Why Yes, Yes We Are! |
Personally, I find that somewhat amusing given
that a great majority of authors are introverts who just want to be left alone
to write BUT (and there always is a but) we all understand that without
marketing our books don’t sell and marketing includes interaction with our
readers. The publicity that accompanies our world, though, seems much less harried as opposed to the movie or television stars’ world.
Since the Golden Globes, I’ve heard various
conversations regarding celebrity and privacy. As a former publicist I am a
little more familiar with the whole “celebrity privacy” thing than most people
are – that’s usually why I don’t weigh in on the topic. Still, it’s a thought
provoking concept because, frankly, everybody likes their privacy (Unless
you’re a complete and utter exhibitionist. If that’s the case you probably want
to quit reading, lol).
Stephanie Meyer Hard At Work! |
Most of us don’t have to deal with the paparazzi nor do our names show up in magazine after magazine and while some of us do participate in television interviews, most of the time it’s an on screen-off screen proposition whereby our book and all that it entails is promoted. (It should also be noted that, by and large, most writers don’t want fame and fortune. They want to tell a good story and if that story pays the bills then huzzah!! Yes, there are some in it for the cash but they are in the minority in my opinion.)
Truth be told, authors are fairly forthcoming
regarding their personal lives anyway. Connie Brockway’s forays into the frozen
North of Minnesota are well chronicled while Kathleen Eagle has
spoken about her cowboy hubby, Clyde, on her website for years now. Jenn LeBlanc’s awesome stories about her photo shoots
are legendary and were only eclipsed this past year by her having knee surgery. The
shenanigans of Larissa Reinhart’s children provide almost daily fodder for her
fans and friends alike (seriously, those kids are a riot). Many authors are quite vocal regarding the
charities or social groups that they are a part of – Darlene Arden is an avid
animal rescue person while Sam Bradley is the go-to person regarding EMS/emergency
services front page news. And, frankly, many authors are just plain vocal. lol
Of course I
can’t speak for all authors but anybody who’s ever friended an RWA author on
Facebook knows there’s A LOT of cross referencing in the friends list
department. This author is friends with
this other author and another author is friends with the same author, etc.
As a member (and the 2013 Chapter President) of Kiss of Death I’m friends with most of its membership – every day somebody shares something about their life via either their personal profile or their business profile. As a member of RWA I have just as many friends from other chapters as well, many of whom are friends with other members of other chapters. On those pages you'll see just as many posts and announcements regarding authors' lives and careers - you'll also see the boring stuff like root canals, shopping trips, kids trying to drive their parents insane, etc. because authors have lives too. For the most part your favorite authors are pretty much average people doing average things and we complain or get excited about things just like everybody else. We owe our readers nothing but a good story but because we like our fans so much we often times throw more info out there – but that is our prerogative to do so. It is not a requirement of the craft.
THE Most Awesome Mystery/Suspense Writers Group Anywhere! |
As a member (and the 2013 Chapter President) of Kiss of Death I’m friends with most of its membership – every day somebody shares something about their life via either their personal profile or their business profile. As a member of RWA I have just as many friends from other chapters as well, many of whom are friends with other members of other chapters. On those pages you'll see just as many posts and announcements regarding authors' lives and careers - you'll also see the boring stuff like root canals, shopping trips, kids trying to drive their parents insane, etc. because authors have lives too. For the most part your favorite authors are pretty much average people doing average things and we complain or get excited about things just like everybody else. We owe our readers nothing but a good story but because we like our fans so much we often times throw more info out there – but that is our prerogative to do so. It is not a requirement of the craft.
A Very Early Photoplay Cover |
The Gloria Vanderbilt Custody Case |
Too Many Tabloids, So Little Truth... |
Weirdly, it's an apt explanation.
Jodie Foster Accepting The DeMille Award |
Totally Irrelevant But I Really Like This Hairstyle! |
The Infamous Golden Globes Speech |
I Actually Remember This Commercial. Egads, I'm Old! lol |
It’s not anybody’s business. It is not her responsibility to publicly come out. It's not her job to make the GLBT community feel more comfortable any more than it is her responsibility to keep her sexuality a secret out of fear of angering her conservative fan base. Whether or not the woman is gay is not my business. It's nobody's business. The details of a celebrities private life are exactly that, private. Those details are extraneous to the woman’s job as an actress.
And that’s exactly what celebrity in this instance is – in one way or another – it’s a job. The performance for the
actor or comedian, the singing or playing for the musician, the writing for the
screenwriter or the published author –
it’s all work that results in a product whether it's a book or a movie or a cd, there's an end result for the effort. (Unless you’re a Kardashian or Honey
Boo Boo, reality television does not count in this equation in my
opinion.)
John Hinkley The Man Who Attempted To Kill President Reagan To Get Jodie Foster's Attention. |
She was young, in college, and while she was already a
veteran actor, the reality that some psycho shot the President of the United
States to get her attention was no doubt unnerving and overwhelming. Most young
adults can barely maintain a good GPA while partying and serial dating in college – to be
in that position had to have been mortifying for her, thus I can understand why
she’s chosen to never address it. (Not to mention that it’s probably smart in a psychological
sense given that to talk about Hinkley gives him attention that he will sooner
or later find out about and could reignite the whole bizarre obsession all over
again.)
Back to the point – celebrities, whether they be
actors, musicians or writers of any caliber owe their public/fans nothing but
the product of their position. If they
choose to share with their fans (or over share as the Rhianna case may be) that’s
great for the fans. It helps to build the bond between the celebrity and their fans. If celebrities choose not to share then they shouldn't be
castigated or hounded for the decision. It’s their life, it’s their business.
Appreciate their talent but don’t expect them to offer up their personal life
for your perusal. It’s not necessary. (Now, if they get arrested for selling drugs or pedophilia? All bets are off.)
When it comes right down to it, writers as sorta-kinda celebrities appreciate their readers very much - readers give our visions the ultimate life and space within their imaginations. We appreciate the love and the kindness our many fans bestow on us. I personally appreciate the fans who've followed me for years - through several pseudonyms and publishers, wading through a bitter divorce and losing my second husband - they've always been there, following the ebbs and flows right along with me. I have many colleagues I know that feel the same way. Without our readers we wouldn't have careers or the 'celebrity' that we've been granted but some things need to stay private. We're more than happy to share with you what we decide is for public consumption, but, please, let the rest lie and don't hold it against us!
Hank Phillipi Ryan Touring With "The Other Woman" (Excellent Book BTW!!) |