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Fame
A passionate and critical analysis of the life cycle of Fame, from film producer/director and former worldwide TV star Justine Bateman.
Entertainment shows, magazines, websites, and other channels continuously report the latest sightings, heartbreaks, and triumphs of the famous to a seemingly insatiable public. Millions of people go to enormous lengths to achieve Fame. Fame is woven into our lives in ways that may have been unimaginable in years past.
And yet, is Fame even real? Contrary to tangible realities, Fame is one of those “realities” that we, as a society, have made. Why is that, and what is it about Fame that drives us to spend so much time, money, and focus to create the framework that maintains its health?
Mining decades of experience, writer, director, producer, and actress Justine Bateman writes a visceral, intimate look at the experience of Fame. Combining the internal reality-shift of the famous, theories on the public’s behaviors at each stage of a famous person’s career, and the experiences of other famous performers, Bateman takes the reader inside and outside the emotions of Fame. The book includes twenty-four color photographs to highlight her analysis.
Entertainment shows, magazines, websites, and other channels continuously report the latest sightings, heartbreaks, and triumphs of the famous to a seemingly insatiable public. Millions of people go to enormous lengths to achieve Fame. Fame is woven into our lives in ways that may have been unimaginable in years past.
And yet, is Fame even real? Contrary to tangible realities, Fame is one of those “realities” that we, as a society, have made. Why is that, and what is it about Fame that drives us to spend so much time, money, and focus to create the framework that maintains its health?
Mining decades of experience, writer, director, producer, and actress Justine Bateman writes a visceral, intimate look at the experience of Fame. Combining the internal reality-shift of the famous, theories on the public’s behaviors at each stage of a famous person’s career, and the experiences of other famous performers, Bateman takes the reader inside and outside the emotions of Fame. The book includes twenty-four color photographs to highlight her analysis.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 2, 2018
139 people are currently reading
1264 people want to read
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December 19, 2018
As a teen Justine Bateman began her acting career on the hit television show “Family Ties” and went on to appear in a variety of other shows, before earning degrees in Computer Science and Digital Media (2016). A film short she directed and produced premiered at the 2017 Toronto Film Festival. “Fame: The Hijacking of Reality” is her first book.
The title of the book is really appealing for readers interested in celebrity culture from a psychological stand point. Bateman writes at length the down side of being famous and being publically recognized-- intrusive fan’s constantly asking her for autographs and cell phone photos. A 7 year old son of a famous athlete was playing outside the family home, when fans drove up and demanded the boy get his father. When the boy’s mother came out, she told them to leave immediately, they were on private property. “We drove 60 miles to see him!” The fans were rude and indignant and felt entitled to see a public figure.
Many will agree with Bateman’s perspective on Reality TV that allow TV ex’s to fill the airwaves with inexpensive programing at the expense of ordinary (and famous) people with no skills or talent. Bateman’s observations about the exploitive tabloid press, lies, the paparazzi, and the trolls on social media were informative and interesting. In the opening first sentence of the book Bateman exclaims: “I f*****g hate memoirs.” When Bateman discussed her book proposal with publishers they wanted her life story included in the book, which she rejected outright. Unfortunately, the book was often rambling and hard to follow, featuring a repetitious stream-of conscious writing style. The use of the f-bomb and other expletives throughout the book were of no value whatsoever. ~ 2* (FAIR). With thanks to the Seattle Public Library.
The title of the book is really appealing for readers interested in celebrity culture from a psychological stand point. Bateman writes at length the down side of being famous and being publically recognized-- intrusive fan’s constantly asking her for autographs and cell phone photos. A 7 year old son of a famous athlete was playing outside the family home, when fans drove up and demanded the boy get his father. When the boy’s mother came out, she told them to leave immediately, they were on private property. “We drove 60 miles to see him!” The fans were rude and indignant and felt entitled to see a public figure.
