Don't Dare Ask Tommy Lee For A Photo

Tommy Lee apparently felt the need to take a public stance on the issue of having to take pictures with his fans. Below is what he posted on his official Facebook page on June 28, 2012 (the profanity edits are mine, the poor spelling and grammar are from the original):

 

Dear Fans,

I f---ing LOVE my fans! And you know this!!!... If you asked anyone that knows me really well they would tell ya the same thing...Tommy loves his fans. He lives for this shit...he eats, breaths, shits music 24/7. They’ll also probably tell ya that he’s a down to earth grateful life lovin dude and a nice guy too. What I have a problem with is... Taking pictures! I hate it! Irritates the f...uck out of me when people say...you owe it to your fans, they put you where you are, etc etc! I certainly dont owe anybody anything! When I bought all my Led Zeppelin records and concert tickets I didn’t say “one day these fuckers are gonna owe me a picture” It’s the least they can do for me!...wtf people? You dont admire something so that it can give back... You just cherish it! And to those who say..you should be grateful that people wanna take your picture maybe one day they wont want it!.... That day cant come soon enough! BTW..I’m not here to take pictures with you, I’m here to entertain you!

 
Nobody put me where I am but ME! They may have helped inspire me with their love for what I do...but I put myself right here where I want to be with a lot of hard work, practice, talent, luck, etc. What I do owe myself and others is being THE BEST I can be! And that’s making great music, being a good man, father, lover and human being! We all owe that kinda stuff to ourselves and each other. People do we really need a silly picture?... For what bragging rights? Really?.. Who fucking cares! Someones not gonna believe you if ya dont have the proof pic?...then fuck em! I’d never go up to someone that I admired and bug them for a picture!! Why!.... I might say a quick hello...maybe a handshake?.. I dunno..it depends on the “situation”... Most people never consider the “situation”. Thats really important... Ya wouldn’t wanna handshake standing at the pisser in the mens bathroom next to me would ya?... And Yes thats happened to me too... Or when your eating a nice quite meal with your family some rude jackass comes up and asks for a picture! You cant even imagine what kinda crazy has happened to me. I understand the excitement and all but just take a second and think... Is this cool right now? Its called Consciousness; it’s the quality or state of being aware of an external object or something within oneself. Be Conscious. So like I said.. The fastest way to get me to leave is whip out a camera! Maybe just say hello and I'll probably take ya home with me! Well I’d have to ask my girlfriend first! Hah!

Sincerely yours,
The Picture Taker Hater!
Tommy Lee

 

So that is fine, Mr. Lee, if you do not want to take pictures with your fans... but then riddle me this? Why are you willing to take such pictures when those same fans pay $1,500 per ticket for the Motley Crue VIP Experience? To me, that is glaring evidence of your hypocrisy. If it is about the music, then why are you able to set your personal feelings about the act of taking picture with your fans aside when you are making some easy money? Perhaps you need to re-examine your position on this issue, and either (1) live by the words you typed above and stop cashing those VIP Experience checks, or (2) acknowledge all fans equally, and do not begrudge every fan that asks you for a quick picture. I understands some situations don't warrant you agreeing to a picture, but remember, these are your fans that probably have followed your career (missteps and all) for decades, and it is probably an exciting moment that they want to memorialize. I'm sorry we don't all have the exciting life that you lead Tommy, but to take a stance like this is pointless and is only going to serve to further alienate Motley Crue from their fans.  Well played, Tommy... well played.

Comments

[Metalboy!]

Huh-uh-lo-oh! Echo! Echo!

The guy's pumpin' gas or goin' to Von's on West Sunset for some Hain Organic Peanut Butter for his kids. "F*ck You if you want your photo taken with me!", if that's what he feels like saying.

If Lee's posing with you and the band as part of a VIP Package or if your a PA wanting a pic with him over by the crafts table on the KIA shoot, by all means, he should feel obligated BECAUSE HE'S ON THE JOB!

HIM and anyone else who thinks Lee's position is hypocritical (Sorry, Al) is OFF on this one.

[Forge]

Cant believe i'm agreeing with MB on this one, but ount me among those who have no problem with artists having a no photo policy. I specially agree with the on duty/off duty distinction MB drwas and i was about to make the same point. There's no hypocrisy here.

[Metalboy!]

Hear! Hear! Forge!

