Do You Feel Sorry for Celebrities?

on April 9, 2009

Afternoon! How’s it going for you? I had the most delicious and well-balanced lunch, which always makes me happy!

The ‘bulk’ of my meal was a spinach salad was grilled chicken.

A tiny side of grapes…

And an English muffin with a smear of cottage cheese….

I’ve been making a real effort to get in my 5-a-day fruits and veggies. You all know how much I heart granola and other carbs, so I’m making an effort to snack on fruits and veggies. I’m even keeping a running daily tally of my intake to make sure I reach my goal.

Do You Feel Sorry for Celebrities?

When I pulled this week’s issue of The Week out my mailbox last night, I screamed at the top of my lungs because look who was on the cover:

Much to the Husband’s annoyance, I rambled on about Mr. Robert Pattinson for about five minutes and read this article to him:

(Click to view larger).

The article got me thinking…. do you feel sorry for celebrities? Because I do. I think it’s sad they can’t really live normal lives. In this day and age, it’s impossible for them to do anything without being photographed, and if they mess up…. it’s all over the news! I think about how many times I’ve screwed up, and if everyone in the world knew about it, I’d be so embarrassed. Its sad our fixation on celebrities keep them from living normal lives.

For example, I feel so sorry for Britney Spears. I think she probably had a natural disposition to mental unrest that was exacerbated by her fame and fortune. And it’s a vicious cycle once they are in the tabloids. Everything they do is dissected until it blows up in their face (Lindsay Lohan, anyone?)

But… I read Perez Hilton. I buy gossip mags. Aren’t I partly to blame for the cult of celebrity? I think I am.

If I saw Britney or Robert Pattinson in real life, I would probably scream hysterically. I think it would be a knee jerk reaction, and I would feel sooooo bad about it later. Once, I met Ricky Martin and I asked him to kiss me — he didn’t, obviously (this was like 1998, in my defense)!

Do you feel sorry for celebrities? Have you ever seen a celebrity in real life? What did you do?

{ 51 comments }

Tami April 9, 2009, 9:10 am
i real sorry for them. sure, this is the life that they picked for themselves but everyone just wants to be happy and to have people love them for who they are (vs who they play on tv, etc)
Beth April 9, 2009, 9:11 am
For some celebrities….yes. But for celebs like Britney? Sorry Caitlin….NO. Yes, it sucks that the media hounds her (and others like her), but in many ways she (and others) soaks it up! They thrive on it. It’s different for all celebs, but those who stay out partying till all hours and doing crazy things sort of deserve the attention. I like celebs like Demi Moore who move to Idaho and truly try to stay out of the spotlight.
Rachel April 9, 2009, 9:12 am
That’s a good idea to keep a fruit and veggie tally! When I did Weight Watchers, I really liked having the checkboxes for fruit/veggies, dairy and water at the bottom of the food log.

And I love cottage cheese! It looks great on that English muffin.
Red Head, Yellow Dog April 9, 2009, 9:18 am
that lunch looks soo good. Partly because it’s about time for me to eat my lunch 😉

I do feel bad for celebs! have you seen the footage of when paparazzi are taking a billion pictures?? you can barely see what’s going on! and for them to do that when there’s a baby or a kid…it’s awful.
Sarah (lovINmytummy) April 9, 2009, 9:20 am
I’m probably going to get hate email for saying this, but I heard Robert Pattinson stinks because he doesn’t shower very often. Mmm…I love me some hot man stank.
Stephanie April 9, 2009, 9:22 am
I do not AT ALL! Mainly because they bring it on themselves — there are about 1,453,345,234,239 other things they could do to make a living instead of that “stuff” (music, tv, movies, whatever)… if it is their “passion” they could still choose to pursue it in such a way they would not be so in the limelight. And, I bet all the money and “perks” more than makes up for it. If I have a stressful day I can’t have my personal driver take me home while I nap in the back, a personal chef whip up whatever I want, retail therapy at the best stores… after a few weeks of “work” I don’t jet off to fancy islands or resorts. Sorry to ramble on but I feel strongly about this!

The only ones I do feel sorry for are celebrity children. The paparazzi/media are invasive and often dangerous. Also, they in no way chose to be in that situation.

