Everyone has wondered what it would be like to be famous at one point or another in life. Even if it’s not something you actively crave, the lifestyle of a famous person can be fascinating.
Unless you are famous, you can never truly know the experience of having your name on everyone’s lips, your face plastered across billboards and having every move of yours scrutinized by millions.
Like most things in life, the reality of fame is not what most people fantasize about. There is more to living a celebrity lifestyle than red carpets and adoring fans. It’s a complex psychological journey that can take a person on a wild ride through their inner emotional world.
Famous people often experience different phenomenologies throughout their highly publicized careers. As explained by a 2003 article by Brown University, the word “phenomenology” describes “a philosophy of experience.” This means that throughout their time in the spotlight, many singers, actors and public figures relate to the lived experience of fame in different ways at different points in time.
Here are the four different phases of fame.
1. The Love-Hate Phase
Chappell Roan is this generation’s “it” girl, and her recent rise to fame is a textbook case of fame’s love-hate phase. While she is arguably one of the most relevant stars at the moment, Roan herself has admitted that when it comes to fame, it’s not all glamorous.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, she compared fame with the sensation of “going through puberty,” noting that there are emotions she has never felt before and now has to deal with.
It’s easy to see why a star whose fame saw a meteoric rise like Chappell Roan would struggle with the consequences of fame. On one hand, she deeply appreciates the platform it has given her art. She is free to express herself and gets paid to do it — a dream she has harbored, by her own admission, since she was a child.
On the other hand, fame can also be abusive. The pressure, scrutiny and invasiveness can be overwhelming and violating.
Many young celebrities often liken their early careers to being touted around like “show ponies.” This is an experience unlike any other and one that requires firm boundaries if the celebrity wishes to survive in a cutthroat environment.
2. The Addiction Phase
In a 2009 study published in the Journal of Phenomenological Psychology on the experience of fame, a celebrity interviewee stated, “I have been addicted to almost every substance known to man at one point or another, and the most addicting of them all is fame.”
Fame opens doors to a lifestyle most average people can only imagine. The society we live in treats celebrities like royalty, and the non-stop inflow of adulation and appreciation can be difficult to detach from.
Pop culture news is rife with stories where celebrities indulge in degrading and potentially dangerous things to cling to relevance and status – celebrities who will do anything for the next “hit” of fame.
A 2013 study from Personality and Individual Differences correlated the “need” to be famous with feelings of vulnerability and narcissism. People often want the power associated with fame, and many will do anything to achieve it. Fame can be a psychological drug that, if not handled with care, can wreck individuals the same way any drug addiction can.
3. The Adaptation Phase
Like anything in life, fame can be adapted to as well. Celebrities like Keanu Reeves seem to have cornered the market on how to be a household name while keeping some semblance of normalcy about them. Of course, none of us can ever know their true nature, but there is a small and rarified group that has navigated long, illustrious careers with little to no scandals.
This is the phase of adaptation. Celebrities who enjoy this experience are the rare beings who have conquered the beast and come out relatively unscathed. Considering the nature of the fame “monster” and the ever-growing world of cancel culture, this is no easy feat.
The study mentioned above in the Journal of Phenomenological Psychology shows that celebrities who achieve this phase have a fame protocol that helps them overcome the pitfalls of being well-known.
One celebrity stated, “You don’t make eye contact, or you keep walking . . . and you just don’t hear (people calling your name).” While these patterns can contribute to reclusive behaviors, many of them help celebrities keep their sense of sanity in a world of chaos.
4. The Acceptance Phase
Remember when J.K. Rowling, the author of the beloved Harry Potter series, could do no wrong? Fame, however, can be fickle, and public opinion can turn on a dime, especially when your values are strongly in contrast to the fan base that once adored you.
As one 2006 article in The New York Times eloquently puts it, “Fame eats its own.” This is what most celebrities eventually come to accept. The reward of being a household name comes with the pitfall that, eventually, the media will turn on you, and that will be a wave you have to ride.
As an antidote to this, many celebrities choose to focus on the job rather than fame itself. The New York Times’ article also states that many celebrities choose to take solace in the work they produce and how that affects people. For these celebrities, this is the trade-off for being famous.
While most of us feel like we own our favorite celebrity, we must remember there is a person behind the glitz and glamor; not a God, but also, not an object. Fame might look enticing from the outside, but it comes with a hefty price tag — one that’s most often paid in the currency of mental and emotional well-being, and frequently without consent.
Do you empathize with the celebrity experience or do you need to dial back your parasocial connections? Take this science-backed test to find out: Celebrity Attitude Scale.
