In 1997, shortly before the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke, I attended a small gathering for Bill Clinton in our host’s apartment at The Dakota. There was a mix of Hollywood celebrities and finance people like me.
I love this! Going to buy this book immediately. My uncle was the news broadcaster to ask Clinton if he had an affair with Lewinsky. My father wanted to name me Christy after Brinkley. And I have an obsession with house accounts (re grill)
An almost totally insignificant Four Seasons footnote is that the final, legal drink ever served by the Four Seasons prior to its closure was to your first cousin once removed (Theo).
I read pieces like this with an anthropologist’s eye. I love to read about how people live in different cultures and reading about the lives of the rich/famous/powerful is every bit as interesting as reading about a hunter-gatherer tribe in Papua New Guinea.
I am always surprised at how important status is in some cultures — not just the desire to have a decent reputation amongst the people who know you, which is probably universal — but some sort of recognition that doesn’t involve respect so much as it involves one-upping others in specific ways that people outside the bubble would not even realize was a thing.
Are there people with wealth who simply ignore status, I wonder? I’m not in a position to know.
Great points. Love the anthropologist’s perspective. Remember the metaphoric scenes in The Nanny Diaries? The wealthy moms were frozen in time behind the glass at the Museum of Natural History.
Michelle, I don't know anyone who totally ignores status. I think placing oneself comparatively is perhaps related to some sort of survival trait. I suppose there are people who care less or not at all with how people see them and that is true freedom. I wish I could say I was there.
Love all your examples to bring the point home— most celebs and the uber wealthy are completely out of touch with the blue and even white collar folks. I respect those who make the effort.
I admire a celeb for their talent, but abhor those who inject politics publicly.
Lately I’ve been obsessing over John and Carolyn since there is a new limited series about them. I’m mostly sad for their families, wondering how Carolyn’s mom is doing 25 years later. She lost 2 children that day.
I've watched the four episodes that are out. Based on the characterizations, I want to tell Carolyn stay away from this guy and not just because of the tragedy. He comes off as not worthy of her.
Agree - was it the lure of Fame? I’d have to check my ego at the door in the unlikely event that kind of dazzling opportunity ever came my way. So far have not been tested ;)
What I most remember from that tragedy is that he made a really bad decision to take off in that plane at night while he was still a low hours pilot. He could have had an instructor with him. The accident happened when he became spatially unaware - it’s a pretty common phenomenon for new pilots and when flying in the dark. I come from an aviation background and from a family of pilots. I lost a brother in a plane crash (mechanical failure) and friends who made a bad decision and took off in bad weather, trying to outrun a storm - resulting in both parents and one daughter and two dogs perishing - leaving the other daughter (who wasn’t on the plane) without a family. We never know when our time will come, but for the innocent passengers, my heart breaks.
What an awful tragedy. I’m so sorry about your brother.
I took 1 flying lesson. I loved it. Future lessons were cost prohibitive but I had a new appreciation for pilots and lost my fear of flying.
I remember hearing about the details. John wasn’t trained on those special instruments. His instructor offered to go with them, given John’s lack of training and his foot injury, and John said No. Was it arrogance? Did he think he was untouchable? 😔
A lot of people have that “risk taker” mentality. There is a specific model of plane with the unfortunate nickname of the “Doctor Killer” - it’s a pretty powerful single engine plane, expensive, hence doctors can afford - yet many do not have the skills and end up in trouble. Interestingly, many MDs do become recreational pilots, buy a plane - and fly it on vacations etc. Many are good, serious pilots.. but there are those, not unlike people who buy really fast sports cars - who overestimate their abilities. It would seem he overestimated his abilities in the circumstances. But I don’t like to speak ill of the dead. In my brother’s case, he was an accomplished aerobatic pilot. Member of the US aerobatic team. He was flying his plane back from a competition and experienced major mechanical failure, he attempted to eject and his parachute slipped off.. happened 34 years ago but seemed Iike yesterday. He was 34.
So sorry about your brother. As to other pilots who are more like the sports car buyers who are not accomplished drivers, I wonder if it’s an extension of being good at one thing and assuming wrongly you’re good at another. You mentioned doctors and it made me think of the surgeon-god complex.
I am wary of hindsight bias but in the case of JFK Jr. it seems clear that he knew enough at the time to render his decision to fly w/o an instructor irresponsible.
My aunt is in fashion in NYC and her people work for people that are famous. She rarely talks about them. And when she does, it's usually how nutty they are.
In saying that, at this stage of life (early 50s), I am not interested or concerned about celebrities and especially for no good reason other than they are famous. I guess for me, I have other areas my attention brings me to, like running my business, learning to kiteboard, swimming a mile a day, being a good partner, walking the beach, cooking a meal. After all that is done, I could care less about someone famous. It all sounds as self centered as they probably are! It's why I can't name a movie or a song and gave trouble knowing if the Grammys or mys or Oscars go with which category of production.
