Urinating Spiekermann Incident

So, it's the interval of last night's KUTV: Libby Carton had over run a little and while the brilliant Chris Murphy (of here and here) tried his best to claw back time we only had a 5 minute "comfort break". Off everyone goes to the toilet. I'm standing just inside, behind the door in a gig-like queue waiting for a free spot when the door opens, bumping my shoulder. And who should poke his head around the door but Spiekermann.

There I am, standing next to the man who's informed my work, who's inspired me, who I've admired for years. What do I say?

There's only one thing I can think of. So I lean towards him, "Corrected you on Typophile a couple of weeks ago". Doe! (But I don't leave it there). "It wasn't Frutiger, it was Avenir...blah, blah, blah".

He doesn't remember. I think I've caught him off guard. Perhaps it's the location. Perhaps it's just the oblique remark. I, for one, am feeling uncomfortable. It gets worse. Suddenly, I find myself standing next to him at the urinals, still talking, still trying (and failing) to get myself out of a hole, trying hard not to look such an arse. And guess what? (And most men, I hope, will be able to relate to this) I can't go. I'm trying to urinate with Spiekermann and nerves have got the better of me.

So I fake it and get out of there - but still talking! I just won't let him go. Across the corridor, back into the lecture theatre. Still talking! Drivvle!

Thank god it's time for him to go on. I nip back to the toilet, get back to my seat, colleagues laughing and on he comes. Brilliant!

Comments

[Charles Frith]

Brilliant confessional.

Feels like an opportunity to join in... I spotted Oliver Stone in a night club and went over to say hello. So after shaking his hand, I gave him my ancient history soundbite of Alexander the great that I knew he'd been shooting in Thailand.

"Hey Oliver, I hope you didn't skip over Alexander the Greats bisexuality, and that while he was pinning down whole armies across Asia he was also pinning down his Generals at night"

Maybe he knew he'd shot a turkey of a movie but with just a look to his cohorts, I was ushered out of his distance in no time at all.

Shame really, as I never got to tell him he's an American hero. Not just for doing two voluntary tours of duty in Vietnam when the current president of the United States and the Neocons were skipping class, but also for shooting JFK. Which was the other big smoke-and-mirrors-caught-on-film-spectacle that hoodwinked a lot of people.

You only get one chance to make a first impression :)

[mjb]

funny, i thought Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK. . .