Many will agree with Bateman’s perspective on Reality TV that allow TV ex’s to fill the airwaves with inexpensive programing at the expense of ordinary (and famous) people with no skills or talent. Bateman’s observations about the exploitive tabloid press, lies, the paparazzi, and the trolls on social media were informative and interesting. In the opening first sentence of the book Bateman exclaims: “I f*****g hate memoirs.” When Bateman discussed her book proposal with publishers they wanted her life story included in the book, which she rejected outright. Unfortunately, the book was often rambling and hard to follow, featuring a repetitious stream-of conscious writing style. The use of the f-bomb and other expletives throughout the book were of no value whatsoever. ~ 2* (FAIR). With thanks to the Seattle Public Library.
Read
March 8, 2021I thought this was a great quick read. It was one of those books that turned my perspective upside down and allowed me for a minute to imagine life through Bateman's eyes. Fame as a hyper-projected reality is something I've mulled over before, as even non-famous people deal with others projecting their realities on them. Have you ever come to a meeting/date/encounter with a person with a completely mistaken perception of who you are? And then halfway through the meeting you watch them try to come to terms with the new version of you (not the one they found on the internet or through a friends description). As you watch them grapple to resolve the mental and physical versions of yourself in their mind you often get very interesting clues about their true character. Online dating must be like this all the time!
Anyways, Bateman describes how fame descended on her at age 16 and how for many years of her life she had other peoples' strange perceptions of her projected upon herself. It sounds miserable.
Everyone just wants to be understood. Being fundamentally misunderstood every second of your life must be maddening.
Anyways, Bateman describes how fame descended on her at age 16 and how for many years of her life she had other peoples' strange perceptions of her projected upon herself. It sounds miserable.
Everyone just wants to be understood. Being fundamentally misunderstood every second of your life must be maddening.
November 29, 2018
This is a shockingly bad book that has a couple of great points in it. But a few good paragraphs out of 200 very small, thin pages does not make it worth reading. It's rambling, repetitive nonsense and should never have been published. As a matter of fact, I can't figure out what editor would have let this appear on paper because there is literally nothing to it but non-stop complaining about being recognized from a former child star.
Bateman claims she had written an academic book on the subject and the publishers wanted a memoir instead, so this is the result. Big mistake. There is almost nothing about her in the book other than a few dull stories about encountering people on the street or the red carpet. Big deal, nothing none of us haven't heard hundreds of times before. The "theories" she inserts into the book are few and not really explained. Heck, she doesn't even know how to define fame.
This possibly could have been a very short article in a magazine, but there is so little substance here that you'll find yourself skimming. The author's ADHD staccato style of four-word sentences gets annoying quickly. Her failure to give examples beyond simplistic complaints communicates that she did no research on the subject (though she claims she did). Then near the end she talks about the "hours and hours" of interviews she did with some very famous people about the subject of fame--but there are only a couple sentences in the book from others. And what about her even more famous brother? Sorry, nowhere to be found here other than a brief red carpet mention. Their unique sibling fame should have been a major part of this.
Anyone who gives this above two stars should have their heads examined. It's somewhat interesting to see her go crazy when online bashers take on her aging looks, but she comes across as nuts, drugged, out of touch with reality, or completely screwed up from spending her youth in Hollywood.
However, the opening paragraph about memoirs is incredibly insightful and should be read by everyone. She makes the accurate point that anyone can write a memoir without having any talent and essentially create the image they want in the book. There are few memoirs that are honest life stories, most are just PR or ways to extend a brand. Bateman says most people haven't lived much of a life to tell a unique story and no one under 98 should write a memoir (if you live to 98 and have unique story let someone else tell it). She calls most books from celebrities "expanded Wikipedia entries" and she is 100% right.
The problem is, her book fits the description of another talentless celebrity "writer" who has little to say and does a poor job communicating her story.
Bateman claims she had written an academic book on the subject and the publishers wanted a memoir instead, so this is the result. Big mistake. There is almost nothing about her in the book other than a few dull stories about encountering people on the street or the red carpet. Big deal, nothing none of us haven't heard hundreds of times before. The "theories" she inserts into the book are few and not really explained. Heck, she doesn't even know how to define fame.