I wrote a post on the issue of fame from a very different viewpoint about a year ago. I went back to check if you had commented, but you hadn't. No problem, I am taking the liberty of showing it here https://arichardson.substack.com/p/the-lure-of-fame. You will see I am of a different view, but yours is interesting, as always.
Looking forward to reading Medium Rare. Have long been fascinated by the “hot hand” - a reference to a basketball player’s ability to score repeated points, until of course he doesn’t and the hand cools. Stat nerds live this stuff and it applies to the crossover of achieving underserved fame.
Reading this account was intriguing and yet quite sad in some respect David, but thank you. It was like reading a foreign language of which I speak several but not this one. 😉 I particularly love the photo of The Pool Room at the Four Seasons though. How cool was that. I have to say in answer to your final question, that I am not intrigued by celebrities at all, and would not cross the road to see any one of them. For nothing more than I think there are far more interesting and honest humans on my side of the road.
I admire the way you weave together so many elements to write your posts. Political speeches, your own experiences, other substacks…it makes for rich reading!
The part about how you both felt awkward around newly famous friends was interesting to me. I inherited two years ago and my financial situation is now vastly different from my friends, some of whom I have made gifts of money when they were in need. I hope they don’t hesitate to bitch about being broke or the cost of their car repair to me because they fear I will think they are hinting; on the flip side, I hope if they do so I don’t become paranoid that they are hinting.
Relationships are naturally asymmetrical in many ways - one person is good at art while the other isn’t, one person is good at networking or has a lot of scientific knowledge or can build websites and the other can’t, one person has children and the other doesn’t, one person has a lot of friends while the other has just a few. Most relationships are able to navigate these kinds of differences and even appreciate them. It’s when money and/or fame enters the picture that motives become something we suspect, both our own and others. This is something I plan to write about once I get my Substack going.
"But instead, we really should be downgrading those views and be skeptical of their ability to think clearly given the defect of being surrounded by people who constantly stroke their ego."
Excellent. Excellent. EXCELLENT. I particularly enjoyed the section on Stratospheric Fame--aka too much imbibing in one's own Kool-aid. Natasha's book sounds fascinating--thank you for that recommendation. I just read "Strangers"--encouraged by your post--and loved it.
Maybe I have a little different perspective on the concept of celebrity, but this is only because I’ve had the responsibility of caring for a few “famous” people in different circumstances in my work as a nurse. I see celebrities as no different from anyone else. We’re all faced with the limitations of existing as a human consciousness tethered to flesh and bone. It’s a temporary state with the clock constantly running down. Things break and go haywire in these bodies—sometimes we can fix it, sometimes not. But we’re all running out of time.
What celebrities have been asked to do is to make their daily human contribution under a bright light for all to see. A microscope. Usually it’s done for a lot of money, at the cost of basic privacy which is costly. For the celebrities I’ve met, it can be a relief to simply be a patient cared for with the utmost dignity and kindness—without hidden agendas of any kind. In the clinical environment, they were free to simply be themselves. The ones who made the most lasting memories for me were some combination of kind, funny, smart and befuddled. Such an endearing mixture of humanness.
All this to say, I think we focus on the wrong things when we designate “influencers” of any type: physical appearance and material wealth are the least interesting things about any one human being. That’s just the paper thin outline of a person. One who is filled with ideas and gifts to be shared.
True, David. It’s probably much better, in the long run, not to know the extent of the sacrifice. I guess that could also apply to parenting, marriage, major life decisions of all sorts. Thank goodness the difficulties come in small increments.
I love this! Going to buy this book immediately. My uncle was the news broadcaster to ask Clinton if he had an affair with Lewinsky. My father wanted to name me Christy after Brinkley. And I have an obsession with house accounts (re grill)
Thanks Carson!
The main horror of “Rosemary’s Baby” is that in the 1960s an unemployed actor and his wife could afford a big apartment in the Dakota.
Harvey, funny take. Maybe that was the real bargain with Satan.
Your roast-beef coloring contrasts eerily with Natasha, who seems a bit yellowed by comparison.
Haha. So true. It pulls me out of the show or movie when the average family or couple lives in house that is at least 5 million.
Well my sister bought a 3 BR on West End Ave in 1972 for $15,000 and as far as I know she’s in full possession of her soul.
Amazing.
Medium Rare now ordered! Recently finished writing my own novel set in contemporary DC. Looking forward to reading this.
Thanks Jamie and good luck with your book.
Thank you, David!
