Glitter: Fame and What It Does to You

Defining fame as a ""mythology we have created for ourselves'' out of a frustrated sense of individual identity, British journalist Brayfield, coauthor of Superwoman, etc., studs her reflections with examples of celebrities in many fields and quotes them regarding the effects of fame on their careers and lives. The famous, she claims, have an influence on our lives hence their political and fund-raising activities tend to be successful, e.g., the Live Aid Concert for starving Ethiopians. Most stars, she notes, share qualities of drive and focus, and must be able to survive the roller-coaster of public acclaim and rejection. Brayfield also discusses the role of the mediaespecially the camerain forming a public image, along with the loss of privacy considered, even in law, to be the price of fame. Photos. (July 29)