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Comment by pfarrell | Hacker News Reader

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/

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I like that Bill Murray quote. But here's a Jim Carrey semi-rebuttal (I read it as mostly talking about the rich part): “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.”

Getting rich would absolutely be the answer to a lot of my current problems. Sure not every problem, but even for those problems it sure would help.

I'd have more control over my time (no need to work a day job I don't feel passionate about). I have issues with making doctors appointments and things because I still feel kind of awkward taking the day off, if I were rich that would also not be a problem because once you have fuck you money you can absolutely take the day off to go to the dentist.

I'd have more of an ability to set my own schedule meaning I could more readily do things like go learn a martial art or participate in hobby groups.

Like sure I don't think it would solve anything but it seems very much like an out of touch ultra rich thing to say. I don't think most people think being rich would make their lives perfect, just a lot fucking better than they are currently.

It's a great take from Tim and seems to ring very true. I just don't think people really think about what fame means. It's got huge tradeoffs and its mostly not fun but rather scary and unnerving. Eric Weinstein also seemed to run into this fairly quickly and has now stopped making his podcast because the fame part is mostly toxic.

Hasn't stopped him from being active on Clubhouse where he has close to 2M followers now.

> Eric Weinstein also seemed to run into this fairly quickly ...

No, I don't think so. Any blowback he's gotten is not from "fame" but rather his difficult personality.

It's a good thing he absolutely insists on being sesquipedalian, because it limits his audience.

He seems to fancy himself as Tech Faulkner; I'd rather be Tech Hemingway.

I know my comment isn't relevant but my favorite literary rivalry in history is definitely Hemingway and Faulkner.

Ironic you used that word as I can imagine it limited yours on this comment too. :-)

Oh God, I know, but it really is the perfect fucking word for Eric, whom I do admire, but find to be occasionally frustrating...

If Eric's brother Bret is as naïve about politics as Eric believes, then Eric is as naïve about word choice. Probably more so.

I'm so grateful there are people with the courage to stand up and say unpopular things. Weinstein is a human whose outspokenness I've been particularly grateful for.

Worst of all is being famous but not rich.

Totally. That’s exactly what I think when I see people on reality shows get their fame.

sometimes, 15 minutes turns into a few seasons

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"

With an estimated $200 million net worth, he was faking it...

Steve-O from Jackass was world famous and pretty much broke at the same time after their first season.

Famous for being stupid at scales most people can't even imagine isn't exactly a ticket for richness.

The Jackass gang were, in their own way, quite brilliant I think.

It’s been a long time since I last watched them, but there was something special about the show and the movie.

It wasn’t simply people doing dumb things to hurt themselves.

It was more like, experiments to see what kind of crazy stuff they could pull off without hurting themselves too bad. That’s how I see it anyway.

It was also an insight into skateboarder culture.

And they were quite a creative bunch of people, often coming up with new things to try.

And on top of that they were good entertainers too.

I loved Jackass. I genuinely think it was a great show, and I think some of the cast were brilliant.

To say some of the cast members had issues though is an understatement.

Also to the GP - trying getting famous by being stupid. I'd say it's harder than getting famous by being smart. Instead of competing with a handful of geniuses you're competing with a world of morons.

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