That’s my 2 cents!
Hi! I'm Erin April 9, 2009, 9:25 am
I don’t follow celebrities at all. I do read Go Fug Yourself but half the time I don’t know who the celebrity is that they are making fun of. I just read it because I like to see what horrible train wrecks people wear when they step outside the house and the writing is funny. I prefer to not know anything about the person. I hate it when I like a movie or a song and then find out later that the artist or actor is a total d-bag. It’s just easier to ignore it all.

But do I feel sorry for them? I think you can be a celebrity and not throw your personal out there for the world to see. Sure, it’s hard and that sucks. But I think a lot of celebrities thrive on the media attention even if they say otherwise.
Learning to Cope w/ Eating and College April 9, 2009, 9:27 am
I personally do not feel sorry for celebrities because they often put themselves in situations where they should not be. While I say that, I do hate it when celebrities are attacked by the poperazi when they are just doing things that we “common-folk” do on a daily basis like trying to stay fit or going to the grocery store in a jogging suit!! 🙂
livelaughlyss April 9, 2009, 9:29 am
I do and I don’t.

It’s sad that some celebrities end up getting SLAMMED for things that are insignifican and/or out of their control. For example: weight gain, getting in fights (Rihanna?), ect. Like you said, if all of our flaws were posted on every tabloid each time we made a mistake, we’d all live humiliating lives!

On the other hand, there are some celebrities who soak up the fame and love the lime light. I worked for the Ellen DeGeneres show during the fall and we had to LITERALLY treat the celebrities like kings and queens. If they wanted cigarettes, I would RUN to get them for them. If the food we had available wasn’t good enough, we had to go out and make a special trip just to get them what they wanted.

So, it’s a toss up… But you make a good point!
Adventures in Newlywed April 9, 2009, 9:30 am
Hahahaha 🙂 I love the comment about Ricky Martin – I totally would have asked him to kiss me too!
Kimberly April 9, 2009, 9:31 am
I've met a fair number of celebs from my years of interning/working in casting in NYC, and now some of my acting-student friends actually ARE semi-celebs! I think many actors realize that loss of privacy comes with the territory, and is, quite frankly, the price you have to pay if you want to stay a marketable commodity (because you can't command a high salary if you don't stay on those magazine covers!) That said, it's possible to live a little more quietly by pursuing careers in the theater or daytime serials instead of TV & film — the trade-off, of course, is less money and prestige for more privacy.
Caitlin April 9, 2009, 9:32 am
Hi- just wanted to say that I think it’s awesome you are doing a running fruit and veggie tally! Just wanted to throw it out there that the five a day is much easier than people think. A serving of most fruits and veggies is only 1/2 a cup, so for many people when they eat a salad with all the good stuff, they are getting much more than 1 serving.

And I would NEVER want to be a celebrity, even if it comes with the territory I do feel bad for the constant paparazzi.
Run Sarah April 9, 2009, 9:33 am
I feel sorry when celebrities get picked on for minute changes in their life, ie Jessica Simpson and her so called weight gain. I don’t feel as sorry for them when they are doing what seems like publicity stunts!
HangryPants April 9, 2009, 9:35 am
I feel sorry for them to a certain extent. People like Paris Hilton who intentionally crave attention will get it – both good and bad. Someone like Natalie Portman for example, knows how to be normal and avoid the media.

I do think it’s ridiculous and sad when their children are followed and truly personal stories are reported.
HangryPants April 9, 2009, 9:37 am
Also, this post and Caitlin’s comment gave me crazy deja vous.
Andrea (Off Her Cork) April 9, 2009, 9:43 am
I don’t even know who the guy on the cover is. I don’t really pay attention to celebs. Do I feel sorry for them? No. It’s not like it’s a surprise the attention celebs get. They are choosing to live that lifestyle. They know full well what they are getting into when they decide to go into acting or put themselves in the limelight.
K from ksgoodeats April 9, 2009, 9:43 am
English muffin with CC!! Best combination in the world 🙂

I only feel bad for certain celebrities but others deserve some of the hounding.
livelovelaugheatlearn April 9, 2009, 9:55 am
I feel sorry for them too. I know that they chose their profession and knows that comes with it, but that doesn’t mean that people have the right to go through their garbage, and use cameras with lenses the length of my arm to take pictures of them sunbathnig a mile away.

