Seth Green Doesn’t Like To Be Seen At Rite-Aid
November 30th, 2005
Apparently, Seth Green thinks being seen at the Rite-Aid Pharmacy, is a bad thing.
You’d think that if celebrities didn’t have a problem being seen at Starbucks and The Coffee Bean and Ralph’s Supermarket and Hugo’s restaurant and the Arclight Cinemas and The Soup Plantation and my favorite French restaurant and the dog park and the patio furniture store and 24 Hour Fitness, that being seen at my favorite local drug store wouldn’t be a problem either.
Well, for Seth Green…apparently it is.
Known best for his role as Dr. Evil’s son, Scott, in Austin Powers — Seth Green has been around for a long long time in this grind they call “the acting thang.” You may even remember one of his first roles as the younger nerdy brother of Patrick Dempsey in the classic 80’s movie Can’t Buy Me Love. And you may or may not remember the sequence in that movie where he walks up to the female love interest of the movie (in a mall, at a make-up counter) and informs her that she’s just ruined his brother’s life. Her response? A powdery powder puff in the face — causing Seth Green’s complexion to turn a nice pasty white.
That’s embarrassing. But being in Rite-Aid?
The Greenster was walking in the establishment as I was walking out — and had I not peered under his protective head gear (his baseball hat pulled way down to guard his image) I would never have realized it was him. But in “my world” I’m always keeping an extra eye out for Hollywood’s not-so-famous…because you never know when a conversation can turn into, um… the kind of conversation that can get you in trouble.
I immediately flipped back around and followed him back inside.
Seth Green was acting erratic. First he walked down the aisle that no one ever goes down in a Rite-Aid Pharmacy — the toy aisle. The toy aisle at Rite-Aid sucks. It’s filled with the kind of things you end up getting out of those mini-toy dispensers…the kinds where toys come in tiny little plastic bubbles. For a split second I wondered if he was doing shopping for his new stop-motion Cartoon Network show Robot Chicken.
But apparently his trip down the “mediocre toy aisle” was just a short cut to get him to the place he really needed to go. The Makeup Department.
Unlike supermarkets, which smartly put their make-up and cosmetics in an aisle filled with other manly items, the Rite-Aid Pharmacy sets aside the make-up and cosmetics to the very well-lit front of the store. There’s no hiding yourself if this is where you need to go. (Not that I ever need to go to this section.)
It seemed that Seth Green needed something from the make-up department and didn’t want anyone to know it.
The Greenster fondled a back-brush. Then looked around. I was quick to peruse a standee filled with portable Cheeto containers. The G-Man then turned back, checking out some cotton balls. He was eyeing the aisle behind him, a wall that displayed hundreds of make-up items from lip stick to eyeliner to powders and lash thickeners. I moved closer, hovering at the edge of the well-lit area, pretending to be interested in shampoo and conditioner.
Fortunately, I could still look like a man, as I had yet to fully enter the eye of the pharmacy make-up storm.
But for Seth Green, it was too late. He quickly reached up and pulled down a variety of womanly make-up items and made a quick bee-line for a more manly aisle — the powerbar aisle. Once there, he grabbed a handful of energy bars and drinks, and piled them in and around the make-up items he was already grasping.
I half expected myself to say something like, “Hey Seth Green. I didn’t know you wore make-up.”
But Mr. Green, with his head hung low, quickly made his way to the front counter where a register was opening right at that moment (to his relief) and his products were rung up, paid for, and the entire scenario was over.
In hindsight, I’m not quite sure Mr. Seth Green is the make-up wearing kind, but I’m also not quite sure why he’d need to pick up one of those eye-liner brushes. Personally, if Mr. SG has a girlfriend who asked him to pick up the stuff, I would have expected he might have told her that yes, “hygiene products are OK, but please don’t make me buy make-up because my public doesn’t need to think of me that way…”
Ah, yes. Your public. The exact same public who happens to be at the exact same Rite-Aid that you are, watching you as you secretly pluck make-up off the make-up wall for some unknown, sinister reason.
As Mr. Green left the establishment I was left with three things to debate. One, sure actors wear make-up but do they really go shop for it on their own? Two, if actors do wear make-up and this is a mainstream common thing in Hollywood that everyone knows, why would someone like Seth Green seek to cover up such a detail about his personal life? And three — why does Rite-Aid have to make a make-up section instead of just putting eyeliner where it should go…in the aisle next to the eye drops and the eyebrow tweezers?
These are big questions, people. And someday, I hope to answer them all.
Maybe he had a zit and needed some cover-up ASAP. And he wasn’t sure which shade suited him so he got a bunch of different ones and will return the wrong one.
