# The inconveniences and drawbacks of being a celebrity **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 11, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413 "2015-02-11T19:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/21 "2015-02-14T06:46:15Z")
I have to imagine that imposter syndrome is common among celebrities, because of the incredibly low chances of making it big. (And, to be fair, many of them probably aren’t any better at their craft than tons of people who didn’t make it big, but it doesn’t mean they’re bad or undeserving necessarily) ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/22 "2015-02-14T17:17:17Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > One drawback is that FAME doesn’t always come with WEALTH. There are probably a lot of people who are relatively well-known singers, comedians, authors, etc., but who don’t actually make that much money, so they have to deal with the crazies without being able to afford bodyguards, a home in a gated community, etc. Like happened with TLC after crazy, sexy, cool came out. I remember an interview with them where they said they were each getting about 50k a year. Not a bad income necessarily but hardly what you’d expect. ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/23 "2015-02-14T20:43:16Z")
Reminds me of a story I heard from a co-worker a long time ago. An acquaintance of hers was in NYC and saw David Bowie shopping at a sidewalk fruit stand. She ran up to him, arms outstretched, squealing, “Oh my God! David Bowie! Can I have a hug?” He kept his cool, politely declined and walked away. She then told people how much of an asshole David Bowie was. I’ve never understood the desire to be famous. Sounds like a miserable way to live. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/24 "2015-02-14T21:28:37Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Being an Entitled A-hole with no sense of boundaries, propriety, or common sense. Tip for the future - you don’t have to wait to be rich or famous to do this. Trust me on this. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/25 "2015-02-15T07:01:29Z")
I once saw a former celebrity complaining about what its like when they lose their fame and money and are back to being just “normal” again. People really rub it in sometimes. And I think many celebrities always have that fear - of being out of the loop and having to go back to pumping their own gas. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/26 "2015-02-15T12:45:29Z")
With apologies to _Cheers_, sometimes you want to go where nobody knows your name. And that can be hard as a celebrity. Can’t go out to dinner with your family without being hounded for photos, autographs, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/27 "2015-02-15T19:08:12Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > With apologies to _Cheers_, sometimes you want to go where nobody knows your name. And that can be hard as a celebrity. > > Can’t go out to dinner with your family without being hounded for photos, autographs, etc… For some. For others, you could be sitting right next to a celebrity and if they didn’t have their makeup on, I doubt most people would recognize them. Or they wear a hat or sunglasses or something. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/28 "2015-02-15T19:14:53Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Tip for the future - you don’t have to wait to be rich or famous to do this. Trust me on this. > > Regards, > Shodan You know, you and I both may have our moments where we don’t show the world our best. We aren’t always that way though. We aren’t even often that way (I know I’m not). Its funny what even normal mortals like us get remembered for. +1 Internet Beer to account: Shodan ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/29 "2015-02-15T19:55:37Z")
I have found that most of the non-crazy celebrities8 much prefer a subtle wink and small smile & me going on about my business and they theirs. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/30 "2015-02-15T20:20:28Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > One that’s often underappreciated by people who aren’t rich or famous: Having many people’s livelihood depend on your performance. > > Once you reach a certain level of stature, an entire gaggle of support staff have to be put in place, just to keep everything going. Agents, publicists, secretaries, event planners, chauffeurs, bodyguards, brand managers etc. These are people you often personally recruit and hired, you spend more time with some of them than even your family and you consider them to be your friends just through how much time spent bonding. > > So say one day you wake up and decide that you just don’t feel like singing/dancing/acting/whatever anymore. You have more than enough money to live on for the rest of your life but you face the potential of putting dozens, maybe hundreds of people out of work who definitely do not. These are people that you’ve met their spouses, seen their kids grow up. > > If you’re a non-sociopath, you feel incredibly selfish and guilt inducing that you could disrupt the lives of dozens, maybe even hundreds of people who depend on you, simply due to a whim. The sense of obligation can feel profound and drive you to keep doing something you’re not in love with anymore, simply to keep the economic engine running. > > It’s not something I hear talked about a lot but it’s a huge source of stress for a lot of famous people. R.E.M. has admitted that they kept it going long after their time was up in part for this reason. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/31 "2015-02-15T20:22:09Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I expect for many: trying to let their kids have a normal life when they’re being followed by photographers all the time. As an adult in the public eye, you deal with the various aspects of your fame because that’s part of the job, but your kids don’t need the added stress of having to be your perfect supporting cast. Or worse, having your kids being judged by what you’ve done… > > It was tough for my non-academic sister who’s a year younger than I dealing with teachers who were disappointed that she didn’t perform at the same level that I did, and I wasn’t any kind of celeb. Multiply that for the sib or child of a star - gotta be a fine little slice of hell. I applaud celebrities who keep their children out of the spotlight. They deserve to have private lives too. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/32 "2015-02-16T02:38:24Z")
