Celebrities in Jeopardy
Being a celebrity is cool right? You’re famous, most likely rich, and have the world’s attention. But celebrity status comes with a price: paparazzi, lack of a private life, etc. Anything a celebrity says or does can be publicly scrutinized. Take Ashton Kutcher’s tweet fiasco. So that got me thinking, is there an optimal type of celebrity to be or not be?
In no particular order:
Reality TV Star
No skills. Your life is literally being publicized, so no privacy. Your real friends won’t be near you with these cameras, so no more real friends. You have to live with other reality TV stars.
Movies / Television
You’re always pretending to be someone you’re not. People believe you’re the same as your most popular character. You get called by anything other than your real name. Getting typecast. Always moving from project to project. Paparazzi.
Music
Forced to repeat your songs over and over. No one wants to hear to you talk, just hear you sing. Continuously getting shown up by teens. Have to deal with music labels.
Cooking
Constantly forced to host or take part in dinner parties. Can’t be seen in a fast food restaurant. Have to deal with the difficult restaurant business. Work environment can easily become a health code violation. Lots of yelling involved.
Writing
Spend many hours alone writing. Writer's block and procrastination are always at the forefront of your mind. Book touring. Deal with the same questions about underlying meanings of your work. Constantly hear people misinterpret your works.
Journalist
Must always be objective. Must put yourself on the front lines for investigative reporting, which can be dangerous. Normal people don’t want to talk to you, fearing anything they say is on the record. Forced to cover tabloid stories...
Internet Icon
Flame wars. Target for hackers. Spam.
Politician
Your whole life is disected in the public eye. Any minor / non-job related snafu has the potential to get you fired. Always pandering for money, and more fundraising. You must always be politically correct. More likely to be in harm’s way.
Corporate Executive
Life is filled with lots of pressure and board / bored meetings. Usually have to wear a suit. Blamed for everything upfront. Personal activities can show up in the limelight, Mark Hurd or Charles Phillips anyone?
Academic / Scientist / Engineer
Only people in your field know you. Lots of conferences.
Sports
Seasonal. You have to worry about injuries, diet, and how to stay in shape constantly. Emotional roller coaster rides of winning or losing. Have to deal with the media and the likelihood of getting traded.
Comedy
Tough life, tough hours, tough crowds. People always expect you to be funny. After a while, nothing is funny. Repetition becomes an issue, ask Daniel Tosh about his groundhog's day.
Radio / Audio
No one knows what you look like. Doing commercials. Hours can be bad.
Humanitarian, Activism
Most people won’t recognize you, unless you’re giving a talk at a speaker series. You’re usually putting yourself in dangerous situations and making enemies. Even if it’s non-violent resistance, the other side can always be violent. Must always be dignified and serious about your issue. Martyrdom is a possibility.
Fashion / Modeling
Being stylish and beautiful may have its perks of free clothes and accessories, but you have to keep up whatever you’re showing off. Whether it’s a stringent diet or protecting your hands like in Zoolander.
Military
If you’re a famous soldier, cop, or black ops operative you either: have a bounty on your head, have been made or no longer active, a mercenary, or a rebel/outlaw. Most of these don’t end well.
And the winners are:
Worst Versatility
I’m surprised by how easy it is for celebrities to crossover, and almost anyone can be on TV nowadays. I’d say the military personnel would have the toughest time switching careers paths. Although Act of Valor is a step in the other direction.
Best Celebrity Type
From this list of negatives, I lean towards the Movie Star as the least negative, mainly because they can pick and choose their moments, unlike most of these other celebs.
Worst Celebrity Type
It’s too easy to say Reality TV, but next in line is being a Politician which unfortunately is also quite obvious.
In no particular order:
Reality TV Star
No skills. Your life is literally being publicized, so no privacy. Your real friends won’t be near you with these cameras, so no more real friends. You have to live with other reality TV stars.
Movies / Television
You’re always pretending to be someone you’re not. People believe you’re the same as your most popular character. You get called by anything other than your real name. Getting typecast. Always moving from project to project. Paparazzi.
Music
Forced to repeat your songs over and over. No one wants to hear to you talk, just hear you sing. Continuously getting shown up by teens. Have to deal with music labels.
Cooking
Constantly forced to host or take part in dinner parties. Can’t be seen in a fast food restaurant. Have to deal with the difficult restaurant business. Work environment can easily become a health code violation. Lots of yelling involved.
Writing
Spend many hours alone writing. Writer's block and procrastination are always at the forefront of your mind. Book touring. Deal with the same questions about underlying meanings of your work. Constantly hear people misinterpret your works.
Journalist
Must always be objective. Must put yourself on the front lines for investigative reporting, which can be dangerous. Normal people don’t want to talk to you, fearing anything they say is on the record. Forced to cover tabloid stories...
Internet Icon
Flame wars. Target for hackers. Spam.
Politician
Your whole life is disected in the public eye. Any minor / non-job related snafu has the potential to get you fired. Always pandering for money, and more fundraising. You must always be politically correct. More likely to be in harm’s way.
Corporate Executive
Life is filled with lots of pressure and board / bored meetings. Usually have to wear a suit. Blamed for everything upfront. Personal activities can show up in the limelight, Mark Hurd or Charles Phillips anyone?
Academic / Scientist / Engineer
Only people in your field know you. Lots of conferences.
Sports
Seasonal. You have to worry about injuries, diet, and how to stay in shape constantly. Emotional roller coaster rides of winning or losing. Have to deal with the media and the likelihood of getting traded.
Comedy
Tough life, tough hours, tough crowds. People always expect you to be funny. After a while, nothing is funny. Repetition becomes an issue, ask Daniel Tosh about his groundhog's day.
Radio / Audio
No one knows what you look like. Doing commercials. Hours can be bad.
Humanitarian, Activism
Most people won’t recognize you, unless you’re giving a talk at a speaker series. You’re usually putting yourself in dangerous situations and making enemies. Even if it’s non-violent resistance, the other side can always be violent. Must always be dignified and serious about your issue. Martyrdom is a possibility.
Fashion / Modeling
Being stylish and beautiful may have its perks of free clothes and accessories, but you have to keep up whatever you’re showing off. Whether it’s a stringent diet or protecting your hands like in Zoolander.
Military
If you’re a famous soldier, cop, or black ops operative you either: have a bounty on your head, have been made or no longer active, a mercenary, or a rebel/outlaw. Most of these don’t end well.
And the winners are:
Worst Versatility
I’m surprised by how easy it is for celebrities to crossover, and almost anyone can be on TV nowadays. I’d say the military personnel would have the toughest time switching careers paths. Although Act of Valor is a step in the other direction.
Best Celebrity Type
From this list of negatives, I lean towards the Movie Star as the least negative, mainly because they can pick and choose their moments, unlike most of these other celebs.
Worst Celebrity Type
It’s too easy to say Reality TV, but next in line is being a Politician which unfortunately is also quite obvious.
