From Fame to Infamy and Back Again

There's a big difference between fame and celebrity. In my opinion, fame extends to everyone in the public eye: Authors, producers, and CEO's are all famous. But they're not celebrities. The paparazzi are not stalking them every time they leave their houses. They aren't being written about (for the most part) in People or on Page Six.
I stayed with my aunt, uncle, and cousin in Providence, RI over Thanksgiving Break (I couldn't afford to travel home to my family in California over the five-day break from school), and as my aunt and I were driving home from an appointment Saturday morning, she casually mentioned that her and her husband's best friends are the Van Allsburg family, and the husband is the author of The Polar Express, Jumangi, and several other children's books. This surprised me when she first told me - I almost didn't believe her. How could her best friend have written several books that are staples in many children's bookcases and that have been turned into hit movies.
However, after I thought about it for a minute, I realized that I shouldn't be so surprised. When was the last time virtually ANY non-celebrity author appeared in the "Star Tracks" section of People magazine? When was the last time a CEO, political activist, etc. appeared in one of those magazines? That's the difference between fame and celebrity.

Of course, there are several degrees to celebrity. For example, at home in Southern California I live next door to one of the Suitcase Girls from the TV show Deal Or No Deal. But there aren't paparazzi outside of her house, waiting to watch her go to the grocery store. She's a minor, almost insignificant celebrity. Of course, if she were to be involved in some sort of a scandal, the media would likely pay attention, as people will pay attention to any sort of celebrity scandal.
And then, of course, there are the Brittney Spears, Lindsay Lohans, and Paris Hildtons of the world. Celebrities that have had the paparazzi following them for just about as long as I can remember looking at celebrity magazines. Of course, these celebrities are more infamous that famous. There are celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, and Natalie Portman who use their fame to do a lot of good. It's interesting to note, however, that these celebrities aren't often depicted stumbling out of clubs at 3 AM, completely trashed. These celebrities aren't taken away to mental hospitals, nor do their families have to stage interventions to make them change their ways. So I think that there has to be a difference between the categories of superstars. Maybe it's age, maybe it's technology. Maybe it's education, maybe it's the type of work they've pursued throughout their careers.

Or maybe it's just inevitable that some stars will rise while others fall.