This possibly could have been a very short article in a magazine, but there is so little substance here that you'll find yourself skimming. The author's ADHD staccato style of four-word sentences gets annoying quickly. Her failure to give examples beyond simplistic complaints communicates that she did no research on the subject (though she claims she did). Then near the end she talks about the "hours and hours" of interviews she did with some very famous people about the subject of fame--but there are only a couple sentences in the book from others. And what about her even more famous brother? Sorry, nowhere to be found here other than a brief red carpet mention. Their unique sibling fame should have been a major part of this.
Anyone who gives this above two stars should have their heads examined. It's somewhat interesting to see her go crazy when online bashers take on her aging looks, but she comes across as nuts, drugged, out of touch with reality, or completely screwed up from spending her youth in Hollywood.
However, the opening paragraph about memoirs is incredibly insightful and should be read by everyone. She makes the accurate point that anyone can write a memoir without having any talent and essentially create the image they want in the book. There are few memoirs that are honest life stories, most are just PR or ways to extend a brand. Bateman says most people haven't lived much of a life to tell a unique story and no one under 98 should write a memoir (if you live to 98 and have unique story let someone else tell it). She calls most books from celebrities "expanded Wikipedia entries" and she is 100% right.
The problem is, her book fits the description of another talentless celebrity "writer" who has little to say and does a poor job communicating her story.
October 23, 2018
Raise your hand if you LOVED Family Ties as a kid! And had a crush on Alex P. Keaton? And wanted TO BE Mallory!?! Justine Bateman was an idol of mine in the 80's. If I could be like her, or look like her, I pressed my parents to give me a sister just like her! But I got stuck with a brother. Boo!
It's funny, because when I first heard about this book, I said first thing, "Whatever happened to her?" in that snarky, snide voice - like oh, she was has-been, she didn't do anything after Family Ties, she's a one-hit wonder.... And THAT is exactly the type of attitude Justine addresses in this book. (I'm totally sorry for what I said btw Justine and I still love you!)
If you're looking for the behind the scenes secrets and juicy scandal of the beloved sitcom - this is not the book. If you want the scoop on MJ Fox and hanging with child stars of the 80's - nope, not that book either. In fact, one of the first chapters in the book fully explains this - the book is NOT a memoir. It's an exploration of fame. Justine dissects everything from childhood fame in the 80's, to reality star "fame" of today, as well as both the construction AND destruction of fame that social media can make happen. I was fascinated by her take on all things fame. I felt for her - being an actress on a hit TV show, and only being seen for THAT. That her education, and directing, and successes in business mean nothing - cause the "whatever happened to her" mentality translates to - well, if we haven't seen her on TV anymore - she must be a failure in life.
I loved reading this - she's frantic, and passionate, and, OK I'll say it- a bit crazy, yes - but do you blame her? Imagine people saying about you "Boy, she sure has let herself go" on a public forum, on google searches, on Twitter. Just cause the last time they saw her she was 21 - and now she's 50. Well, clearly she's aged - duh. Obviously she doesn't LOOK the same!
I gobbled up every chapter and loved her take on how crazy it is to be famous, but how much crazier it is today. Sure, there's some namedropping, some mentions of Michael J. Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more - and there's even a bunch of color photos in the book that she talks about and references throughout the book, which I loved. I didn't need the juicy gossip, as I felt like it made me understand celebrities more and totally got me out of that mentality of "Oh, they wanted to be in the spotlight, so they are just automatically targets." No. I feel terrible now for ever ragging on a celeb in the spotlight - especially the young ones out there.
But I'm still not laying off the reality "stars" ;) haha.
It's funny, because when I first heard about this book, I said first thing, "Whatever happened to her?" in that snarky, snide voice - like oh, she was has-been, she didn't do anything after Family Ties, she's a one-hit wonder.... And THAT is exactly the type of attitude Justine addresses in this book. (I'm totally sorry for what I said btw Justine and I still love you!)
