Jerry and I had a very interesting discussion about celebritydom today. I can't remember exactly what sparked the conversation, but it turned into about 90 minutes of talking about what it would be like to be a celebrity, why they are so "special", what exactly constitutes a celebrity, etc. And would we want to be one?
I want to preface this by stating very loudly that I, in NO way shape or form, consider myself a "celebrity". However, I could relate to a lot of what we talked about because I've been called a "celebrity" numerous times by blog readers who don't actually know me. In emails, in person, in social media comments, etc.
I promise that I am not trying to throw myself into the ranks of "actual" celebrities. But like I said, I can relate to some of the things that I imagine celebrities go through.
I've never been a big "celebrity geek" in the sense that I see them as these mythical beings that I'd love to meet and get autographs/selfies, etc. I tend to think of them as ordinary people who have very public jobs, and therefore, they get recognized. It's very hard for me to see them as anything other than ordinary people. What makes them more special than Joe Schmoe next door?
Sometimes I laugh when I get an email from someone who begins by saying something about my being a celebrity, because I'm usually home on a Saturday night in my pajamas with my laptop and a cat on my lap. And honestly, I think that "real" celebrities have a lot of those moments, too. I think that people imagine that they have these super busy, glamorous lifestyles where they are always doing something super fun.
Which brings me to my next point. I would NEVER want to be a "real" celebrity because once you are well-known, you can no longer have an ordinary life. I can't imagine going outside my home and having paparazzi take photos of me all the way to the grocery store where I simply want to buy some groceries and go home. It would be so stressful not being able to go anywhere without being recognized--the movies, the mall, a sporting event, your child's school play, a friend's wedding, etc.
When I think of celebrities, I think of actors and musicians, mainly--pop culture icons. I think of them as people who wanted to do something they truly enjoy and they happen to be good at it. And when you choose that profession, you get a whole lot of baggage with it, even if you don't want that.
I LOVE when I am out somewhere and the occasional person recognizes me from my blog and they stop to say hello and introduce themselves. It's so fun to meet new people that way, and it's happened all over the country--so crazy to me! But it's very few and far between. I just can't imagine being a celebrity in the sense that EVERYBODY recognizes you and swarms you, drawing even more attention.
Celebrities are scrutinized for everything they do--from what they name their babies to where they go on vacation to what kind of diet they eat. And their bodies! Their bodies seem to be under microscopes--who gained weight and why, who lost weight and how, who is looking anorexic, and who is looking like they've binged their way up 100 pounds.
I feel scrutinized by my body already, because of the topic of my blog and how my blog came to be, and it's hard. Most people are so nice! But to be a "real" celebrity? They get so much more feedback via the media that I wouldn't be able to take it.
I imagine that celebrities have a ton of pressure to live up to certain expectations, too. Having to be careful about what they say and how they act in public. Also, the issue of who to trust--meeting new people would be scary, because what if that person decides to post photos or talk about your conversations publicly? It would be very hard to trust anyone at all who hasn't been in your life for a long time.
Anyway, I think the answer to the 'Would you want to be a celebrity?" is obvious from this post... NO, I would not. I feel like it would be too much pressure, stress, not enough privacy, fulfilling expectations from others, and living up to certain standards. I also think it would be lonely. Sure, you may have other celebrity friends around (and friends/family from years back), but making new friends would be difficult.
That said, here are some celebrities I've met. I am including these people as "celebrities" because they are well known in their niche. If you aren't a runner, for example, you may not know who Shalane Flanagan is. But if you are, it's a pretty big deal!
Kerry Sanders - Kerry is a news report from NBC who interviewed me in Key West for a segment on the Today Show. He was very nice and made me feel comfortable talking on camera.
Dr. Oz - I met him in 2009 at a small women's health convention. I saw him walking alone to leave, and I went up and introduced myself. I really loved watching him on Oprah. He was so kind! And then I met him again in 2011 when I was a guest on his show. He'd changed so much and didn't interact with the guests at all during commercial breaks. He didn't seem interested in the show. It was sad, really. I was invited on the show a second time, but I declined after he show turned into the "Lose 20 pounds in 10 days without diet or exercise!" type.
Ted Gibson - Ted was a hairstylist for What Not to Wear (the TV show) and he's the one who styled my hair for The Dr. Oz Show. He was SO sweet and I simply adored him.