I do agree that we are completely to blame. The paparazzi have jobs and do what they do because we ask them to. We want more.

I also think that celebrities know that they are watched everywhere they go and while it isn’t fair, they should make an effort to wear underwear, not make racist comments in public, etc. While it’s fair or not, they are role models and I think they have some responsibility to act a certain way.

I totaly keep track of all my food groups to make sure I’m getting enough. It’s not perfect everyday, but it usually evens out nicely!
seesaraheat April 9, 2009, 9:59 am
I do feel sorry for many of them, just watching how people invade their privacy and chase them down the street with cameras, its insanity. I don't feel sorry for the ones who purposely draw attention to themselves though. And I know a lot of people like him, but Perez Hilton drives me crazy! Haha.

I've met a few famous people and mostly I just struggle to find words and shake their hand. I've had my husband ask them if I can take a picture because I'm a chicken!

I like your fruit & veg tally, I do that myself sometimes when I start slacking.
Carrie H April 9, 2009, 10:02 am
Oh, man, no, I don’t think I feel sorry for celebrities. I think once you make yourself a public figure — like by becoming an elected office or being an entertainer — you are asking to be scrutinized. It sorda comes with the fame and fortune. And there are tons of celebrities/elected officials that I just don’t know anything about, because they keep themselves out of the public eye. Like, I dunno, look at Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, a huge band that’s been around for decades(?). I don’t really love Pearl Jam or anything, but I know nothing about him. I bet that has to do with his own efforts to stay out of the spotlight.
VeggieGirl April 9, 2009, 10:09 am
If you put yourself out there in a profession that’s in the public/spotlight, you need to accept the fact that criticism/lack of privacy is practically inevitable.
Matt April 9, 2009, 10:14 am
Celebrities have choosen their career, so they pretty much have brought the spotlight onto themselves.
jethomas April 9, 2009, 10:17 am
In general, I don’t feel sorry for celebrities. I think it comes with the territory.

One time about five years ago I was in NYC vacationing with my best friend and we saw Chris Noth (Mr. Big from Sex and the City) eating a few tables away from us in a restaurant. I totally freaked out, because he was/is one of my favorites. I ended up talking to him/flirting with him for about 10 minutes, and I got a hug from him (OMG) and a couple of pictures. It was really cool and exciting, since I had never met a celebrity before.
Colleen April 9, 2009, 10:19 am
I do feel bad for them…nobody wants their dirty laundry hung out to dry, no matter your profession. Papparazi have taken things way too far in recent years. I have to confess to reading celebrity gossip, but I always cheer when celebrities get their life back on track (especially Britney)!
monsappetit April 9, 2009, 10:25 am
I read the GQ article with Rob and I felt so bad for him when he said he had to hide just to eat a burger. I guess it comes with the celebrity status but there is a line drawn with going too far. Like you I also buy magazines and watch gossip shows, but i don’t really believe what i read!

ps im obsessed with all things Twilight too 🙂
Moran April 9, 2009, 10:43 am
My sister REALLY follows this celebrity stuff, and, well, its addicting!
I love the comment about Ricky! I really like him 😉
Kaye April 9, 2009, 10:45 am
I don’t know if I do feel sorry for them. It’s true that they can’t live a normal life, but what’s normal about being a celeb? What is normal about having 50% of the world (depending on who you are) know your name, and what you’re doing. Some are better equipped though, that’s for sure. Someone up here says that Britney totally walks herself into the spotlight, and is totally asking for it, but I beg to differ. I feel like you’re right Caitlin, and she’s just predisposed to mental irregularity. That’s why she insists on going out, she is indignant about not being able to live a ‘normal’ life.

Ugh, that was so serious, here’s the fun part!
I met Laurence Fishburne and TOTALLY freaked out. I was like, “OMG, YOU’RE LAURENCE FISHBURNE!You are MORPHEUS!”
And he was like, “Yes.”
Haha, I had a meet and greet with Schwartzenegger. And Russel Wong from Romeo Must Die.
I spotted Lance Bass at my favorite gay bar and we washed our hands next to each other in the unisex bathroom.
I also ran into Seth MacFarlane at karaoke on my birthday which I absolutely freaked out over!
Those are the ones I have pictures of.
I flew on the same plane as Jennifer Hudson to ATL, I was pretty excited about that, my fiance was pretty embarassed. I’ve also seen Jay Mohr and the black prostitute lady from Borat.
Jen April 9, 2009, 10:47 am
Nope, I don’t feel sorry for them because they chose to be a public figure. It’s just a part of the job.