Yes, I think that’s it.
Comment by Hilary — November 30, 2005 @ 9:20 am
You’d think that he’d be making a nice enough salary to buy the good stuff at Nordstrom. And what were you buying at Rite-Aid?
Comment by Neil — November 30, 2005 @ 9:27 am
i can’t BELIEVE you didn’t say anything.
Comment by kristine — November 30, 2005 @ 9:28 am
I was, uh, buying, um…Q-Tips?
Comment by Pauly D — November 30, 2005 @ 9:44 am
yeah. what Neil said. why was he shopping for make-up at Rite-Aid? it’s all crap!
Comment by jenny — November 30, 2005 @ 9:57 am
Jenny - I just call ‘em when I see ‘em. Besides, if Seth Green lives in the Valley (like I do), the last thing I’m gonna do is drive all the way over the hill into Hollywood to buy make-up when I could just drive down the street and pick some up.
If I bought make-up. Which I don’t. Okay?
Comment by Pauly D — November 30, 2005 @ 10:04 am
Wow…um…that’s quite a story. Well, I think we’re making a major assumption here. That Seth will use this makeup products as intended. Maybe he wanted to leave messages for his friends in eyeliner and lipstick on their mirrors? Or maybe he wanted to give them to a girl and say, “you need it.” Or maybe he wanted to eat them. *Shrug*
I guess the world will never know. I think you’ll have better luck tackling the question, “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?”
Comment by Brian J. Hong — November 30, 2005 @ 10:05 am
But Pauly, you didn’t answer the most important question of all…was it eeeeevil eyeliner?
Comment by annabel lee — November 30, 2005 @ 10:08 am
I bet he’s going to test them on animals!
NO ANIMAL TESTING!!!
Sorry, wrong site.
Comment by Nathan Logan — November 30, 2005 @ 10:11 am
is he really as short as they say he is?
Comment by heather — November 30, 2005 @ 10:38 am
He’s like two foot three.
Comment by Pauly D — November 30, 2005 @ 10:40 am
If he’s two foot three, did he need a stool to reach the eyeliner? Not that I would know at what level they store such things in Rite Aid or anything. Nope. Not I. Just like you were buying Q Tips, right?
Comment by Kevin — November 30, 2005 @ 11:15 am
Wow two foot three? Maybe he was shopping for make-up to live out an Oompa Loompa fanstasy. Did you notice if he picked up that awful orangey skin bronzer and a wig?
Comment by groovebunny — November 30, 2005 @ 12:01 pm
maybe he was going to a secret “semi-celebrity” rave, where all the other b-listers and such would immediately haze and attack him for not having make-up on? maybe rite-aid is a secret lair for men who love to wear make-up when no one is looking? maybe he needed something to compliment his eye color?
now i have questions?
why is it called rite-aid? are they mocking us?
Comment by Shawna — November 30, 2005 @ 1:04 pm
Hey Pauly, do you ever see any REALLY BIG stars?
And I don’t mean the taller than two foot three kind.
Comment by Rachel — November 30, 2005 @ 1:08 pm
I do see big stars, but I don’t talk about them for fear of being killed in the dead of night while I sleep by their assistants.
True story.
Comment by Pauly D — November 30, 2005 @ 1:10 pm
Here’s where I become a big ol’ “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” geek and say that maybe he was buying make-up in an effort to look more womanly since Willow (his ex-girlfriend) became a lesbian and he really wants her back. I am of course working under the assumption that he is not Seth but OZ and that everything Buffy actually exists. Hey, don’t blame me for trying to give a guy an alibi, alright? I do the best I can.
Comment by Amber — November 30, 2005 @ 1:31 pm
Can’t a man buy eyeliner in this town without it being newsworthy?
Maybe I just have a soft spot for Seth. I worked on a movie with him and he could not have been more gracious and friendly.
He even called out the starlet du jour who was being a bitch to the extras by pointing out that she herself had been an extra only a few weeks before. He rocks.
Comment by amandarin — November 30, 2005 @ 1:36 pm
Maybe they were all out of Sudafed and he was jonesing.
Comment by Amy — November 30, 2005 @ 2:51 pm
Maybe there was something much more embarrassing he was going for but you’re inquiring eyes kept him at bay. What if he was just about to reach for the Gas-X or the control top adult diapers when he spied you spying him?
Poor little midget. Your scornful gaze probably caused him to poop his pants!
Comment by Star Effer — November 30, 2005 @ 3:46 pm
i like seth green
oh, and i don’t wear any makeup, because i’m just naturally beautiful.