An almost totally insignificant Four Seasons footnote is that the final, legal drink ever served by the Four Seasons prior to its closure was to your first cousin once removed (Theo).
This may be my favorite comment ever.
Amazing as both a fact and a family trivia question!
I read pieces like this with an anthropologist’s eye. I love to read about how people live in different cultures and reading about the lives of the rich/famous/powerful is every bit as interesting as reading about a hunter-gatherer tribe in Papua New Guinea.
I am always surprised at how important status is in some cultures — not just the desire to have a decent reputation amongst the people who know you, which is probably universal — but some sort of recognition that doesn’t involve respect so much as it involves one-upping others in specific ways that people outside the bubble would not even realize was a thing.
Are there people with wealth who simply ignore status, I wonder? I’m not in a position to know.
Great points. Love the anthropologist’s perspective. Remember the metaphoric scenes in The Nanny Diaries? The wealthy moms were frozen in time behind the glass at the Museum of Natural History.
I had never heard of that but I’m down for anything related to anthropology.
I just have never understood people very well and they fascinate me!
Michelle, I don't know anyone who totally ignores status. I think placing oneself comparatively is perhaps related to some sort of survival trait. I suppose there are people who care less or not at all with how people see them and that is true freedom. I wish I could say I was there.
I didn’t think most people gave it much thought until social media came along. I still find it surprising.
Maybe it’s just that I’ve never had any status.
Your status is that you don't care about status!
Love this as always ! No Debbie stories though. I register my complaint. She’s my favorite character!
Debbie is in the last footnote.
I saw ! The day is saved !
Love all your examples to bring the point home— most celebs and the uber wealthy are completely out of touch with the blue and even white collar folks. I respect those who make the effort.
I admire a celeb for their talent, but abhor those who inject politics publicly.
Lately I’ve been obsessing over John and Carolyn since there is a new limited series about them. I’m mostly sad for their families, wondering how Carolyn’s mom is doing 25 years later. She lost 2 children that day.
Just looked up her ma. Ann Messina Freedman died in 2007. Probably from heartbreak.
I've watched the four episodes that are out. Based on the characterizations, I want to tell Carolyn stay away from this guy and not just because of the tragedy. He comes off as not worthy of her.
Agree - was it the lure of Fame? I’d have to check my ego at the door in the unlikely event that kind of dazzling opportunity ever came my way. So far have not been tested ;)
Agree. I wonder if had they survived would their marriage too.
What I most remember from that tragedy is that he made a really bad decision to take off in that plane at night while he was still a low hours pilot. He could have had an instructor with him. The accident happened when he became spatially unaware - it’s a pretty common phenomenon for new pilots and when flying in the dark. I come from an aviation background and from a family of pilots. I lost a brother in a plane crash (mechanical failure) and friends who made a bad decision and took off in bad weather, trying to outrun a storm - resulting in both parents and one daughter and two dogs perishing - leaving the other daughter (who wasn’t on the plane) without a family. We never know when our time will come, but for the innocent passengers, my heart breaks.
What an awful tragedy. I’m so sorry about your brother.
I took 1 flying lesson. I loved it. Future lessons were cost prohibitive but I had a new appreciation for pilots and lost my fear of flying.
I remember hearing about the details. John wasn’t trained on those special instruments. His instructor offered to go with them, given John’s lack of training and his foot injury, and John said No. Was it arrogance? Did he think he was untouchable? 😔
A lot of people have that “risk taker” mentality. There is a specific model of plane with the unfortunate nickname of the “Doctor Killer” - it’s a pretty powerful single engine plane, expensive, hence doctors can afford - yet many do not have the skills and end up in trouble. Interestingly, many MDs do become recreational pilots, buy a plane - and fly it on vacations etc. Many are good, serious pilots.. but there are those, not unlike people who buy really fast sports cars - who overestimate their abilities. It would seem he overestimated his abilities in the circumstances. But I don’t like to speak ill of the dead. In my brother’s case, he was an accomplished aerobatic pilot. Member of the US aerobatic team. He was flying his plane back from a competition and experienced major mechanical failure, he attempted to eject and his parachute slipped off.. happened 34 years ago but seemed Iike yesterday. He was 34.
Makes sense. There’s actually a gene that makes a person daring. I think the Kennedy’s had it.
So sorry about your brother. As to other pilots who are more like the sports car buyers who are not accomplished drivers, I wonder if it’s an extension of being good at one thing and assuming wrongly you’re good at another. You mentioned doctors and it made me think of the surgeon-god complex.
I am wary of hindsight bias but in the case of JFK Jr. it seems clear that he knew enough at the time to render his decision to fly w/o an instructor irresponsible.
My aunt is in fashion in NYC and her people work for people that are famous. She rarely talks about them. And when she does, it's usually how nutty they are.
