Who wants to live for ever

I was in an O'Hare airport bookstore today trying to decide between a business book on decision making and Tera Patrick's expose on the life of a porn star for my in-flight reading pleasure. I decided on Sway, a book which discusses our propensity to make bad decisions in light of obvious evidence that our decision will, in fact, be bad. Halfway through the flight, in validation of my purchased book's premise, I was wishing I'd gone with the ghost written book about an adult film legend. The cover alone was worth the price of admission.

Of course, until I saw her book at the front of the store, I had never heard of Tera Patrick. A quick Internet search informs me she is an adult star of some note. This woman is at the top of her profession and her movies are under the mattresses of teenage boys across the globe. Yet, more people have never heard of her than have.

I began to think about fame and how few truly make it past Mr. Warhol's fifteen minute time limit. Today would have been the 75th birthday of Elvis Presley. Today still he remains a household name. From the grave and through his estate he remains one of the top earning artists in the world and Cirque Du Soleil has devoted a Las Vegas stage to Elvis and, I am sure, a few topless Tera Patrick wanna be dancers.

I took a quick look at the Billboard top 100 for this week. Somehow I doubt we will be honoring Ke$ha, Lady GaGa or Jay-Z thirty three years after they take a final bow and their personal fat lady's sing. Of the remaining 97 artists, Michael Jackson is the only one likely to cheat death by being remembered. I can't help but wonder if we will discuss his career in white and black years like we talk about the thin and fat Elvis.

Fame, and the quest for it, inspires people to act for the purpose of effect rather than the purpose of right. Too often these seekers are rewarded with fame, fleeting as it surely will be. The two White House "party crashers" will be hosting a party of their own in Las Vegas. Jon and Kate are burning through enough ink in the tabloids to print a dozen copies of the Healthcare bill. Speaking of dead famous people, the "balloon boy's" dad has garnered an hour of his own on Larry King. And Fox is preparing for another round of their show designed to make famous another marginally talented karaoke singer.

As I work through my boring business book about the decisions we make and how easy it is to make the wrong ones, I can't help but think the world would be a better place if more people just did their best. Fame would find those, like Elvis, who deserve it and we could ignore the rest.

S2