If you're looking for the behind the scenes secrets and juicy scandal of the beloved sitcom - this is not the book. If you want the scoop on MJ Fox and hanging with child stars of the 80's - nope, not that book either. In fact, one of the first chapters in the book fully explains this - the book is NOT a memoir. It's an exploration of fame. Justine dissects everything from childhood fame in the 80's, to reality star "fame" of today, as well as both the construction AND destruction of fame that social media can make happen. I was fascinated by her take on all things fame. I felt for her - being an actress on a hit TV show, and only being seen for THAT. That her education, and directing, and successes in business mean nothing - cause the "whatever happened to her" mentality translates to - well, if we haven't seen her on TV anymore - she must be a failure in life.
I loved reading this - she's frantic, and passionate, and, OK I'll say it- a bit crazy, yes - but do you blame her? Imagine people saying about you "Boy, she sure has let herself go" on a public forum, on google searches, on Twitter. Just cause the last time they saw her she was 21 - and now she's 50. Well, clearly she's aged - duh. Obviously she doesn't LOOK the same!
I gobbled up every chapter and loved her take on how crazy it is to be famous, but how much crazier it is today. Sure, there's some namedropping, some mentions of Michael J. Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more - and there's even a bunch of color photos in the book that she talks about and references throughout the book, which I loved. I didn't need the juicy gossip, as I felt like it made me understand celebrities more and totally got me out of that mentality of "Oh, they wanted to be in the spotlight, so they are just automatically targets." No. I feel terrible now for ever ragging on a celeb in the spotlight - especially the young ones out there.
But I'm still not laying off the reality "stars" ;) haha.
October 10, 2018
Fame is a difficult book to categorize. It isn't a memoir, but it also isn't the academic dissection of the phenomenon that Justine Bateman initially set out to write. It's a messy, haphazard, emotional dive into the experience of being famous and then suddenly... not. The slow slide into a lack of relevance that, ironically, often involves a healthier sense of self and self-worth for the person experiencing it. If they can escape the black holes of substance abuse, scandal, and depression that so many are victim to.
Fame definitely achieves what it sets out to. By the end of the book I felt I had a better idea of what goes on in the lives of those who get famous young. Personalities are not fully formed, and the experiences of their youth don't shape them into the fully formed people they otherwise would become. You get used to others talking about you only, and the superficiality of that kind of experience. It becomes you. When all of that is taken away... people struggle. The internet, likewise, has changed things greatly by allowing others the ability to anonymously spew the hate they feel. That, also, contributes to the breaking point.
While an interesting book, I would have preferred to read the academic version that Justine Bateman had originally been writing. This book seems as if it would be better suited for an audiobook, or an in-depth article rather than a book. That having been said, I still did enjoy it and it gave me a lot to think about. Having friends in the entertainment industry, I recognized a lot of what was written here as ringing true. It's an interesting, and important topic (fame, and how it effects us all in the age of social media) and one I hope gets written about and explored more. This just wasn't the right book on the topic for me, personally, but I'm sure others will very much like it. The author is certainly one to admire for her perspective and honesty.
Fame definitely achieves what it sets out to. By the end of the book I felt I had a better idea of what goes on in the lives of those who get famous young. Personalities are not fully formed, and the experiences of their youth don't shape them into the fully formed people they otherwise would become. You get used to others talking about you only, and the superficiality of that kind of experience. It becomes you. When all of that is taken away... people struggle. The internet, likewise, has changed things greatly by allowing others the ability to anonymously spew the hate they feel. That, also, contributes to the breaking point.
While an interesting book, I would have preferred to read the academic version that Justine Bateman had originally been writing. This book seems as if it would be better suited for an audiobook, or an in-depth article rather than a book. That having been said, I still did enjoy it and it gave me a lot to think about. Having friends in the entertainment industry, I recognized a lot of what was written here as ringing true. It's an interesting, and important topic (fame, and how it effects us all in the age of social media) and one I hope gets written about and explored more. This just wasn't the right book on the topic for me, personally, but I'm sure others will very much like it. The author is certainly one to admire for her perspective and honesty.
April 13, 2021
I never knew Justine Bateman wrote a book. I happened across a blurb about her new book Face somewhere (I can't remember where) and I am very interested in reading it. Seems like many woman are not happy with their faces as they age and turn to plastic surgery to stay young but end up changing their entire look. This article said this was her second book so of course I had to see what her first one was.
