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
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