Fame

[Steve]

Not the tv show, well related in a way. On the news here and worldwide was another Britney Spears meltdown.

This is a conversation I've had and thought I'd extend it to this forum. I live in Los Angeles. The entertainment capital of the world. Thousands of people move here to become famous in entertainment as singers, actors, directors, writers, etc.

 

You can't live in LA without working with, living with or knowing someone who wants to be in the entertainment field and be a star.

 

From what I can tell they can't handle the superstardom they crave. I have a friend who wanted to be a star. I told her this "you know if you ever become one of the biggest stars in the world, you will not have any privacy. Paparazzi will be stalking you every minute of every hour of the day. At some point, someone will sell a story to the tabloids that is true. A story only your closest friend or family, your inner circle would know. You then won't be able to trust anyone around you. So your inner circle now becomes people you pay: manager, PR person, agent, etc.

 

Any relationship you have is played out in the papers. You can only date someone who is also in the same limelight and if he is across the country and there is a story that he's sleeping with someone else, it will be in the papers and you will never quite know if its true or not. Every breakup you have will be played out in the press.

 

You can't leave the house without make up or looking 'perfect'. You can't gain weight or wear a bikini unless you're in shape.

 

You won't be able to go to the market, or generally mix with the general public again.

 

Why would you want all that? Is that worth the fame and fortune?"

 

and she said yes, well, not yes, but she didn't think it could happen to her. It seems none of them ever think about the bad side of fame. They think they will be that one exception that is universally loved and will not suffer from it. They all think they can handle it. Britney Spears was in show business her whole life practically. Michael Jackson was. Many of them were and they still couldn't handle superstardom. Yes, there are exceptions but personally, I wouldn't want that fame if that's the cost.

 

The lure of fame blinds them it seems. I think psychologically they need that public approval of themselves and it drives them and it blinds them to anything else. Blinds them to any of the consequences. All the starving singers and actors know what will happen if they achieve what they really think they want but they go on anyway. Frankly it seems nuts to me. They seem the least prepared to handle it but want it the most. A lot of us on here are more emotionally prepared to have that happen to us than the vast majority of the dreamers I've met here.

 

Are those that want fame in entertainment by definition insane? Perhaps some of you on here would love that kind of fame. I wouldn't mind the groupie action of being a star rapper or singer but if it means I can't go out to the pub or the market and I'm estranged from friends and family and the people close to me have to go through someone else to talk to me like Michael Jackson's family, then you can keep it.

[Julian2]

Great post Steve.

[Flashermac]

Celebrities want to have it both ways. They want to be famous and popular and make mountains of money. At the same time, they want to live private lives and have no one pay them any attention except when THEY want it. Doesn't work that way.

 

 

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

I awould love to be rich, but certainly would never want to be famous.

 

Sanuk!

 

[shygye]

A good portion of this is under a persons control. I can name loads of stars that rarely show up in the tabloids. Remember JLo being all over the tabloids. Now rarely a mention.

 

 

[Steve]

J-Lo may not be mentioned in the press for the wrong reasons. She's not as significant perhaps. When was the last hit movie she had? Or hit record? She could be on hiatus.

 

Part of the PR person's job is to keep a stars name 'relevant' and sometimes a 'scandal' is manufactured.

 

As much bad press as Michael Jackson gets, I've heard stories of his trying to manufacture stories. Years ago, he was rumored to have created the alleged rivalry with Prince. Shock jock Howard Stern said when he was at the height of his popularity, Michael Jackson tried to manufacture something.

 

I've heard that the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake 'costume malfunction' was all planned as well.

 

Losing their fame to these stars is worse than suffering the scandals.

 

Can't recall exactly but didn't Frank Sinatra write an open letter in the papers to Bono a few years back saying he better enjoy the fame and stop complaining about it because its fleeting? or something to that effect?

 

 

 

 

[Flashermac]

A professional photographer told me he knew paparazzis who said the celebs would call and tell them where they would be - so they could get their photos in the news!

 

 

 

 

[Pom_Pom]

It only happens in a few places in the world. Don't live where the paparazzi do and you won't become a tabloid target. They need to make a living and they can't do that if you are a few thousand miles away from the beautiful people. There are huge stars who don't have problems, and then there are 'celebrities' who have used or are using the system to get ahead.

[Steve]

If one has achieved super stardom, can you really live away from the paparrazi? Some have tried and are hounded in the remotest of places. There have been weddings where the star has tried to keep it quiet and secluded and the press have found out and disrupted the proceedings by hiring helicopters to view it overhead.

[Weird]

Depends how much money you have... and how you spend it to keep things private. : )