Fame and Fortune....and all that goes with it.

One has to wonder why anyone would want fame and fortune. "It’s no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise".

We revere the beautiful famous people because they make us laugh or escape a little from what we may perceive as insignificant lives. However, for many of them, their lives are lives of turmoil and despair that would make one wonder why do we elevate and celebrate such people?

Robin Williams is the latest of such tragic lives, allegedly having committed suicide. The story this morning is that his depression was sourced in his fading fame. So why would you want to set your child up for this? Why would you want to work so hard to get somewhere in life, to be wealthy beyond most people's dreams only to find that in this is based no happiness, but fear and decadence? The fear of not having it anymore, or the decadence of having few repercussions to your actions.

I guess it would make me feel proud that everyone knew my child, but see how rapidly fame turns to infamy? By infamy I am not saying that they are as evil as they could be, but by that they will be known as the actor that killed themselves either intentionally or unintentionally. Known for their worst and not their best. All of their achievements that they made to become famous are overshadowed by the final act of their lives. Robin Williams will be the funny actor that killed himself. Health Ledger…isn’t he that actor that over dosed? John Belushi, Chris Farley, Phillip Hoffman, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Colbain, Corey Haim, David Carradine, the list goes on and on. All went from being glamorous people to being the people that killed themselves for all the world to see.


Aside from the seemingly numerous people that kill themselves the rest of that particular highway in life is littered with drug addiction, the inability to have a normal family life, broken homes. I guess I am one that just does not get it. Perhaps the failure rate of marriage in Hollywood is no different than the rest of society. Perhaps it is that we have become so voyeuristic that carnage is the only thing that excites and interests our society anymore.

Maybe we should just take all the fading stars and put them in an arena and have them fight to the death. Robin Williams against David Carradine. Kung Foo against Nanooh Nanooh. With the nation's penchant for "reality television", which is anything but real, a cage match of the fading stars would be right down our alley wouldn't it?  Then neither one has to be known as the former actor that asphyxiated themselves to death.

Thank God for obscurity and the lack of money to destroy myself. I would like fortune and perhaps fame, but holy cow, I don't want all that goes with it.

P.S. Do Robin Williams' family a favor and turn the news off for the next two weeks.