Why I Am Glad I Am Not Famous

by Marie Vonow (follow)

Life (611)      Gratitude (133)      Celebrity (2)      Fame (2)      Ordinary (2)      Famous (1)     

A topic set for homework at the writers’ group I belong to was, ‘Would you like to be famous? Why or why not?’ My reaction to this question is, 'Definitely not.' I am thinking particularly of people who are very well known, very famous such as royalty, sports stars, movie/television stars, singers and celebrities. These people are very much in the public eye. I would hate to have my life under scrutiny, to have no privacy.

When I see the famous on the front of a magazine or newspaper I do not think, 'Gee, wish that was me.' I am so glad it's not my face out there for everyone to see. I am very pleased the world isn't waiting for gossip about my new love, wedding, pregnancy, break up or my breakdown.


It's wonderful to be able to amble down the street without people nudging each other, saying, 'Look there she goes! Her last movie/song wasn't very good!' Even if they said the movie/song was fantastic there would be pressure, the pressure to keep pleasing my audience.

If I needed to pop out to grab some milk or a loaf of bread I would need to make sure I had make up on and was dressed as my fans expected me to. I hate the thought of being photographed as I buy a block of chocolate or some chips. What would the headline be? Probably something about binge eating and then a fabricated story about problems in my personal life being the cause.


Some of the rich and famous employ people to do their shopping and take care of daily stuff but I wouldn't want that. I rather like the little interactions with other customers and the person at the checkout.

Some people can't leave their home without a body/security guard and so they aren't able to 'pop out' for a coffee or pick up the daily paper.

There would be pressure to do whatever it takes to keep the ravages of aging at bay. Even if I could accept the wrinkles and grey hair, my publicist and stylist would be telling me I needed cosmetic surgery and to dye my hair.

I can be self conscious at the best of times so the thought of having people watching me and talking about what I am wearing and what they think is going on in my life makes me shudder. Knowing that the media was just waiting for me to do or say something they could blow out of proportion to make a story would make me incredibly anxious. The risk of stalkers and having my family under the public microscope would be intolerable.

We often read about a 'close friend' or 'insider' spilling the beans in regard to a celebrity. So, if I was famous, who could I trust? Even if I could trust my friends to keep my secrets, I would feel bad that they were being hounded by the press hoping to get information out of them.

I have no desire for great fame, nor for the wealth which sometimes accompanies it. I feel much gratitude that I am an ordinary person able to do ordinary things without coming under scrutiny.


# Celebrity
# Fame
# Famous
# Gratitude
# Life
# Ordinary

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