(This is Part 1of a series on fame, but each part stands alone. | Part 2 | Part 3 | Interlude | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Postlude)
One of my dream projects is to write a book about fame. I don’t know why the concept has always fascinated me, because I absolutely do not want to be famous. But I do want to talk to famous people worldwide about their experiences (and their sense of self) in a conversation where they aren’t promoting something. And I especially want to analyze what their experiences say about us. Since I don’t have access to famous people, I have to write this from the perspective of being a fan and a consumer of popular media for nearly four decades.
There are two quotes that have stuck with me.
First, in episode 43 of the Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People podcast (2017), host Chris Gethard (who is way more famous than me, but can probably shop for groceries without being photographed) said in response to being asked about the appeal of fame: “Being famous sucks. It’s scary and it’s dehumanizing.” (His full answer is worth listening to. Around the 45 minute mark.)
Second, in the One Direction: This Is Us (2013) documentary, Harry Styles talks about the word “famous” and how it takes away everything else about you: “I just struggle with the word. It just gives you no substance. … I hate it.”
With those two quotes in mind, I want to talk about Britney Spears.