They’re paid are paid millions upon millions of dollars for their work, so they’re definitely compensated for their troubles.

I feel bad for regular people who get unwanted media attention, though.
Brandi April 9, 2009, 10:56 am
I do feel sorry for them, but they also know what they’re getting into after seeing how the world works right now.

I don’t feel sorry that they’re making bajillions of dollars for shopping most days of the year, while there are millions of people struggling to pay their bills and working every day.

I feel the same way you do, though. I LOVE looking at people.com and the superficial, etc, so I’m part of the reason. It’s a problem this country has a whole.

I think if someone were to become a celebrity now and NOT expect this is a little naive. That doesn’t make it right – it’s just the way it is.
katecooks April 9, 2009, 10:57 am
i sometimes feel sorry for them. i mean, the pluses are HUGE. the celebrity lifestyle is pretty rockin, you have to admit. BUT on the other hand, the constant media hounding can be ridiculous. i think some celebrities do invite that kind of attention (for example, julia roberts is definitely MEGA CELEB but not very often in the tabloids) but at the same time, most of it is entirely out of their control.

ok, here's an example…everyone is mentioning britney spears. ive lived in LA for 2.5 years and seen hundreds of celebs. one night i went to a hole in the wall dinner with some friends and we ended up sitting next to justin timberlake and jessica biel. as we are getting to leave, who walks in but britney & her mom. the place is like 5 feet big and you could feel the tension!! there were no paparazzi there but STILL the whole next week were stories about the awkward run-in & how brit looked bad and jessica looked so good and how sad it was for her to be there with her mom and bad extensions. i mean…can you imagine going out with your mother for some sushi in your sweats and then having your public heartbreak from like 5 years ago written about EVERYWHERE?! that part of it really does make me feel sorry for them. i mean, when it comes to family & relationships, they're just regular people!
Jewels April 9, 2009, 11:08 am
I understand your sympathy but on the other hand, they get paid a lot of money. I feel some of them really try to stay out of the spotlight while others seek the attention. So i’m kind of split.
RhodeyGirl/Sabrina April 9, 2009, 11:35 am
yeah i feel really sorry for celebrities.

i feed into the gossip mags and whatnot, but when i see celebrities in person i don’t really do anything. maybe a friendly hello?

the only embarrassing celebrity encounter was fred durst. i saw hi at a starbucks in my hometown (not the place for him to be), and asked him if he had gone to my high school, because he looked so familiar. he got a kick out of it, but i was mortified.
Bridget April 9, 2009, 11:47 am
Um, I dont think I feel all that bad…I’m sure it’s gotta suck sometimes but if your making THAT much money you should expect the bad with the good you know? You can’t want to be famous and expect to be left alone all the time. I do think paparazzi are ridiculous though…I do feel bad for that.
Kailey (SnackFace) April 9, 2009, 11:50 am
For me, it really depends on the celebrity. Overall, though, they knew they’d be in the spotlight and would be hounded whenever in public.

