Choosing Fame

Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/@brett-sayles

So I got to thinking, given my posts on celebrities and the pope: If I could wake up famous tomorrow, what discipline of fame would I choose?

To narrow the field, I picked three broad categories of celebrity: actor/musician, athlete, and artist. (Now, this presumes I have the talent to excel in any of these areas. Let me assure you: I do not.)

Actor/Musician

Famous actors and musicians get free clothing and accessories and sometimes even cars. They often eat free at the best restaurants. Everyone likes to bask in their glow.

Which means: Everyone wants a piece of them. The world constantly scrutinizes their every move. And really, so much for the free food: Female actors and musicians starve. Their outward appearance and their value commingle.

Finally, musicians travel for months on end—and they’re not even in one place long enough to enjoy it.

Artist

Artists schedule their time, live anywhere, act however (even if they’re oddballs), and mostly direct the nature of their work. In addition, they operate solo or with a team—and can do both.

Yet the world expects artists to have big ideas—consistently. People want every artist’s next thing to seem better than the last—and completely new, unlike anything else, and with an entirely fresh perspective.

Athlete

I love to exercise. Also, I love athletic wear—and athletes get to live in it. Extra bonus: Famous athletes rake in super sweet endorsement deals.

However, athletes push physical limits daily. Weekends don’t exist. Trainers schedule every minute, including sleep. One track star told a reporter she couldn’t easily date because she had to stay off her feet when not training. Dieticians scrutinize each bite.

Also, they’ve only got a short time at their peaks. After retirement, they’re often at loose ends.

Verdict

Artist. All the way.

How about you?