Ashlee Simpson Disses Mascot

When celebrities come to Philadelphia, they don’t just visit department stores. They also turn down photo requests from mascots. Last November, Paris Hilton turned down a photo request from a groundhog from the state’s tourism bureau; security also made him remove his groundhog head. Thousands of children scarred.

Ashlee Simpson appeared at a Wal-Mart in Bucks County Monday afternoon, hawking copies of her new single. The Courier-Times also turns into The Insider for a moment:

“She got bad directions,” a publicist explained, dismissing a rumor that Simpson’s people had driven her to the wrong Wal-Mart.

Translation: Ashlee Simpson was driven to the wrong Wal-Mart.

Perhaps that put Simpson in a bad mood, because later, as Hugh at Philly Chit Chat reports, she went all Paris Hilton on the mascot from Red Robin.

Unlike the meet-and-greet with Paris Hilton at Macy’s last year, the Ashlee Simpson one was inexpensive, $1.96 (the price of her new CD single) to Hilton’s $55. But just exactly like the Paris visit, a costumed mascot waited in line to pose for a photo, the Red Robin (as in Diner) to Hilton’s Groundhog from the state tourism office. And just exactly like the Paris visit, the request was denied.

There are other questions, not even including ones about how Philly Chit Chat has become the Paper of Record for celebrity-mascot tussles. But I guess my main one is: There were two people willing to wait in a hot, sweaty mascot suit to get a photograph with a blone female celeb?

Another bird brain idea gone south [Philly Chit Chat]
Nov. 15: Paris Hilton Disses Guy In Groundhog Suit