EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK -- Jennifer K Mahal

“The fame thing isn’t really real, you know.”

-- Anna Scott in “Notting Hill”

Fame is all about illusion. Think of it like dating -- you don’t get

to see too far past the veneer of most people until you’ve gone out at

least three or four times. And even then, there’s still mystery.

That’s what fame is like for those on the outside looking in. The

constant mystery of beautiful people.

“Everyone wants to be a rock star,” said Sam Jaffe on Wednesday, as we

were watching karaoke with Mika Greiner of local band Redline 5 in a West

Hollywood bar.

Sam, a soulful rocker in his own right, was fresh from performing at

The Joint in Beverly Hills for his CD release party.

I thought about what he said, as I prepared to give my all to a

rendition of Carole King’s “Natural Woman.” Was my going onstage a secret

longing to be famous, adored by tens, if not hundreds?

“I don’t,” I replied. “Some of us just want to write.”

That conversation ended there.

A strand of it was picked up later, while waiting outside. Matthew

Perry of “Friends” apparently walked by Mika and me, a fact Sam pointed

out as we headed to the car. I didn’t see it. I was oblivious, lost in an

exchange of words about Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk.

He wasn’t the first or last celebrity to be seen that night. Shane

West of “Once and Again” was standing outside, an actor from “Days of Our

Lives” had sang within.

But Perry started us talking about fame again. At which point I

realized one of the gifts journalism has given me -- the knowledge,

firsthand, up close, that celebrities are just people with really cool

jobs. That’s all. Biologically, they’re pretty similar to the rest of us.

The difference is in the way we treat them -- like the hero or heroine

of our dreams, like they are more important than we are because they have

the privilege of doing something for a living that most of us could never

really do, even if we imagine we could.

Among the first things that people ask me when they find out I cover

arts and entertainment is: “Have you met anyone famous?” The answer is

yes, of course I have. And some of those famous people are really

wonderful -- I will never forget Tom Wopat’s offer of “Is there anything

I can do for you?” upon hearing I had a spinal tap days earlier -- and

some are not people I would want to know outside of my job.

But they are all just human. And we are all stars to someone in our

lives, even if just for a moment singing karaoke.

* Jennifer K Mahal is features editor of the Daily Pilot. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4282 or by e-mail at o7

jennifer.mahal@latimes.com.f7