On the flip side of quitting fame are those wannabes that will do anything to achieve it. Our culture teems with celebrities that are made up of talent-less ‘personalities’ socialites or ‘it girls’. Comedian Ricky Gervaise once advised ‘if you want to be famous then go kill a prostitute’. Although tongue in cheek (he is a comedian after all) it emphasizes that some people will go to great lengths to become famous and they don’t care how they get there as long as they do.
Infamy In every industry there is a dark side – Just ask Darth Vader! Many people become famous for all the wrong reasons, usually known as being ‘infamous’. I wont name them as I don’t want their names in my book but I’m referring to high profile murderers, rapists, dictators, leaders of cults, heads of states responsible for genocide and other atrocities, the list goes on. These people are known around the world by millions of people for all the wrong reasons and so by default are famous in an unwelcome way
Before They Were Famous
We all have to start somewhere. Celebrities are not born, they are made through a melting pot of exposure, talent (or lack of it), luck and many other ingredients all simmered to produce a ‘star’ of varying levels. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a famous parent to give you a fast track route to fame then you’ll live a ‘normal’ life before getting your big break. Take a look at the following examples of celebrities and what they did before becoming famous. This will show you that however massive a star these people are today, their paths to fame began in humbling situations. You, like them will take your own path but the destination will be the same.
Madonna
Worked in Dunkin Donuts
Mariah Carey
Hat checker
Mick Jagger
Hospital porter
Johnny Depp
Pen salesman
Brad Pitt
Chicken mascot
Sylvester Stallone
Lion cage cleaner
Whoopie Goldberg
Phone sex line operator
