the hope that it would make it easier for him to understand that it's nothing personal?

    I did think of writing to his PA before my last Meet and Greet with him and explaining the situation but I didn't for some reason.

    At the moment I'm not sure when he'll be back in this country again but I know he's keen to come back so it's likely that I'll get the chance to meet him again. I just don't want to be worrying about it so much that it ends up making things worse.

  • Or you could just tell him you find physical contact difficult, but do not want to offend him, and is it alright just to stand next to each other? Honesty is the best policy Smile

  • Some suggestions:

    wear a wide brimmed hat  that prevents him leaning in too close, like those large summer hats you see at weddings.  You could sort of tilt a bit towards him so it looks like you want to be close, but the hat is the obstruction and not you.  I doubt he will ask you to remove your hat as that is a very personal request.

    Other suggestion is to stand sideways on to him (so you both create an "7" sort of shape, so his arm cannot reach around you and step slighly forwards, making it even more difficult. 

    Could also use a prop that you place between him and you.  Maybe hold up his latest promotional item (book, CD) and indicate that you would like him to hold the book instead, by firmly handing it to him, so his hands are now occcupied.  He will like nothing more than marketing himself in this way.

    Actually, giving him something to hold seems the best solution in my mind.  He won't refuse as it would not be in his best interest to... something that he needs to display to the camera using both hands I think.

    Let me know if any of these work.