How do I respond?!
Find a Conversation
| Mon, 04-05-2004 - 1:38pm |
Here's what his email said:
Dear Alecia, (that's me!!)
Wow,i want to let you know that i am very touched by your message,i want to
thank you for all of your support and warm kind words.I'ts nice to know that
there are people out there as open minded and beautiful as you.I would love
for us to stay in touch and share words and thoughts.I wish that i was able
to continue this letter,but i have to finish getting ready to meet with some
friends for lunch.As for the picture that you sent me of yourself,no,that is
not lame.It's nice to know and have a face or visual of whom you are making
friends with.We are human and we are visual beings.Please feel free to send
any photos anytime,that photo that you sent me was nice,your smile exudes
warmth,even through the photo.T'ill i hear back from you (hopefully soon)
take care and i will keep a good thought for you.
-------------------------------------------------------------
I'm leaving who he is out of this cuz he's mine! LOL. Anyways how would you respond to this? I really really really want to keep talking with this guy but i have no idea how to write him back. I know this sounds stupid but i need help! It's not everyday someone you see on TV that you have a crush on (lol) writes you back and says they wanna keep in touch!!! Do you think from what he wrote he's interested?? I feel like a little girl!
Please...any advice on what to say back to him would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!

You're not atypical.....hundreds or thousands of girls have done precisely what you've done with this exact guy. And he's got agents and managers that answer the letters with form letters that it appears he signs.
It's to keep you watching the show, buying his albums, going to his concerts, or whatever it is. But he never saw the letter or your picture...the staff that handles his bags of mail did.
Erin
quickblade14@hotmail.com
I'm with Erin on this one. It's probably a generic form letter that someone who works for him wrote after seeing your email. But, for the curiosity in all of us, you could write him back for kicks and see if someone responds. You asked what to write, so I would thank him for writing and say that you'll "keep in touch" just to say that you wrote back. Keep in mind, he probably isn't that person who is actually writing you back. Okay, if we promise not to "go after" this guy, will you tell us who it is? I'm kind of intrigued by this story.
I wish I could give you what you want to hear, but I agree with the other posters. Respond or not, just remember that chances are this is where the communication ends.
Ivy
georgiasugarbaby@yahoo.com
What she should have received is a very nice but formal letter from the star's publicity agent thanking the fan for her support... with NO invitation to keep corresponding send photos or future letters, etc. That was just stupid, and I don't know why they would encourage such a thing.
But face it.....In Sync, Boyz to Men, Back Street Boys - they're out to sell records, concert tickets, and promote products and be paid by sponsors for promoting those products and upping the sales quotas.
In a 1-on-1 situation - nobody should "lead her on" to believe that more is possible to have. But in a business situation - every day in every venture - marketing and promotions lead us to believe that more "is" there to get if we pursue it. I mean, we're not all going to be Shaq tall just by buying at Radio Shack! But the implication is "you're a big man if you buy here".
It is sad that this little girl can't discern the difference due to life inexperience between someone liking her as a person based on knowing her as an individual....vs liking her potential business revenue by buying CD's, tickets, and music videos....but that is what their business is. IT's "self-promotion" vs. promoting Clorox bleach. But, the fact is.......she's a little bit of a unrealistic dreamer....I hope her parents and friends rally around her and bring her back down to earth with helping her learn to like and accept herself and teach her how to create a great life for herself...so that she doesn't spend years or a lifetime hoping that "her magic prince will come and make her the princess she wnts to be."
Erin
quickblade14@hotmail.com
And my comments really aren't based on morals or ethics... it's a safety concern. Don't they remember what happened to the actress from the tv show "My Sister Sam" -- Rebecca Shafer -- in the 1980's? Shafer exchanged a couple of letters with a fan. The deranged fan later showed up on her doorstep and shot her to death. I believe authorities later acknowledged that her letters sent the wrong message because they were a bit too kind or familiar. And remember John Hinckley shot President Reagan and James Brady after exchanging letters with actress Jodi Foster.
This girl's celebrity letter went far past the bounds of a good "marketing ploy," if you ask me. I speak with some authority... I have spent the last 10 years or so of my professional life in public relations. There certainly was no reason to encourage her to keep sending photos of herself, for goodness sake! I'm pretty sure she would have been happy to receive a simple "Thanks for your letter" reply from the publicity department. And she would continue to buy his cd's or go to his movies or watch his shows, etc.
But you are also right that it's ultimately up to her parents, school, therapist to teach her the difference between fantasy and reality. Still, I think that celebrities have some responsibility to be prudent, however. If only to protect themselves.
And to the poster... I don't mean to imply that you are a deranged fan (smile). You sound happy and excited about your letter, and that's fine. But I'm just advising you not to believe that it's any more than celebrity "hype." Unfortunately, there are people out there who would react very strangely and violently to the "star's" stupid response to you.
Edited 4/6/2004 12:30 am ET ET by jilly73