Frank Thomas - I was a HUGE White Sox fan way back in my early teens, and Frank Thomas was my favorite player. I met him and got his autograph before a baseball game. (I have no photo of this)
Justin Verlander - Another baseball player. He played for the Tigers, and my brother Nathan and I raised the most money for his charity several years ago (thanks to all of YOU!). We were given tickets to a suite to watch a game, and Justin came in momentarily to meet us (and several other people). He seemed like he was there simply out of obligation, which was disappointing--I'd hoped he'd thank us for raising so much money. (Again, no photo--Justin requested no photos)
Bart Yasso - I was really excited about meeting Bart! He's known as the "Chief of Running" among runners, and has run in just about every race you can imagine. I even got to roast marshmallows with him at the Runner's World headquarters. I'd been invited to a blogger's event there. I've actually met him a couple of times. He is SO kind and funny, and he pretends like he remembers me ;)
Shalane Flanagan - Shalane is an elite runner who was the first American woman to win the NYC marathon. I met her at the Runner's World event and she was super nice. She's very soft spoken. She said her favorite post-race meal is a huge juicy burger and a beer.
The Hardy Boys - I had no idea who these guys were (they're professional wrestlers) when I met them at the Detroit airport, but I was a junior in high school going on a class trip to Washington DC. The boys from my class started getting SO excited and taking pictures with them. Even though I didn't know who they were, I joined in for a photo.
Jordan Knight - From New Kids on the Block. This story is funny and embarrassing at the same time. In roughly 2008(?) I went to Michigan City, Indiana with my mom, sister, and my mom's friend. We were at a casino, and a band was going to start playing on a small stage. We sat down for a moment, and then I saw someone in my peripheral vision to my left.
I turned and not even three inches from my face was some random guy. He smiled and tilted his head in a goofy way. I gave him a weird look, then turned around to look the girls with a "What a creep!" look on my face. Audrey, Jeanie's friend, started laughing and asked me if I knew who that was. I told her no, and she explained it was Jordan Knight from NKOTB. Hahaha! He continued to walk and went up on the stage to perform with the band. (No photo for this, unfortunately)
Adam Grant - I have to include him, even though it's so hard to think of him as a celebrity in my mind, and here is why. No idea if any of you know who he is, but he's a multiple NY Times bestselling author for self-help/inspirational books (I haven't read any) and a podcaster. Interestingly, he was also one of my very best friends from the time I was 15 until about 19. I met him online (in an AOL chatroom... remember those?!) and he lived in West Bloomfield, MI--about an hour away from where I lived.
After chatting online and on the phone for some time, my mom let me meet him in person, and we became close friends after that. We were JUST friends, but he was the first boy to actually buy me flowers--a dozen yellow roses--simply because I'd never gotten flowers before. Sweet, right? He was super smart and had his sights set on Harvard (which he was accepted into, of course). We used to drive back and forth to see each other pretty frequently until he moved to Boston to go to Harvard (he graduated high school in '99, and I graduated in '00).
My friend Stacie and I even flew out to Boston when Adam was a freshman and we stayed in his dorm room for a few days to visit. Looking back, I think it's pretty cool--I stayed in a Harvard dorm room! I didn't think it was a big deal at the time. (By the way, he could do the coolest card trick I've ever seen to this day--it was called the 654 Club. He was very interested in magic, and we even saw David Copperfield at the Fox Theater in Detroit together.)
We emailed a bit until roughly 2005 or 2006, and then lost touch. A few years ago, I saw his face pop up on my Twitter feed, which I thought was odd because I wasn't following him. It turned out that someone I followed retweeted him--so I checked out his profile and learned that he's pretty famous. I tried getting in touch with him again, but he hasn't responded to any of my attempts. He was a really good friend, so I'm bummed that we can't catch up, but judging by his bio, he's insanely busy. And has no time for a little old non-celebrity like me ;)
For the life of me, I can't find a photo of Adam and me right now, but here is a picture I took of him and Stacie in Boston:
So, while I don't really think of Adam as a celebrity, I think it's like that for most celebrities--I think that they are ordinary people who just happen to do a job that makes them stand out from the rest. Whether they love or hate the fame, I guess it comes with the territory!
And here's a question for YOU... would you want to be a well-known celebrity? Are there any celebrities you're dying to meet? :)
