Are We All Lonesome Fame Junkies?
A New Book Called Fame Junkies Explores the Reasons Behind Our Desire for Fame
I caught 20/20's interview with Jake Halpern Friday night, and the thing that keeps sticking in my mind about Fame Junkies is that Jake believes we're all lonelier than ever in our real lives -- working in front of computers all day and not connecting with each other -- then we come home and surf the web more.
Because of this loneliness, the Fame Junkies' author posits that we seek fame because we believe it will buy us a measure of happiness and human connection that we lack in our every day lives. This theory could be especially true for folks like me, who spend our workdays in the company of very few people. Like the lifeguard at my health club's pool, who unveiled his life to me as I became his sounding board, hanging around in the hot tub listening till I became nearly faint.
Fame? I don't want to be famous for no purpose. But I admit that like nearly every other human being, I crave connection. Constant Craving, as kd lang's infectious song rang today thru my minivan. It's the reason my new favorite site MyBlogLog is so successful. Just this weekend I went thru and added a whole bunch of folks as my contacts, and plenty of them returned the favor. How heady it is to log on daily to see a new faceload of people listed in my admirers section, begging to be added as virtual friends.
It wasn't like this 30 years ago, when weekend nights found my sister and I soaking up Fantasy Island on the huge console and the racuous laughs of my grandparents and mom and aunt and uncle over their weekly game of Bid Whist.
I miss those days of no internet, no BlueTooth, no YouTube. I miss people in the flesh. Thinking of the old days surprisingly makes me break into the ugly frown preceeding a cry. Being a corporate nomad, I duplicate those nights here and there with my adopted family of friends, but they aren't the weekly get-togethers to "pitch a Wang Dang Doodle all night long" that I grew up around.
Everybody's working now, getting our hustle on to obtain the almighty dollars to pay bills and buy more toys to separate us. Life is funny that way...
Published by Paula Neal Mooney
Paula Neal Mooney is owner of Plunder LLC, a media and publishing company. A screenwriter and journalist for major websites like Yahoo and Examiner, Paula has also been published in various national print... View profile
- Can the Recession Cause Us to Improve Our Lives?As we wrestle with getting the economy back in shape, we should look for opportunities to affect changes in our lives that will have long term benefits.
- The General Importance of Logic and Reasoning in Our Daily LivesLogic and Reasoning are critical elements in our daily lives to achieve the desire results from a problem or an issue. We often, but not always, need to apply these dimensions in our lives according to certain known g...
Kat De Luna - 9 Lives: Early Album ReviewThis is an early album review of Kat De Luna's new album 9 Lives.- Death of a Parent: Teenagers Gaining Support from FriendsWhen the death of parent occurs, often teenagers will find they are overwhelmed with grief and loss. Often, friends become an important source of support.
- Infidelity Destroys More Lives Than One RealizesWhat people who make the conscious decision to get involved in an affair don't realize or forsee or plan for, is the lives that ultimately become destroyed in the aftermath; especially when the final decision is made...
- Days of Our Lives Websites Designed for Fans like You
- Days of Our Lives' Tony DiMera: An Unusually Complex Soap Villain
- Camp Idol - a New Summer Camp for Kids
- Celebrity Journalism And American Culture
- Why Celebrity Gossip Has Become America's Favorite Addiction
- Take Time for Yourself by Balancing Your Different Schedules and Lives
- Tragic Death Claims Lives of McNair and Gatti
4 Comments
Post a Commentit's so easy to pick on celebrities and fans of the celebs, but what about sports? there are just as many nutters who are sports fans...and how come NO ONE criticizes the fact that NASCAR popularity is at an all time high, when gas is nearly $4 a gallon? Look at how much gas is wasted every week in this useless and stupid sport that encourages reckless driving!!!
This culture of celebrity worship would stop if people would examine their priorities like this
Hi Paula,
Very insightful article. Sometimes I miss those days too; especially when there were only eight looking at the t.v guide is dizzying. Too many choices. Hehe. Bye.
Interesting insights.