Once when I was working retail, a local tv personality asked me and my coworker where something was. We both recognized him, but my coworker freaked out, all excited and started scaring the crap out of him. I quickly pointed to the aisle he wanted and gave him my best “I’m so sorry she’s nuts” face. I always felt terrible for him, that the poor guy couldn’t even pick up whatever small thing he needed without some moron embarrassing everyone. ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/33 "2015-02-16T03:29:23Z")
You can never completely escape. I know someone who was a child actor but that was almost 60 years ago. Even though he has been out of the movie business for over a half century and had a regular sort of job as an adult, he still occasionally has people come looking for him. If you had a funny and/or memorable line in a film you will spend the rest of your life having that line repeated to you by complete strangers who think this sort of thing is fun. Lauren Bacall probably got tired of people asking her [“Have you ever been bit by a dead bee?”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSgqrrWyF0Y) Jerry Seinfeld has probably had more than one waiter yell at him [“No soup for you!”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WRxEY8o3kc) I’m glad I’m not a celebrity. Yes, the money can be good but the rest of it is a headache that I would rather not deal with. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/34 "2015-02-16T03:48:14Z")
All the applause, All the parades, All the money I have made. Ohhh…it’s lonely at the top. – [Randy Newman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjbjfm6ui3c), \* Lonely at the Top\* ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/35 "2015-02-16T04:16:56Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > All the applause, > All the parades, > All the money I have made. > Ohhh…it’s lonely at the top. > > – [Randy Newman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjbjfm6ui3c), \* Lonely at the Top\* Randy Newman is a ridiculously insightful poet from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/36 "2015-02-16T05:41:37Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > One that’s often underappreciated by people who aren’t rich or famous: Having many people’s livelihood depend on your performance. > > Once you reach a certain level of stature, an entire gaggle of support staff have to be put in place, just to keep everything going. Agents, publicists, secretaries, event planners, chauffeurs, bodyguards, brand managers etc. These are people you often personally recruit and hired, you spend more time with some of them than even your family and you consider them to be your friends just through how much time spent bonding. > > So say one day you wake up and decide that you just don’t feel like singing/dancing/acting/whatever anymore. You have more than enough money to live on for the rest of your life but you face the potential of putting dozens, maybe hundreds of people out of work who definitely do not. These are people that you’ve met their spouses, seen their kids grow up. > > If you’re a non-sociopath, you feel incredibly selfish and guilt inducing that you could disrupt the lives of dozens, maybe even hundreds of people who depend on you, simply due to a whim. The sense of obligation can feel profound and drive you to keep doing something you’re not in love with anymore, simply to keep the economic engine running. > > It’s not something I hear talked about a lot but it’s a huge source of stress for a lot of famous people. I think this is what happened with Elvis. He was supporting his parents and a lot of other people. Thats why he kept making those crappy movies. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/37 "2015-02-16T09:25:08Z")
I think the hardest part is that the normal checks which keeps 99% of us from becoming outright assholes are missing. Likewise, anything which would keep our egos in balance would be shot to hell. Without outside pressure, most people would act like three-year-olds, myself included. My family thanks everyone that I’m not famous. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/38 "2015-02-16T12:56:21Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > I think the hardest part is that the normal checks which keeps 99% of us from becoming outright assholes are missing. > > Likewise, anything which would keep our egos in balance would be shot to hell. > > Without outside pressure, most people would act like three-year-olds, myself included. > > My family thanks everyone that I’m not famous. I read somewhere that when you become a huge celebrity - not just well-known, but the level you’re talking about - your emotional development is often arrested at that age, because of that lack of checks and balances to behaviour and ego. So someone who becomes hugely famous at 35 is probably going to be as decent a human being as anyone else, because he’s already emotionally an adult - but someone who becomes a huge celebrity at sixteen is going to have a much harder time turning into a balanced adult. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/39 "2015-02-16T13:02:48Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > I read somewhere that when you become a huge celebrity - not just well-known, but the level you’re talking about - your emotional development is often arrested at that age, because of that lack of checks and balances to behaviour and ego. So someone who becomes hugely famous at 35 is probably going to be as decent a human being as anyone else, because he’s already emotionally an adult - but someone who becomes a huge celebrity at sixteen is going to have a much harder time turning into a balanced adult. Which is basically what happened with Micheal Jackson. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413/40 "2015-02-16T14:07:40Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > I read somewhere that when you become a huge celebrity - not just well-known, but the level you’re talking about - your emotional development is often arrested at that age, because of that lack of checks and balances to behaviour and ego. So someone who becomes hugely famous at 35 is probably going to be as decent a human being as anyone else, because he’s already emotionally an adult - but someone who becomes a huge celebrity at sixteen is going to have a much harder time turning into a balanced adult. It’s kind of like the Total Perspective Vortex. Most of us hit a point in our development where we come to terms with the fact that we aren’t the most important thing in the universe. Many celebrities (especially young ones like Bieber and his ilk) seem to have been put into their own alternate universes, where the Total Perspective Vortex tells them they _are_ the most important thing in the universe. And they act like it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-inconveniences-and-drawbacks-of-being-a-celebrity/712413.md?page=3)