Member-only story
The Top Five Reasons I’m Glad I’m Not Taylor Swift
Fame ain’t the thing anymore
Like a lot of kids who grew up in dysfunctional households, I had dreams of being rich and famous. This was back in the 80’s when music stars were everything and Hollywood still held some glamor. Everyone was larger than life: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Harrison Ford, and Meg Ryan. Surely, I thought, being like one of these people who were loved by the whole world would make up for the love and attention I never got at home. Sounds reasonable, right?
These days, the biggest star on the planet is Taylor Swift. She’s beautiful, rich, famous, and powerful — all the things I wanted to be as a youth. But, after decades of watching the careers of stars and all the pitfalls they can go through, my views on celebrity have been somewhat tarnished.
The thought of being in her shoes now seems more like a personal version of hell. Some of those reasons are listed below.
The internet didn’t exist in the 80’s
Nor did cellphones, both of which changed the nature of fame with their widespread usage. When every move you make in public is being recorded and scrutinized, even down to your facial expression at an awards show, you’re compelled to always be “on” whenever you’re in public. Slip up once and that footage will be viral…