A Few Thoughts about Sudden Fame

[puppetmaker]

Susan Boyle has become the darling of the media circus right now. And I congratulate her on having the gumption to stand up in front of all of us and make us listen to her. I just hope that she doesn’t end up upset that she did this at all. 15 minutes is what Warhol said we all had and her star is shining now.

I think the thing that concerns me the most was an off-handed comment she made about people who had always ignored her or been mean to her are talking to her now. She has been rather isolated and I hope that she finds good people who can help her with her new found fame or they find her and help her rather than what I have seen happen to others who find themselves in that blinding spotlight. I don’t want to see her get hurt. She has had a pretty tough life already if you ask me.

I guess I see those people in the light of what happened to me after Peter and I got together. I was a known quantity in Atlanta Fandom and in comic book fandom. All these people knew me and had pigeon-holed me based on years of me being in fandom. I had my close friends, my convention friends, acquaintances, and people who wouldn’t give me the time of day even though we ran in the same circles.

Once it got around Atlanta fandom that I was dating Peter David, I noticed that people’s reactions and interactions with me were a bit different. People who won’t give me the time of day were all of the sudden rather chatty with me. I had all these people I have known for years that wanted to be my buddy, especially if I was with Peter. I was polite to each and every one of them but I kept my distance.

Once it got around Atlanta that I was working for Del Rey books and was now a professional in the industry, I was amazed at how many people used the fact that they knew me to try to help further their ends. Yeah, those things do get back to me eventually. When asked I was honest about what I knew and who I knew but I found it odd that people who had written me off as nothing special were now saying that I was the greatest thing since sliced bread and they had been good friends with me for years. Again I have always been polite but in private I shake my head and wonder about how they view the world and our mutual past.

So I hope that Susan Boyle finds some people she can really trust to have her back and I hope that they do have her back. I know I have my friends and that they have mine as I have theirs.

I am grateful for the people who have had my back.

Comments

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

Excellent post. I've been feeling the same way about Susan Boyle. I hope she is able to navigate these waters because I'm sure they'll be rough and I'm sure that they will be unlike anything she's experienced before. I'm with you: I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her.

[kenakeri.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

I felt fiercely protective about her even before I heard her sing because of what I saw on the audience's faces when she came out. That's probably why I can't enjoy shows like Something About Mary that depend on someone's humiliation and pain for laughs.

Although I know opportunists look for any opening, the change in attitudes you described when you started dating your husband/when people found out where you worked still surprises me.

[worldofcharlie.livejournal.com]

This is a great post...we can relate to Susan Boyle...Carrie was picked on throughout her childhood...on one hand - to suddenly have a bunch of friends or becoming popular overnight can be rather..intoxicating...

I do hope that she's firmly grounded...or that she has someone in her life that'll help her with this...

She has a great voice....

[dulcinbradbury.livejournal.com]

She's had a lot of years to work on being grounded. I had the impression that she approached this with the attitude of "I know who I am, and, if this works, it's a dream come true. If it doesn't, I'm still okay with life."

Wonderful lady.

[jenandbronze.livejournal.com]

I have the same attitutde, if it doesn't work, oh well, there is so many other things God has planned out for me. I grew up with some teasing, but once I got of high schol (I am a high school drop out due to lack fo services properly in place for me), now I am better for who i am because I graduated high school and looking towards independence in my life. There may be obstacles, but I am able to get around them, even with Nixon at my side.

[jendaby.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I was impressed with the way Ms. Boyle composed herself during an interview recently - where she was saying that she would take everything with baby steps and see what happened. Most people wouldn't be so grounded.

I agree, I hope that nobody hurts her, and I bet she will catch a lot of crap from other contestants, because people in these competitions get very catty (I do not watch these things, but once got stuck watching a marathon of reality TV when staying with the family of a friend for Thanksgiving)

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

You provide an interesting perspective, especially for me to think about, as I only met you through Peter.

Nomi has sometimes pointed out to me that certain people in the SF world will ignore her almost completely when talking with us. Given my general obliviousness, I'm glad that she points it out to me.

[norda.livejournal.com]

Sorry, that makes me giggle. Nomi is very hard to ignore.

I still contend that you and Nomi are some kind of parallel universe versions of my Michael and me. I'm just not sure WHICH universe.

[reddheart.livejournal.com]

Funny...when D and I started dating, I had people who seemed to step away from me. Incidentally, I think all of them were male.

I saw the video with Susan and I was blown away. I really hope that she does well, and that both she and her talent are appreciated.

[norda.livejournal.com]

:::wry grin::: It's funny that I'm reading this now, when I'm just about to e-mail you about networking stuff.

But I do have your back, and proud I am to be there.

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As far as Ms. Boyle, I'm remembering the deer-in-the-headlights look J.K. Rowling had during her first interview on 60 MINUTES, and then a few months later when she had her first American booksigning at the store where I worked, she thought Mick Jagger was in town! She could not believe the hundreds of people camped out with lawn chairs and coolers in our parking lot were there for HER.

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

It happens any time someone has a sudden windfall of wealth or power--the creeps crawl out of the woodwork, declaring their undying love...

[wherdafux-d-cat.livejournal.com]

Agreed. She has a lot of potential -- but there's also a lot of potential harm waiting for her, too. But I'm so glad she's taken the leap and is giving this a go!

[wonderbink.livejournal.com]

I think the reason people are so fascinated by Susan Boyle is precisely because her life has become such a classic Cinderella story. A forty-seven year old spinster goes from ugly duckling to swan just by singing her heart out in front of a national audience and, ultimately, the world.

I agree with you--I do hope she finds some people who truly have her back and aren't just trying to exploit her.

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

I agree, I hope people don't take advantage of her, but I know there will be people who try.

[lisasali.livejournal.com]

You essentially wrote what I had been thinking but didn't take the time to put in writing. Well, except for the fact that I've never been remotely famous. :-) Name droppers drive me out of my mind, and it is sad but interesting to see how people react when confornted with fame. Should be sleeping instead of babbling pseudo-sense. :-)