[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> I'm curious as to people's opinion's on this statement. If you could be the
> most famous person in the world, or simply the guy next door, which would you
> choose? My answer is both, but that's not allowed, is it?
>
> The guy next door can at least log into his email accounts with no worries,
> because he doesn't owe anybody anything.
I'd rather not be famous, but if I became so, I wouldn't exactly kill
myself or anything like that, which would be the extreme logical
conclusion of "I'd rather be dead than famous."
And there are varying degrees of fame. I'd hate to be as recognized as
Madonna. I wouldn't mind the level of fame enjoyed by, say, Harry
Turtledove. (How many people *recognize* Harry Turtledove on sight?)
I wouldn't want to be as famous as that woman in the Dixie Chicks who
lives in Austin and who is married to an actor (on a soap opera?). When
she was pregnant, there was a hearing to see if they could convince the
authorities to let them put up a 10' privacy fence (6' is what's allowed
unless you get special permission for a taller one) to make it more
difficult for people to violate the privacy of their backyard. It was
allowed for them.
I'd also prefer that my next-door neighbor not be famous, because I
imagine people would be a lot more likely to try to trespass in *my*
yard to spy on/photograph/hassle them, which I take a dim view of.
Julia
infamous is another story