[Velonese]

I was going to get ready and agree with the hypocrisy theories on this one. But MB makes a good point that's tough to argue with. If Tommy is just out and about,say at a restaurant, just let him be. Now if you were to approach him at a Motley Crue show either before or after, then it may be a prick move if he doesn't sign anything for you.

[Metalboy!]

Wait, this is about posing for pictures. If someone's asking Tommy or whoever to sign something, that's an even bigger request.

My boss is good friends with Kenny Rogers (Don't laugh, the guy ranks like 10th in Worldwide Album Sales) and Kenny has a new policy to no longer sign anything.

Why? Ebay.

But Kenny WILL gladly let you have your picture taken with him, however.

[Jimbo]

Problem also is that EVERYONE has a phone with a camera,,so like Metalboy says he's getting asked everyday,everywhere he goes.I bet it gets old,,but by Tommy coming out and saying this I think he's being a ass.He's famous and rich by us,the fans.like someone else wrote,,whats a pic take 3-5 seconds?.if its asked for respectfully and no ones invading his personal space..why not??

Also Tommy is pushing 50 and I bet he feels that he doesnt 'look as good' as he did years ago,and some bad pics of him will be uploaded to Facebook or anyplace else that will be on the web for the world to see...crushing his ego a bit.

Tommy is playing a biker bar Thursday night,,Wally's in Hampton Beach NH..literally 10 houses away from mine..Maybe Ill walk over during soundcheck and whip out my Iphone...I wont be spending anymore money on these clowns

[Velonese]

oops. I meant get a picture not sign something. I had a bit of a brain meltdown when I typed that.

[Metalboy!]

Hahaha!!! Jimbo! You gotta do it! Especially since he's only gonna be 10 houses away. Just go up there all "Gosh Gee Willigers" like you have no clue about his anti-photo rant and ask to have your picture taken with him just as an experiment to see how he reacts.

You also make several great points -- Lee is probably "feeling it" on a number of levels especially now that everyone's a photographer due to the whole phone with built in camera thing. And, I think you're also right when you point out that Lee is no spring chicken anymore and duzn't want unedited photos of himself plastered all over the place.

[Druffboy]

I get it. he just isnt down on the whole photo thing - or meeting /signing stuff for fans at times as well. i know this, I drove him to the Airport after the last supernova gig. been a huge fan since 1990, but it just didnt seem apropriate to but in to his conversations he was having with Bob Rock's daughter just to say 'can i get an autograph / picture etc... I did manage to get his ahead drums sticks, my quarternary cd, tommyland and a picture signed which his drum assistant and personal assistant hooked me up with - he even gave me Cinderella guitar picks! but asking tommy himself never felt like the time was right. He very much seemed only interested in talking to super hot chicks - any male fan just wasnt worth his time. I know this as there were a small few outside the hotel wanting to get some things signed - it would have taken 20 seconds to acknowledge them and there was time, he just wanted nothing to do with meeting them - he couldnt get in the car fast enough!

[Metalboy!]

Cool, Druffboy! Thanks for the view inside Tommyland!

[Him]

No one will read this, but I figure it deserves to be told (or, err, re-posted):

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=176626

I think this supports my point and several of those that disagree with me. He deserves some respect for his personal space, yes. But he over-reacted (not to the event, but in posting while he was so angry).

Perhaps the larger story is this: consider what you post before you post it when you are a _public_ figure and not a _private_ person (the issue that Metalboy! failed to get in dissing me for making it). You can have a personal life as an artist. But you are a public person nonetheless.

Thus begins the echo . . .

[fletch]

David Lee Roth's former lead guitarit, Terry Kilgore, read Tommy Lee's explanation and he posted the following response:

"gee im surprised he didnt beat the shit out of her ... he never hesitated for way less from his girlfreinds i mean hell he broke heathers nose on their honeymoon .loosened pams hinges and prior to his fame and fortune beat the snot out of lisa patt if you think tommy was shocked by that you should have seen what lisa looked like after the pummeling she took .that was a bit more shocking" -Terry Kilgore

[Him]

Have to hand it to you, Fletch. A really big laugh . . . and a really big dose of reality.

[bongnbud]

next time tommy throws a pair of drumsticks into the crowd, they should fling em' right back at his ass. besides mick mars is without a doubt the coolest!