When someone chooses a career or even just takes a job, most people know what they are getting into. For instance, a police officer in the city doesn’t like being shot at, but it’s an unfortunate part of that career. Or, if a person doesn’t like kids, they shouldn’t become a teacher. Simple enough, right? However, there seems to be one “profession” in this country filled with people who either don’t understand all aspects of their career -- or have become so entitled over time they think the rules don’t apply to them.
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Celebrities.
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Usually these folks come in the form of actors or singers or professional athletes, but some seem to be professional celebrities, famous for nothing in particular (i.e. Paris Hilton). In this country, celebrities are worshipped to the point of craze; the ones we hear about most often also have made boatloads of money. Where else but in America can someone with such little talent as Britney Spears become so well-known and so rich.
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And there seems to be a lifecycle of fame and entitlement that goes something like this: Person A starts out totally unknown and dreams of making it in Hollywood. They rent cheap apartments with roommates and take service jobs to pay the bills while they wait for their break. At some point, a break comes and they become somewhat famous. They thrive in the spotlight and seek out and embrace those things that come with fame (publicity, access, favors, money, etc.)
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But here is where the lifecyle diverges. Some of these celebrities learn to live with the public exposure over time even if they don’t like it. Others seem to never lose the lust for fame and exposure – they thrive on it all through their careers hoping that the paparazzi never stop coming around and the entertainment rags never stop printing their story. At least these folks are honest with themselves and others about what it means to be a celeb in America.
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Then there are those hugely popular actors and musicians who reach a point in their careers where neither their fame nor their income depend as much on continued exposure. And they would like it to end while still continuing their careers. Maybe they won a few big awards. Maybe they made $20 million for their last film. But at some point they become highly annoyed and even violent when it comes to this undesirable part of fame. (Last time I checked, a cop can’t ask the bad guys to stop shooting.) These celebs act like they are owed the worldwide fame and all the entitlements that come with it, such as huge paydays. But the same people who could not make it through one day without their live-in nannies, personal assistants and personal trainers all of sudden demand not to take the “bad with the good.”
In fact, if there was such a thing as a job description for actor or musician or general celebrity, it would probably contain a paragraph like this: “The successful candidate for the job of ‘celebrity’ should expect a certain amount of public exposure of their private lives. In order to work in the fields of movies or television or music, the candidate that finds success should expect both positive and negative publicity. For every appearance they choose to make on Letterman or Leno, they should expect to be the subject of an unflattering photo or an erroneous article in a tabloid. In fact, any candidate applying for this job should understand that the amount of unwanted publicity or exposure will be in direct proportion to the amount of money the candidate makes. If any candidate does not like this unfortunate but expected part of the job, they need not apply.”
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This is not to defend the paparazzis’ tactics and the rags’ libel, but they are part of an ecosystem that Academy Award winners and Grammy Winners choose to live in – as well as Hollywood B-Listers. There is no denying that Sean Penn is talented, but does he really not get the choice that he made to be an actor? Speaking of the B-List, is Woody Harrelson officially not a celebrity anymore? Did I miss his memo? Yet there he is – acting like an idiot. And then there is Sienna Miller – in fact, she is so far on the edge that if she quit trying to be an actress right now and got a real job, in about 6 months she would never have to worry about photographers anymore.
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So what is the remedy?
If you are a celebrity and really don’t like the publicity or photographers that come with fame in this country, there are essentially two choices. Please choose one. Quickly.
1. Shut up and take it. Accept that constant publicity, omnipresent photographers and stupid stories in the National Enquirer are part of the career you have chosen. Embrace it as you count your money and other entitlements that fame in America brings. Take a cue from Hyman Roth in ‘The Godfather’ and move on.
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2. Walk away. Yes, you heard correctly – just quit. Get a real job. Working as a manager of a supermarket or being an accountant isn’t as sexy as your old job, but I guarantee you that after a little time nobody will want to take your photograph or print a story about you. And, yes, it can be done. Cat Stevens simply walked away at the height of his considerable popularity and was essentially unheard from through the 1980s. Or check out Edie Brickell for a less extreme example; Brickell walked away from a successful music career to raise a family – and even though she is married to Paul Simon you don’t see people chasing her around. Twenty years ago, she easily could have embraced the celebrity life and all its entitlements. But she chose to walk away for something more important to her. Maybe that is why her music is so real and so good.
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Of course there is a third choice for celebrities. Keep your head in the sand and act like the burden of the paparazzi doesn’t come with the profession you’ve chosen. (For some, it will be the best acting job they’ve ever done.)
