6 ms·

I saw Don Schlitz[0] perform "The Gambler" at The Grand Ole Opry[1] last year (juuust before Covid). He said something like "Yeah, Kenny Rogers did well with th

by mabbo 6y ago

I saw Don Schlitz[0] perform "The Gambler" at The Grand Ole Opry[1] last year (juuust before Covid). He said something like "Yeah, Kenny Rogers did well with this song, but I can still go to the grocery store without being recognized, and I still get paid when they play it" (or something to that effect). Funny guy, and a great singer too. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Schlitz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Schlitz [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Ole_Opry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Ole_Opry

HelloFellowDevs 6y ago
Sometimes the greatest thing for many people is the ability to choose fortune over fame.
- weinzierl 6y ago
  It's the fallacy of the C-list celebrity to realize too late that fame does not easily convert to fortune.
  - rkangel 6y ago
    I think many people go out seeking fame as goal in it's own right.
    - Mountain_Skies 6y ago
      Saw a podcast by the guy who played Lex Luthor on Smallville. He pretty much admitted to being a Narcissist who is addicted to attention. Good that he has self-awareness but many seek fame and attention without really understanding why they're doing it. Had a friend like that who was an otherwise wonderful person but her need for attention culminated in her being arrested for faking an attack on herself while hiking. It's a difficult need to control without awareness.
  - ForHackernews 6y ago
    I guess it depends how rich you aspire to be. If you have a a million social media followers, it's trivial to cash in on that attention to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
    - fxtentacle 6y ago
      except if you try to sell t-shirts? https://www.insider.com/instagrammer-arii-2-million-followers-cannot-sell-36-t-shirts-2019-5 https://www.insider.com/instagrammer-arii-2-million-follower...
      - ForHackernews 6y ago
        According to this https://www.influencer.agency/instagram-influencer-rates/ https://www.influencer.agency/instagram-influencer-rates/ it's ~$10k for a campaign from an influencer with 1M+ followers. Make ten deals like that per year, that's $100,000k.
        Tarsul 6y ago
        I don't believe those numbers (the site it comes from has interest in telling people that influencer marketing is worth much, so grain of salt.). But anyway, even if they would be true today, they won't hold tomororow because everyone gets more followers but not more attention. Also, it's a "winner takes all" market like all media. Still, if you're famous today I bet it's easier than ever to make at least SOME money out of it due to social media and the ability to cut off a lot of middle man.
        jandrese 6y ago
        You have to repeat that once a month to break into the middle class, assuming you have to pay for all your own healthcare, retirement, insurance, etc... What a dismal existence.
        ForHackernews 6y ago
        You mean once a month you have to make some social media posts? You conside that a "dismal existence". I know it's almost a cliche to point out HN users being out of touch with normal people, but have you ever had a real job that didn't involve sitting in a climate controlled office typing on a computer?
pfarrell 6y ago
This essay [0] from Tim Ferriss really crystalized for me a lot about why fame is a drag. During my college years, one of my dorm mate’s dads was a famous Hollywood producer. He once said to me, “You want everyone to know your name and no one to know your face.” Taking it a step further, we could quote Bill Murray: I always want to say to people who want to be rich and famous: ‘try being rich first.’ See if that doesn’t cover most of it. 0: https://tim.blog/2020/02/02/reasons-to-not-become-famous/ https://tim.blog/2020/02/02/reasons-to-not-become-famous/
- artursapek 6y ago
  Worst of all is being famous but not rich.
  - pfarrell 6y ago
    Totally. That’s exactly what I think when I see people on reality shows get their fame.
    - dylan604 6y ago
      sometimes, 15 minutes turns into a few seasons
  - jzemeocala 6y ago
    To qoute Paul Stanley from KISS when asked about what its like to be rich and famous: "Well, I know what it's like to be famous but I can't tell you anything about being rich"
    - coldtea 6y ago
      With an estimated $200 million net worth, he was faking it...
  - DrSiemer 6y ago
    Steve-O from Jackass was world famous and pretty much broke at the same time after their first season.

by mabbo 6y ago

HelloFellowDevs 6y ago

Sometimes the greatest thing for many people is the ability to choose fortune over fame.

weinzierl 6y ago
It's the fallacy of the C-list celebrity to realize too late that fame does not easily convert to fortune.
- rkangel 6y ago
  I think many people go out seeking fame as goal in it's own right.
  - Mountain_Skies 6y ago
    Saw a podcast by the guy who played Lex Luthor on Smallville. He pretty much admitted to being a Narcissist who is addicted to attention. Good that he has self-awareness but many seek fame and attention without really understanding why they're doing it. Had a friend like that who was an otherwise wonderful person but her need for attention culminated in her being arrested for faking an attack on herself while hiking. It's a difficult need to control without awareness.
- ForHackernews 6y ago
  I guess it depends how rich you aspire to be. If you have a a million social media followers, it's trivial to cash in on that attention to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
  - fxtentacle 6y ago
    except if you try to sell t-shirts? https://www.insider.com/instagrammer-arii-2-million-followers-cannot-sell-36-t-shirts-2019-5 https://www.insider.com/instagrammer-arii-2-million-follower...
    - ForHackernews 6y ago
      According to this https://www.influencer.agency/instagram-influencer-rates/ https://www.influencer.agency/instagram-influencer-rates/ it's ~$10k for a campaign from an influencer with 1M+ followers. Make ten deals like that per year, that's $100,000k.
      - Tarsul 6y ago
        I don't believe those numbers (the site it comes from has interest in telling people that influencer marketing is worth much, so grain of salt.). But anyway, even if they would be true today, they won't hold tomororow because everyone gets more followers but not more attention. Also, it's a "winner takes all" market like all media. Still, if you're famous today I bet it's easier than ever to make at least SOME money out of it due to social media and the ability to cut off a lot of middle man.
      - jandrese 6y ago
        You have to repeat that once a month to break into the middle class, assuming you have to pay for all your own healthcare, retirement, insurance, etc... What a dismal existence.
        ForHackernews 6y ago
        You mean once a month you have to make some social media posts? You conside that a "dismal existence". I know it's almost a cliche to point out HN users being out of touch with normal people, but have you ever had a real job that didn't involve sitting in a climate controlled office typing on a computer?

pfarrell 6y ago

This essay [0] from Tim Ferriss really crystalized for me a lot about why fame is a drag. During my college years, one of my dorm mate’s dads was a famous Hollywood producer. He once said to me, “You want everyone to know your name and no one to know your face.” Taking it a step further, we could quote Bill Murray: I always want to say to people who want to be rich and famous: ‘try being rich first.’ See if that doesn’t cover most of it. 0: https://tim.blog/2020/02/02/reasons-to-not-become-famous/ https://tim.blog/2020/02/02/reasons-to-not-become-famous/

artursapek 6y ago
Worst of all is being famous but not rich.
- pfarrell 6y ago
  Totally. That’s exactly what I think when I see people on reality shows get their fame.
  - dylan604 6y ago
    sometimes, 15 minutes turns into a few seasons
- jzemeocala 6y ago
  To qoute Paul Stanley from KISS when asked about what its like to be rich and famous: "Well, I know what it's like to be famous but I can't tell you anything about being rich"
  - coldtea 6y ago
    With an estimated $200 million net worth, he was faking it...
- DrSiemer 6y ago
  Steve-O from Jackass was world famous and pretty much broke at the same time after their first season.