Celebrity Status

Have you ever dreamed of being famous?

Being recognized by people the world over. The riches that may come with being famous. Exclusivity and perks. Bright lights. Big cities. Leer jets. Stylin and profilin. Rolex wearing. Diamond ring wearing. Kiss stealing. Wheeling dealing. WOOOO!! And I’m having a hard time keeping these alligators down!!

Ric Flair says it best.

Being famous is awesome if you like to live that fast lifestyle. Beyond that, the feeling of people knowing, admiring, and loving you can be validating. That’s why some celebrities love their fans. These are the people that pay consistent attention to their every move. Style and fashion (think Kim Kardashian). Sporting ability (Kobe, Michael, Peyton, Tom). Musical talent (Whitney, Mariah, Christina, Adele). Talent gets you noticed, and hard work pays off.

The people I mentioned are in another stratusphere of fame. With all of the money, cars, and clothes comes an end to your privacy. Fans love knowing what is going on with their favorite celeb which leads to the precious moments in life going from familial to international. Think about it like this, the moment we hear a famous starlet is pregnant, it be comes babygate. We speculate over the gender, the name,  if they were actually pregnant in the first place (hey Beyonce), and in some cases who’s the BD (baby daddy). These women still have to remain stylish during their pregnancy when I’m sure they jus want to throw some sweats on and get some milk from the store. Sadly, a presence of papparazzi literally ANYWHERE you turn means your star is on 24/7.

Speaking of the papparazzi, these folks will stalk you for the best photograph of you slurping spaghetti and then sell it to the highest bidder. Nevermind you didn’t get to wipe the sauce off your chin. Boundaries are a thing of the past. Since fans clamour to know every detail, people turn that desire into a profitable industry. Enter nonsense magazine such as InTouch.

Maybe being famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

I don’t think it is anyway. However, it does make you wonder. Why do we place all of this importance on celebrities?

A personal story here.

So, one of my favorite wrestlers, Daniel Bryan, retired from in-ring competition last night due to medical conditions. Now, I don’t know this guy from Adam, but I was hurt! I felt a sinking pit in my stomach. I was dejected and desponded. I felt, what I feel, is his pain and some of my own. Weird, right? I’d say so. However, somehow he allowed me to relate to his character. He was the underdog that was being pushed down by his political boss. People can relate to that. So, I got behind him based on that and his ability to put on a stellar match every time he stepped between the ropes. To have something you love to do on a nightly basis yanked away because of medical stuff (he has had several concussions) is rough. And I feel that. I was thinking why I was somber, and I had to ask myself a question.

Why have I placed Daniel Bryan on a pedestal?

I don’t know him in real life. I’ve only seen him wrestle live once (and YES!! YES!! YES!!, it was great!). I’ll more than likely never meet this dude to know him on a personal level. So, what gives? It makes you think about why we look up to people. Where are the heroes around us? Now, I don’t believe D Bry is a bad buy by any means. However, there are people around us that we know in which we take for granted everyday. These people shaped us, raised us, and love us unconditionally. They could be friends, family, or someone in your neighborhood. Somebody, without riches and fame, helped you along the way. And they didn’t even expect a thank you. It was just the right thing to do.

So, here’s to the regular, ordinary, unappreciated, unmentioned Joes. Thank you for always being there.

You guys don’t need to be on celebrity status.

[Image Credit Think First, Design Later]