Comment by meme — November 30, 2005 @ 4:59 pm
Are you going to use your “Q-tips” for eye make-up blending? They are great make-up blenders, yes they are! And for removing that wee bit of mascara that gets under the bottom lashes or right at the top near the inner-eye. Mmm-hmm.
You are so stealth-y! I also cannot believe you didn’t say SOMETHING.
Star effer’s comment made me burst out laughing. Now everyone’s looking at me! Stop looking at me people!
Comment by melina — November 30, 2005 @ 5:22 pm
Well, all I know is that if I was a celebrity (of any rank), I’d be so paranoid that I’d buy EVERYTHING online. In case the general public (*cough* Pauly *cough*) is spying…
Comment by the swede — November 30, 2005 @ 5:55 pm
well…now i know that seth green doesn’t have personal assistants. cuz this is precisely the sort of thing one sends out a PA to do!
Comment by C(h)ristine — November 30, 2005 @ 6:01 pm
I do see big stars, but I don’t talk about them for fear of being killed in the dead of night while I sleep by their assistants.
Wow, you sleep with the assistants of big stars? Way to go, man. Way to go.
Comment by Lynn — November 30, 2005 @ 6:40 pm
I really thought this story was going to take a turn into ointment territory. I’m so glad it didn’t.
Comment by HighMaintenanceHussy — November 30, 2005 @ 7:17 pm
A couple of years ago at the KROQ Weenie Roast, I was backstage and saw Dr. Drew attempting to interview Seth Green for Entertainment Tonight. I say “attempt” because Drew is like seven-foot-eight and Seth is around three-foot-one. Drew had to literally hunch over Seth so both of them could be in the same camera shot.
Comment by Keith — November 30, 2005 @ 7:31 pm
Amber - Your Buffy the Vampire Slayer obsession is hereby called and raised. Good show, my friend!
Amandarin - That’s good to know. I’ve always felt a kind of kismet (or comradarie) with the Seth-ster if not only because his first name is my middle name. Glad he put a startlett in her place.
Star Effer - There you go again, with the M word.
The Swede - I have a feeling about 5% of celebrities sit around checking Google and worrying about who’s talking to them. I gotta believe that after a certain amount of time they just get used to the Pauly D.
Lynn - Thanks for stirring up trouble by misreading a preposition. It was “by” not “with.”
HMH - Ointment territory? I’m going to make up a t-shirt with that on it that says, “Welcome to Ointment Territory”. Will you buy one from my cafepress store?
And Keith — This story is so obviously made up. Dr. Drew is not seven-foot eight. He’s six-foot eight. DUH!
Comment by Pauly D — November 30, 2005 @ 8:38 pm
If you ever take a good face picture of a BIG star and post it here, ill send you a jar of my ultra yummy homemade cookies. But it has to be a good picture, not like those Kristy McNichol blurry, doubtful, could-be-anyone ones. Two jars for a K M one. Three jars if you ever see Robert Downey Jr (mmmmmm). Come on, show us some evidence!
Comment by Veronica — November 30, 2005 @ 10:03 pm
Pauly, can’t you take a little good-natured razzing? I was going to tease you about your familiarity with the make-up isle, but others beat me to it. So I had to settle for the misplaced modifier. Can you blame me?
Comment by Lynn — November 30, 2005 @ 10:09 pm
I’m not a rich moviestar and I don’t even buy make-up at RiteAid. At least if he went to Sephora, it wouldn’t seem so strange to see a man buying makeup. Most of the salespeople that work there are men anyway.
I like your eye-dea about where the eyeliner brush should be located in the Rite-Aid.
Did you know Rite Aid offers a full refund on makeup if you aren’t completely satisfied? Maybe thats how movie stars maintain their wealth????
Comment by Jacquie — December 1, 2005 @ 5:09 am
“I do see big stars, but I don’t talk about them for fear of being killed in the dead of night while I sleep by their assistants.”
Well, duh! If you were sleeping by my assistant, I’d kill you too. But that would also require me having an assistant of my own. Alas, I am but a mere peon.
Don’t worry, I knew what you meant. Just had to have a bit of fun.
Comment by Kevin — December 1, 2005 @ 10:55 am
I saw Seth Green once at the NBC studios. I think he was coming out of doing the Carson Daily Show. I repeat: The Carson Daily Show. And he was embarassed about buying a little make-up??? He’s clearly messed up.
And he’s REALLY short.
Comment by hope — December 1, 2005 @ 12:27 pm
I once saw Ron Jeremy shopping for jeans at Alexanders in Flushing Queens NYC.
