Each year, hundreds of people in the entertainment industry and politics suffer from Post-Celebrity Stress Disorder. The loss of celebrity status (or “famous-ness”) does irreparable harm, expressing itself through erratic behavior, loss of self-esteem, and increasingly unflattering mentions in headlines and gossip columns. Congress must get involved, but more research is also needed. If you know of a formerly famous person who shows signs of Post-Celebrity Stress Disorder, please list the person’s name and symptoms here. All names will be kept confidential (yeah right!).
It is probably easier to list them by symptom
Symptom: Shows up on a game show.
Examples: Whoopi Goldberg, Gilbert Godfried, Robin Williams.
Symptom: Tries to host their own talk show.
Examples: Sybil Sheppard, Tempest Bledsoe, Carnie Wilson
Symptom: Guest star as somebody’s parent on a sitcom.
Examples: Marion Ross, Shirley Jones, Elliot Gould.
I’ll think of more later.
Gets all freaky and wanders around aimlessly:
Margot Kidder, Anne Heche
Records incredibly annoying commercials.
William Shatner
A sure thing - when they’re called “Hollywood celebrity” - (the late Herve Villicheze -sp?, and the not late Charo come to mind.
Frankly, I think that we, as a society, need to help these people, and at the same time, help ourselves. Let us not fall victim to further examples of such pain and agony as the MacLane Stevenson Show or Chevy Chases talk show. Let us assign a day (a work day, please, so nothing like Memorial Day), and hold a telethon - they can all strump up and have Sally Struthers plead for them, we can call in and donate $$ vs. having to suffer through another round of ‘where are they nows’.
Symptom: Endorses crappy health product.
Examples: Suzanne Somers, Jennilee Harrison, Jane Fonda.