I’ve met SJP and became speechless. I’ve also seen FLAVA FLAV!!! I saw him when I was shopping in Columbus, Ohio. He was wearing a clock. I think I yelled, “FLAV!!” He didn’t acknowledge me.
Trish April 9, 2009, 12:58 pm
I read celeb gossip – but then I do feel like it must be terrible to live that way, always being watched and having people make comments about you. I mean, yes, you decided to be famous, but I don’t think they signed up to be ripped apart on a regular basis. It goes way too far at times. Some of them do invite it – but others get made fun of because they went to the beach and didn’t look so good in their bathing suit.
kirsten April 9, 2009, 1:01 pm
My new years resolution was to stop reading Perez because I felt guilty about it (and because I checked it about 12 times a day, ha)
Danielle April 9, 2009, 1:43 pm
I do feel really sorry for them, every step they make is being watched and while it’s part of their job no one’s safety should be messed with. I especially feel sorry for celebrities’ children!
Nicole (anotheronebitesthecrust.wordpress.com) April 9, 2009, 1:54 pm
While I sort of feel bad for some celebrities, I don’t feel bad for all of them. I can’t imagine how awful it’d be to never get any privacy.
Ashley April 9, 2009, 2:15 pm
On the whole I don’t feel sorry for celebrities, they make millions of dollars so I feel it compensates the bad publicity they have to put up with. I especially don’t feel sorry for the celebrities who thrive on the paparazzi.
Amandaaa April 9, 2009, 2:59 pm
I wrote Britney SO many letters
when she was going through
rough times. I thought my words
would be able to help, encourage,
motivate, and let her know that
her fans are still there for her.
Even when most of the public
thinks she’s unfit as a person
and as a mom. Pshh.I like to think
my letters reached her. Because
I meant them. I heart Brit. Always
and forever.
Ali April 9, 2009, 2:59 pm
I have the same dilemma that you do. I think the whole gossip/weight oriented industry linked to celebrities is sick and sad. Yet, I find myself reading OMG! and theskinnywebsite. I’m such a hypocrite!
sandy April 9, 2009, 3:49 pm
A lot of the time they are the ones leaking info and calling the paps themselves though! (ie: miley cyrus, jessical biel). Sorry ricky didnt kiss u! maybe if u had been a boy, lol.
Trojan April 9, 2009, 4:15 pm
It’s a trade off for insane $$ and a life that resembles luxury. Privacy would be my biggest issues if I were famous…I like my private time.

I have met many celebrities and most are asses. Possibly a product of their environment but rude nonetheless.

It’s sad…
Mica April 9, 2009, 5:05 pm
I actually feel really awkward when I have the possibility of meeting a celebrity (at a concert or something) because I know SO MUCH about him/her, and he/she knows NOTHING about me. The unbalanced dynamic really creeps me out, so I try not to be tooooo stalker-ish when it comes to celebrity obsessions.
Erin April 9, 2009, 5:54 pm
I feel there are bigger problems these days then a celebrity’s lack of privacy. I feel like celebs whine way to much…. The ydef. bring it on themselves….

P.S. Robert looks HOT in that pic, lol
RunToFinish April 9, 2009, 6:21 pm
i feel bad for the one’s who haven’t asked to be followed around and hassled..some of them like the attention.
Simple and Divine April 9, 2009, 6:25 pm
Don’t hate me. But (AND I SWEAR ON MY LIFE AND MY GRANDMOTHER’S LIFE THAT THIS IS TRUE!!!) I saw David Beckham and screamed, “Becks, can I get a kiss?!” And HE came THROUGH his barracade of body guards and reached out his hand and pulled me to him and GAVE ME A KISS RIGHT ON MY CHEEK!!!! I have never revealed that to the blog world before. And yes, THIS HAPPENED. And I have PICTURES to prove it!! 😀 G-d that brought back such amazing memories. Thanks Cait!
Amy April 9, 2009, 6:28 pm
In a way I do feel sorry for them because I’m sure some of them would like more privacy despite their career. However, I think some can live a relatively normal life. Take Kelly Clarkson for instance. She switched to a Nashville recording studio and has her home in Texas. It seems like she gets a lot more privacy and normalcy by removing herself from the limelight. Clearly people are going to take your picture if you hit the most popular night clubs and restaurants in LA. If you want a normal life, you just need to remove yourself from that city. I mean, you don’t see much about Britneys’ sister now that she’s in Louisiana instead of LA.
Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point April 9, 2009, 6:34 pm
everyone had really interesting points! i guess some of you are right — certain celebrities bring the attention on themselves on purpose, so i dont feel sorry for them either. but i still think they should be able to live semi-normal lives. maybe i need to quit perez hilton!?

and you guys have met some AWESOME celebs!! super jealous 🙂
Zesty Cook April 9, 2009, 6:43 pm
Caitlin, really cool write up today! I am with you to a certain degree but not 100% but I do love your lunch 🙂

zesty
Alison April 9, 2009, 8:30 pm
I feel sorry for the celebrities who seem like nice people and who try to live a normal life – like Rob Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. I’d hate to have paparazzi following me. But I don’t feel sorry for opportunists like Lindsay Lohan or the Kardashian girls.

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