The point is, famous people shop at discount chains when they don’t want to be recognzied by other famous people, the only people that matter (to them).
Comment by submachine — December 3, 2005 @ 11:45 pm
Oh my freakin god. Poor guy, you guys are so mean! He was beat up by kids qwhen he was young, he has every reason to hid!
Comment by Oz — December 7, 2005 @ 6:22 pm
maybe he was going nice on a drunk buddy and decided not to use sharpie and ballpoint pen I imagine that is a real pain to take off for photo shoot the following day. Or maybe he was working late on something for robot chicken and wanted to experiment with some different hues, I’m not sure. I really respect the guy and am sure there was a creative reason behind it.
Comment by Monster — December 8, 2005 @ 10:46 pm
maybe you guys don’t know things about seth!! maybe your thinking the wrong things about him. i know him and i know hes not a werido hes a very nice caring person and he lives in new york and la he has 2 houses and im a really good friend of his. so maybe you seen the real seth green and maybe not.. im a model and actress my self who is a unknown and friends with seth.
Comment by megan wilson — December 11, 2005 @ 4:20 pm
I was surfing and I found your journal, specifically this Seth Green post. I think it’s freakin’ hilarious. I also may have the answer as to the Rite Aid make-up mystery. If you’ve seen the promos for his new sitcom (Four Kings, from the producers of Will & Grace) in one of the episodes he is smeared with make-up, looks like a prank played on his character by his roomates. Depending on when you sited him, he could have been preparing to record that episode–which would also explain the choice of cheap make-up. It seems fairly likely since new sitcoms are usually filmed ahead of time in bulk but you’d think that the show would supply things like that. Could the producers of Will & Grace really be THAT cheap?
I don’t know why on earth he’d be embarrassed about it though. Seems pretty silly to me. Maybe it was just one of those days.
Your blog is great btw, I’m glad I surfed in. Thanks for the laugh.
Comment by B. Hummel — January 3, 2006 @ 12:02 am
Well in movies stars do wear make-up but i wouldnt kno y they whould have to buy their own for a movie…..anyways i think he is really cute in the austin powers movies and yea he is really short he is 5 foot 4 and i always thought he was like 17 or something in the 3 austin powers movies until i went onto this one site that said he was 31 i was like Woah i really wish i would accuically get to c a star or talk to one cause here in pennsylvania their is like no stars what so ever but im so glad that seth is from pa i think that is so cool a star that is sooooo hot from my state wow im getting carried away lol
Comment by Krista — January 5, 2006 @ 3:11 pm
I worked at that same exact Rite Aid Pharmacy in Los Angeles for 10 years. I spotted him in the store one late afternoon and asked me if we carried magnifying glasses.
Comment by lily — September 3, 2006 @ 8:46 pm
LEAVE SETH ALONE
if any regular person bought make up no1 would care but because its seth evry1s making a big deal
and seth is 5.4 feet ok
Comment by amanda — October 27, 2006 @ 3:09 pm
LEAVE SETH ALONE
hes too georeous to be made fun of ok and hes 5.4 foot GET IT RIGHT
Comment by amanda — October 27, 2006 @ 3:14 pm
I really don’t think he has a problem with looking queer in the publics eye, i mean considering he played a raging drug addict transvestite in party monster, donning tonnes of makeup and completely revealing womens clothes.
He was probly just high or something, or didnt know what to get, or didnt know where the right isle was. or tired, i mean really, get a life.
Comment by Lauren — November 7, 2006 @ 6:17 am
I don’t think he should be embarrassed because a lot of men now-a-days wear make-up, like Billie Joe from Green Day wears eyeliner. Also I don’t quite know if some of you dislike Seth for being short but, I for one love it. SHORT PEOPLE ARE SO ADORABLE!!!
Comment by Becky — February 5, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
i work at a rite aid pharmacy in new jersey, and i just happened to read the blog posted about seth green and the make-up incident… sure my comment may seem stupid, and not on topic, but oh well, whatever. in the end, you say that the ‘eyeliner brush’ should go in an aisle next to the eye drops and the eyebrow tweezers. well, you see that just doesn’t make sense. it is funny, leave it to a man to suggest such things… why would we lay out the store according to body parts? i may think that rite aid does some dumb things, and sometimes the store layouts can use osme help, but make-up and make-up accessories of course should be together. just like the make-up bags, nail polish remover and yes the grooming accessories such as tweezers. honestly think about it from a customer’s point of view. that’s like saying that we should stock the band-aids next to the winter gloves, because they can both be used on your hands. see how little sense that would make? oh well, just some food for thought.
Comment by amanda — April 21, 2007 @ 7:02 pm