Do you dream of becoming rich and famous? You might want to stop at “rich” and leave fame alone. Being a sought-after celeb might look glamorous and exciting — who doesn’t want to be adored by millions? — but the truth is that fame can be a lonely, confusing, and even frightening condition.
Paparazzi
Image via Flickr by Gribiche
How would your day have been different today if a team of photographers had been waiting outside your house when you woke up this morning, hoping to grab an unflattering or compromising photo of you? They’re ready to swarm you if you try to go for a walk, or run to the store for milk, or if you’re just tired of being cooped up inside. Want to go out for a few cocktails? They’re standing ready to capture and publish anything you do, so be careful. And this isn’t just happening occasionally; this is your new daily reality now and it never ends.
Rumor Mills
Now imagine that your old flame, or your new beau, calls and asks you out to lunch. Those photographers are waiting to sell photos of your lunch date to a tabloid. If you become famous, everything you do (and a lot of things you don’t do) will be written about, discussed, repeated, analyzed, and picked to death by the press and your fans. Are you ready to have your dirty laundry aired in public every day? That’s the celebrity’s reality.
A Target for Hackers
Do you worry about identity theft and cyber crime? If you become famous, your data becomes a highly lucrative target for hackers. While these criminals might want your bank account numbers, they are even more interested in your private messages, intimate photos, and other personal business. Your most private moments become valuable when you are famous, and they are always under siege.
Superfan… or Stalker?
Many celebrities have had scary run-ins with fans, and a few have even been murdered. Miley Cyrus’s stalker tried to enter her house with scissors and told police that he was married to the singer. A woman claiming to be God once showed up at Justin Timberlake’s house, claiming they were destined to rule together. Madonna’s superfan stalker jumped a fence at her home and said he was going to either marry her or slit her throat. He went to jail and later to a mental hospital, but Madonna had to fear for her life again when he escaped the hospital and was missing for a while.
Trust No One
Would you like to be surrounded by friends who might just be using you to get close to fame and fortune? So-called friends of famous people often sell stories to gossip magazines or lead scandals to the press. Celebs often don’t know who to trust and have a lot of trouble maintaining friendships and relationships.
Public life seems glittery and alluring, but the truth is fame has a dark side, too. Isolation, mistrust, fear, and complete lack of privacy are a high price to pay for celebrity status.