# Would you want to be Rich & Famous? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 19, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525 "2005-05-19T02:56:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/21 "2005-05-19T14:55:27Z")
Famous isn’t all that good. Aussie singer Kylie Minogue has just been diagnosed with breast cancer and apparently some English papers devoted up to 7 pages to this news. The Premier of Victoria has had to issue threats to the press so that they will leave her and her family alone. She seems to need a police escort to avoid them. I wouldn’t mind her $100,000,000 but I would like a little privacy to deal with a life threatening illness. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/22 "2005-05-19T15:43:01Z")
Rich definitely. I’d love to have enough money not to worry about it. Famous definitely NOT. I hate interacting with the few people I already know. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/23 "2005-05-19T16:45:42Z")
Rich, yes. Not for a rich lifestyle, but rich enough to buy a small house and buy all the land I could see so nobody could screw up my view. And I’d need a pretty big pool. I hate sharing lap lanes! But a single lap lane wouldn’t be big enough to accommodate games of water Frisbee. For years I lived in a house right next to an apartment house that during certain lengthy periods was home to all manner of disruptive people. I fantasized winning the lottery, buying that apartment house, and tearing it down. Leaving a nice vacant lot! (The highest and best use, IMO.) Famous–I say no, but I was once nominated for a small honor in my field. I didn’t win, but I got a lot of attention, including at one point having about ten people taking my picture at once, all these cameras. And . . . I kind of liked it. I don’t think I would like it on a regular basis, but it made a nice change. And since I don’t get it on a regular basis it makes a fond memory. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/24 "2005-05-19T16:53:10Z")
Rich, no thank you, famous, hell no. I wouldn’t mind coming into enough money to get us out of our debt hole (we’re both basically working for our debts now, and that truly sucks), but beyond that, I’m happy enough with my life. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/25 "2005-05-19T17:06:41Z")
I’d like to be rich, for the obvious reason, but I would not want to be famous, as I would not handle being in the public eye very well. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/26 "2005-05-19T17:07:50Z")
Both. Happily and gratefully. Bring it on. I’d love to pay off my debts, take care of my family and friends, and never worry about money or force myself to be “cheap” again. I wouldn’t spend frivolously either–but it would be nice to be able to treat myself and the people I care about whenever I wanted to. And if I could become a celebrity, an opinion leader, someone worthy of admiration and respect, all the better. I’d try to accomplish good things if I was famous, and I’d probably enjoy a lot of the “perks” that go along with it as well. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/27 "2005-05-19T17:18:56Z")
Yes, I’m hoping for that. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/28 "2005-05-19T18:34:52Z")
> [@F. U. Shakespeare](#): > > As far as rich, one thing I’ve come to believe is that many (if not most) people would self-destruct if given sudden, easy wealth at an early age. (For evidence of this, read about lottery winners’ lives). [Lottery Winners’ Lives](http://www.google.com/search?q=lottery+winners%27+lives&sourceid=mozilla&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8). ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/29 "2005-05-19T18:43:18Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > [Lottery Winners’ Lives](http://www.google.com/search?q=lottery+winners%27+lives&sourceid=mozilla&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8). Those stories reinforced a thought that’s been running through my head while reading this. . .the humorous notion that being “rich” would keep people out of debt. \*Yeah, not me, **Trunk**. . .I’ve learned my lesson. . .if I could just pay off what I have now, I’d never go into debt again. I know how bad it sucks." ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/30 "2005-05-19T20:08:29Z")
Well, there’s famous and there’s famous. I’d very much like to become rich and famous for, say, winning the main event at this year’s WSOP. First prize is probably going to be at least $8,000,000 (and quite probably more) and winning would bring me a certain level of fame among a certain segment of the population, but not fame to the extent that stalkerazzi would be involved. So as long as I have some measure of control over what I’m famous for, I’ll take wealth and fame. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/31 "2005-05-19T20:40:16Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > So all in all, would you like to live the lifestyle of the Rich and Famous? Only if Robin Leach stays the hell away from me! ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/32 "2005-05-19T22:24:22Z")
There are a lot of famous, even rich and famous, people outside the “celebrity circus” that is New York-Hollywood-London-ETC. I’d have no problem being one of them… Example: I was second in line at the cashier at a trailer parts store. The guy ahead of me told the cashier to put it on his account. She said “Your name?” I chuckled, The guy turned, winked at me, turned back to the cashier and replied “Al Unser.” Reading Richard Feinmann’s books doesn’t give me the sense that he was much inconvienienced by his celebrity. Maybe it boils down to: If I’m ever to become famous, I want it to be as a result of significant achievement…as opposed to, for lack of a better discription, being famous for being famous. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/33 "2005-05-19T22:38:18Z")