In saying that, at this stage of life (early 50s), I am not interested or concerned about celebrities and especially for no good reason other than they are famous. I guess for me, I have other areas my attention brings me to, like running my business, learning to kiteboard, swimming a mile a day, being a good partner, walking the beach, cooking a meal. After all that is done, I could care less about someone famous. It all sounds as self centered as they probably are! It's why I can't name a movie or a song and gave trouble knowing if the Grammys or mys or Oscars go with which category of production.
I admire your freedom. I'm fascinated by fame as an observer of it.
I wrote a post on the issue of fame from a very different viewpoint about a year ago. I went back to check if you had commented, but you hadn't. No problem, I am taking the liberty of showing it here https://arichardson.substack.com/p/the-lure-of-fame. You will see I am of a different view, but yours is interesting, as always.
Just read it, liked it, and commented.
Looking forward to reading Medium Rare. Have long been fascinated by the “hot hand” - a reference to a basketball player’s ability to score repeated points, until of course he doesn’t and the hand cools. Stat nerds live this stuff and it applies to the crossover of achieving underserved fame.
Thanks Jane. Sounds like you'll love the book!
Reading this account was intriguing and yet quite sad in some respect David, but thank you. It was like reading a foreign language of which I speak several but not this one. 😉 I particularly love the photo of The Pool Room at the Four Seasons though. How cool was that. I have to say in answer to your final question, that I am not intrigued by celebrities at all, and would not cross the road to see any one of them. For nothing more than I think there are far more interesting and honest humans on my side of the road.
Thanks Sally. That's a fair point.
I admire the way you weave together so many elements to write your posts. Political speeches, your own experiences, other substacks…it makes for rich reading!
The part about how you both felt awkward around newly famous friends was interesting to me. I inherited two years ago and my financial situation is now vastly different from my friends, some of whom I have made gifts of money when they were in need. I hope they don’t hesitate to bitch about being broke or the cost of their car repair to me because they fear I will think they are hinting; on the flip side, I hope if they do so I don’t become paranoid that they are hinting.
Relationships are naturally asymmetrical in many ways - one person is good at art while the other isn’t, one person is good at networking or has a lot of scientific knowledge or can build websites and the other can’t, one person has children and the other doesn’t, one person has a lot of friends while the other has just a few. Most relationships are able to navigate these kinds of differences and even appreciate them. It’s when money and/or fame enters the picture that motives become something we suspect, both our own and others. This is something I plan to write about once I get my Substack going.
Just subscribed to you. Looking froward to read what you write.
That is so kind of you! Thank you.
"But instead, we really should be downgrading those views and be skeptical of their ability to think clearly given the defect of being surrounded by people who constantly stroke their ego."
Excellent observation and amen!
Thanks Sam.
Excellent. Excellent. EXCELLENT. I particularly enjoyed the section on Stratospheric Fame--aka too much imbibing in one's own Kool-aid. Natasha's book sounds fascinating--thank you for that recommendation. I just read "Strangers"--encouraged by your post--and loved it.
Thanks Diana. Glad you liked Strangers.
PS Four Seasons was one of my favorite places....
I'm a huge fan of basketball (and your insights), so I had to pre-order the book!
That's great.
Maybe I have a little different perspective on the concept of celebrity, but this is only because I’ve had the responsibility of caring for a few “famous” people in different circumstances in my work as a nurse. I see celebrities as no different from anyone else. We’re all faced with the limitations of existing as a human consciousness tethered to flesh and bone. It’s a temporary state with the clock constantly running down. Things break and go haywire in these bodies—sometimes we can fix it, sometimes not. But we’re all running out of time.
What celebrities have been asked to do is to make their daily human contribution under a bright light for all to see. A microscope. Usually it’s done for a lot of money, at the cost of basic privacy which is costly. For the celebrities I’ve met, it can be a relief to simply be a patient cared for with the utmost dignity and kindness—without hidden agendas of any kind. In the clinical environment, they were free to simply be themselves. The ones who made the most lasting memories for me were some combination of kind, funny, smart and befuddled. Such an endearing mixture of humanness.
All this to say, I think we focus on the wrong things when we designate “influencers” of any type: physical appearance and material wealth are the least interesting things about any one human being. That’s just the paper thin outline of a person. One who is filled with ideas and gifts to be shared.
Thanks Ann. You have a valuable perspective as we are all bodies that in the end are subject to frailty.
I have a measure of pity for celebrities. I wonder how many would have amend the bargain they made knowing what was ahead.
True, David. It’s probably much better, in the long run, not to know the extent of the sacrifice. I guess that could also apply to parenting, marriage, major life decisions of all sorts. Thank goodness the difficulties come in small increments.