Mini #4 Melinda Glass

I’ve often thought my best friend Amanda should be famous. She’s one of those people who can drive a hilarious conversation in any social setting. She’s quick-witted, bright, and attractive, which makes her well liked by anyone she meets. We participated in theater when we were in high school, and she’s always loved being in the limelight. I can still picture her in the lobby of our alma mater’s auditorium, graciously accepting flowers and compliments after a show. She would be a great famous person.

I presented her with this idea earlier today. I told her I’ve always thought she should be famous, and gave her all the above reasons to justify my opinion. She responded modestly, “Me? No.” I asked her, “Don’t you want to be famous? Think of all the perks.” She thought about it for a second and said simply, “Nah.”

She told me the perks would be great. I mean, who wouldn’t want a great car, expensive jewelry, and a couple million-dollar houses? And she wasn’t turned off by the idea of screaming fans, red carpets, and guest spots on Conan O’Brian, either. The reasons she gave me for not wanting to be famous dealt with the idea of forever being in the public’s eye. She told me she wouldn’t be able to stand constantly looking her best. As she so eloquently put it, “Cameron Diaz can’t go a day without showering, and if she does, it’ll be in some tabloid a day later. That would suck.” She said normal daily activities like grocery shopping, or going to the gym would turn into nothing more than photo opportunities, and she couldn’t handle that.

It’s funny how people automatically equate the idea of fame with things like paparazzi, tabloids, and embarrassing pictures. Even more interesting are the people like you and me who endorse the intrusiveness of fame. While we flip through US Weekly to see who has an eating disorder this month, or click through perezhilton.com to get updates on Britney Spears, do we stop to think that the celebrities we’re scrutinizing are humans too? Why do we feel the need to pry into the personal lives of those who are famous? There was a time when an autograph, or a picture of a celebrity was enough to satisfy the average fan. Like Amanda said, being famous today would really “suck.”