Rich yes. Famous - nope. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/34 "2005-05-19T22:47:43Z")
Rich, definitely. Famous, I’m not so interested in. Mind you, if it’s a choice between my current life with it’s constant financial stress or having fame along with wealth, I’d leave my life behind in a second. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/35 "2005-05-19T22:57:33Z")
Being Princess Diana has always seemed to me to be about the worst thing that could happen to a person. I do not want to be famous, no thank you. Famous people have little privacy, stalkers, constant harassment, and lot of other problems. I don’t think being rich would be very good for me. Like anyone else, I would like a little more money in my life, but I don’t think I’d be happy with being really rich. Too weird. It sometimes interests me how rich people frequently _have_ to have big lifestyles. For example, if you’re big in your professional area (business or banking, etc.), you probably have to have large parties to keep all your contacts happy. So you have to have a big house for the parties, even if you’d really kind of prefer a regular house. Then you have to hire people to clean it, because it’s too big to handle, and anyway you’re too busy staying rich. And you have to have a nice wardrobe, you can’t just buy everything at Mervyn’s anymore even if you wanted to…Feh. Too much work. ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/36 "2005-05-20T00:15:07Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Reading Richard Feinmann’s books doesn’t give me the sense that he was much inconvienienced by his celebrity. Yeah, but he’s not that famous. People can’t even spell Feynman’s name. I’d love to be rich. I don’t have any debts, I manage my money well, but it’d be nice not to have to work; to be able to travel, and to be able to buy a house. I’d also like to be able to get my friends out of debt. (It’s all school debt, so it’s not like they’re chronic credit card abusers) I’d also love to donate hugely to my favorite charities. A reasonable amount of fame would be fun. I wouldn’t want to be recognized by everyone, but by some? Sure. But being stalked by papparazzi would be irritating. Of course, it wouldn’t be as bad as it could be; I spend a lot of time in my own house so they’d get pretty bored stalking me. And of course, I’d prefer to be the sort of celebrity that didn’t have to worry about their image. If the headlines read “Punk Rocker Seen at Sex Club” people might be titillated, but it wouldn’t be a big deal. If the headlines read “Prime Minister Seen at Sex Club” that would be a problem. So I’d rather be the former. And, hey, if I were famous I’d have a much easier time getting a date. I’d never know if the woman wanted me for myself, or for my wealth and fame, but hell, at least I’d have the option of wondering. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/37 "2005-05-20T01:12:37Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > How about Billy Joel? Rich, famous, drunk and lonely? You think just drunk and lonely would be better? At least now he can pay for therapy and people will _pretend_ to be his friend. Plus, his being famous got him one\* incredible \* woman that he would have had NO chance with otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/38 "2005-05-20T01:15:14Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Maybe it boils down to: If I’m ever to become famous, I want it to be as a result of significant achievement…as opposed to, for lack of a better discription, being famous for being famous. Perfectly said. I would only want to be famous for something I’d achieved, something, I guess, that would be “respected” by the majority of the people for whom I was famous. I have zero desire to be chased by paparazzi. Rich, yes. But it’s a double-edged sword, because sometimes I wonder if me being rich would exacerbate my vices, to my ultimate detriment. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/39 "2005-05-20T02:03:25Z")
I wouldn’t want to be rich or famous. I’m nowhere close to being rich, but I have Too Much Stuff. The more stuff you have, the more trouble it is to deal with. I’d rather have less. If I have things that are valuable, I worry about losing them. I don’t want expensive jewelry, because if I wore it, I’d always be worried about losing it. Yeah, you can replace stuff, but that just takes more of your time, and I have better things to do with my time. It’s good that I don’t have much money, because it makes me think more about what I really need. If I had more money, I’d buy stuff I don’t need or even really want, just because I have enough money, and I wouldn’t even think that it doesn’t really make my life better. Famous just sucks. If you’re famous, you live in a fish bowl. I wouldn’t want to think that someone is interested in every move I make, and what’s in my trash, and where I go for dinner. I’d rather be anonymous and peaceful. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525/40 "2005-05-20T02:15:33Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > At least now he can pay for therapy and people will _pretend_ to be his friend. Oddly the idea of a parasitic posse is what offends me the most. I like having friends. Were I to be rich(er) I would never be sure about them. A couple of years ago, when the radio host ‘The Greaseman’ was still in DC he was attacked at an event by a fan. Grease’s bodyguards wrestled the attacked to the ground and hustles the DJ into a waiting SUV which sped away. A DJ needs bodyguards? (Is even a major DJ rich?) I do not need the headache of being famous. (Do famous people have places only other FPs go to relax?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-rich-famous/304525.md?page=3)