Michael Jackson’s memorial service ended a few minutes ago and besides the tears and the laughter that I am grateful to have been able to share with everyone else who was watching it on TV or present in the Staples Center in LA, I was reminded, in such a poignant way, why I do what I do for a living… (more…)

As most of you know, I’m not a George W. Bush supporter. But last night, I was thinking about him in a way that elicited more compassion and concern for him than I’ve ever felt in my life. Why? Because I was thinking, “What must it be like to have to publicly HAND OVER the reins to the presidency while your successor (the brand new darling) is creating such a stir that the general public has mentally ousted you from office before your term is even finished?”

To go from being the head of everything—with the world leaning on your every word and thought, to being the guy shoved out the back door for the new guy that’s just eclipsed you and ushered in “A Brand New Age”? That’s gotta hurt! (more…)

Most people cringe when they realize their day in the sun is over—or, more kindly stated, when their day in the sun has turned into an evening in the twilight. I know it seriously pained my ego the first time I was called “ma’am” and the person who said it really meant it. Or when I realized those gray hairs really were here to stay.

Though, from what I hear from my clients, being called ma’am or admitting we’re getting (ouch!) old is nothing compared to being labled a “has-been.”

This is one of those very common points in the arc of fame. Almost every “Somebody” does become a “Nobody” or worse, a “Who? I don’t remember you!” It’s ridiculously common, yet can be so painful that nobody likes to talk about it. Perhaps because ‘fame’ in this country is so present moment that to admit the moment ends kind of messes with the whole illusion and tarnishes the American Dream… (more…)

“Her legs are too long…And that hair—that really isn’t what we’re looking for…Turn around. Well, maybe with some airbrushing…We can fix that in post, right?”

Sound familiar?

You leave the house feeling like a normal person, you come home feeling like an over-handled and useless piece of produce… (more…)