AUTOGRAPH

 

When we were young most of us had autograph books that were given to us as Christmas or birthday gifts. Some of us used them extensively but most kids, after getting their parents, old uncles and friends and siblings to write something funny or rude in them, lost the books or relegated them to the bottom of the cardboard box under the bed. 

I'd hazard a guess that nine times out of ten the kids' dad had written on the back page:

"By hook or by crook I'll be the last in this book."

I had a book that had that and some other nonsense in it. I also had some 'cool' signatures to go alongside the family ones. People like:

• Louis Armstrong
• The French Rugby League captain on the 1960 tour
• Colin O'Neill - NZ 'Kiwis' captain 1960s (and my rugby league coach)

I don't know where that autograph book is now. My brother pinched it sometime in the 60s and probably destroyed it because he was jealous.

Autographs then were kind of special and, like diary notes were a way to mark an event or a meeting. Nowadays the whole thing has been monetised to a ridiculous degree and the 'fun' has been taken out of it. Celebrities, in addition to being hounded by the paparazzi, are accosted by autograph and souvenir hunters.

I've been watching the  cricket T20 and ODI games and it annoys me to see kids, older kids and adults hassling players at the edge of the field to autograph their bats, balls, shirts etc. It's disruptive and often rude. I don't believe that all or most of it is for fun and a memory - it's monetising gone mad.

So there!