Five Tips for Getting Your Fan Letter to the Top of the Pile
On October 17, 2018 by ElyseFan mail has been around as long as the postal system itself, and as celebrities of any era could tell you, admirers aren’t shy about making their opinions known. Thanks to developments in technology and communication, it’s easier than ever to reach out to those in the public eye. But given the volume of fan mail these days, how do you make your letter stand out from the rest?
If you’re looking for inspiration from the past, it’s your lucky day. The newspapers of the mid-20th century delighted in writing up some of the truly head scratching messages fans had for the public figures they respected. We’ll never know if any of these letters elicited a reply, but some of their kooky tactics might be worth a shot.
1. Give advice on babies. Take a page from the fans of a young Ronald Regan, especially if you’re an older woman. Celebrity or not, there’s nothing new parents love more than unsolicited suggestions for raising their children.

From the Evening Star, May 18, 1941.
2. Send strange gifts. A crate of prairie chickens, a calf, a litter of puppies, thirteen pairs of suspenders, ninety-eight pounds of peppermint candy, bushels of nuts, a weekly crate of oranges and nearly one hundred jars of homemade jelly were just some of the gifts said to be received by performer and songwriter Eddie Cantor.


3. Insult your idol. Not every celebrity has a fragile ego. In addition to listing off his unwanted presents, Eddie Cantor reportedly remarked to his interviewer:
“That big pile is fan mail. I don’t even look at it. The little pile is pan mail—letters telling me I’m rotten. I read every one of them. They’re the important ones to me.”
4. Compliment the recipient on an unusual skill. In today’s toxic political environment, it’s refreshing to read about a public servant receiving kind letters, even if they were mailed more than a century ago. After she took office, Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, was said to be “smothered by” marriage proposals. One of the most creative came from a lawyer-turned-cotton picker who “said he loved Miss Rankin from the moment he heard she could make her own hats.”
However, the mailbag didn’t always have such pleasant tidings for Representative Rankin. She was widely condemned for voting against the United States’ entry into both World War I and World War II.


5. Write to four-legged stars. But don’t expect them to write back. Not even wonder horses like Tony and Tarzan, who became famous in Hollywood’s iconic Westerns, were exempt from fan mail:
“Some of their child friends are convinced that Tony and Tarzan, at any rate, can read letters, that feat seeming far less difficult than the things they see the adored animals do in the course of a picture.”
These tips are sure to get your letter noticed. . . although it may not be the kind of attention you were hoping for. Even if you don’t get a personal response from the object of your admiration, as a consolation prize, your off-the-wall missive is sure to be written up in a newspaper somewhere for all the world to enjoy.




Recent Posts You
May Have Missed
Did you click through Facebook or Twitter? We got lucky—don’t let social media algorithms keep you from seeing a post! Save yourself a click, and subscribe to have stories delivered to your inbox as soon as they’re published.
Disclaimer: The modern era is far from the first to grapple with rampant “fake news.” As I am neither a historian nor journalist, I make no claims about the accuracy or lack thereof of the above sources. I assert only that they make for a good story.
Share this:
- Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Recent Posts
Subscribe to the Blog via Email
Search
Archives
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
About This Blog
Welcome to Second Glance History! This blog seeks to uncover the people and the stories forgotten by history and give them another read through a modern lens. Join me every week as we examine the differences that divide and the common threads that connect the then to the now.
Leave a Reply