Surviving Celebrity

7th July, 2011 - Posted by L. John Mason -

Professional athletes, movie stars, media stars, entertainers, politicians, lottery winners, and other famous or noteworthy celebrities must deal with their status as “stars”/celebrities on a regular basis. Most people like, even desire, attention, however there can be too much of a “good thing.” The general public often does not know how to respond when a “celebrity” walks into their world. In today’s world, famous people are “attacked” by the media and the “paparazzi” as these professionals “tormentors” do their jobs by “covering” the activities of our media stars. Privacy for popular personalities is difficult, if not impossible, to maintain with the crush to get “news” about celebrities and their activities. The world has changed due to 24/7 media coverage and the need to “create news” instead of the old philosophy of chasing news once it has already happened.

When I was young (17 years old), I worked in a market in Beverly Hills, CA. Movie and TV stars would come in to shop for groceries and they behaved just like normal shoppers. They stood in the checkout lines and paid for their food just like everyone else. People who lived in Beverly Hills, Burbank, or Hollywood were fairly used to celebrity “sightings” and would allow famous people to live their lives as regular folks. Today, the “stars” have to have “security” most of the time because they can feel pressed by the public or the media as they walk around in the “normal” world. Being famous has duties and responsibilities that can make life difficult. Coping with stardom or celebrity has become survival skills that famous people often have to learn. If they do not learn these skills their lives may suffer. The pressure can damage their relationships. It can affect their ability to work. It can affect their health.

Being famous is not easy! Many celebrities have gotten into legal and financial challenges by NOT handling their celebrity status in positive ways. Bad behaviors can increase their fame in some ways, however, the back-side to bad behaviors can eventually reduce their fame and even their ability to work. It is harder to work from a jail cell or when under “house-arrest.” The pressures can lead to problems with substance abuse, which can become a challenge when trying to cope with the stress of celebrity. Media stars often find that “there is NO place to hide” to recover from their work and the onslaught of the media. The requests for their time can come in 24/7 from around the world.

Surviving Celebrity is an essential set of skills, activities, and lifestyle choices that can be tailored for the individual. Each celebrity has a unique set of challenges to maintain their health or professional abilities and so each celebrity requires specific coaching to get the very best program that will work for their requirements and lifestyle. Possible program components include: stress and anxiety management, physical activities/exercise, proper diet/nutrition, security in their homes, lifestyle choices in their activities, and developing solid, trustworthy, “healthy” relationships with friends, family, and professionals (including coaches and mentors.)

People can survived fame for a while without specific coaching but a long term bout of fame requires new skills and positive choices if you want to be as healthy and as productive as possible. You can not take an online course or go to a community college to get the specific tools in place to achieve the greatest success.

For specific tips and adjustments to your requirements, please consider Executive Coaching from the Stress Education Center. Start your investigation process by visiting the website at www.dstress.com or by call Dr. Mason at 360-593-3833. Good luck in your search for the very best success and celebrity management program to meet your specific needs.