I was not a Justine Bateman fan back in the day. I watched a few episodes of her in Family Ties and I enjoyed those. She was definitely a huge star during my 80's youth. On a more recent note, I remember seeing a news segment that captured her walking to a Recall Gavin Newsom booth to sign the petition. That made me smile :)
This book she wrote really unpacked the layers of Fame. Something us bystanders and fans pretty much know nothing about. I respected her honesty and vulnerability as she spoke about her own experiences with Fame and described them in a way for us to understand. Poignant, raw, and unfiltered. Justine tells it like it is!
I also enjoyed the many photos included with this book.
I was not a Justine Bateman fan back in the day. I watched a few episodes of her in Family Ties and I enjoyed those. She was definitely a huge star during my 80's youth. On a more recent note, I remember seeing a news segment that captured her walking to a Recall Gavin Newsom booth to sign the petition. That made me smile :)
This book she wrote really unpacked the layers of Fame. Something us bystanders and fans pretty much know nothing about. I respected her honesty and vulnerability as she spoke about her own experiences with Fame and described them in a way for us to understand. Poignant, raw, and unfiltered. Justine tells it like it is!
I also enjoyed the many photos included with this book.
March 19, 2019
An absolute bulldozer of a book - one that should be required reading for just about everyone
Fame. Everyone seems to want it, especially now.
How many Twitter followers do you have?
How many views?
Can you quantify your content, or better yet - your reaction gif to someone else's content?
Well, there's a flip side to this day and age of instant Fame, and no one saw it better than Justine Bateman
In the 1980s, Fame was rarer, but a lot stronger
There were three networks in the 1980s. That was it.
There were only a few roles available, but if you won one of them, you had a bigger impact. Ratings were measured in percentage of the national audience, and at any given time, a third of all Americans were watching Justine Bateman as Mallory on Family Ties.
She got the role at 16, didn't know anything, and all of a sudden was given access to everywhere.
Restaurant reservations? Superbowl Tickets? Of course.
Free things? Yes.
And then the Fame faded.
The way Justine Bateman writes it - I'd honestly rather be her now. Doing her own thing, actually being interesting, actually making films and businesses and books, able to walk down the street without getting a camera in her face.
But still - I am not Justine Bateman. I never was famous, never really felt the need.
So she had the experience of Fame, and the experience of Not-Fame.
And oh wow does she write these experiences well
This is not a memoir, this is not a novelty from a former pop-culture icon.
This is a real analysis of Fame, and what it means. It shows how Fame distorts, brings joy and hostility, and how difficult it is to keep it.
But what really pushes it through is that Justine Bateman is a real person.
She's not crazy. She's not a narcissist. She doesn't have the pathologies that characterize so many of today's insane stars and ex-stars.
Or better yet - she's 90 percent sane.
She has ten percent of craziness in her - the kind of craziness that sees another famous person and evaluates herself against him/her, and then gets upset when she is not recognized by that famous person, and not treated as an equal.
But then she brings that 90 percent sanity forward, analyzes her own misplaced emotions, and then writes about them.
That's what makes this book powerful. She is sane at the end of the day, perhaps saner than most of us.
Don't worry about Twitter followers, and don't bash celebrities
One of the themes in this book is that Fame brings anger from people, even fans, because they see you as a successful person that is somehow blocking them from being successful.
So when you fall, they turn on you.
When you can't keep the Rocket Ship of your first big hit going, they say bad things about you.
Be like John Travolta, right? Just have a hit every few years.
No - it's not that easy.
And if you are a fan - no you shouldn't care that much.
If you are Tweeting something mean about a celebrity - you might be part of the problem, and whatever the case, you aren't helping yourself.
If there is one message from this book - it's that you should choose being interesting over having Fame
Bateman found that one of the perks of having Fame recede is that she started actually doing things, and being interesting.
Fame is not interesting. It is Fame.
Starting your own business, becoming a UCLA Freshman in Computer Science at 46, becoming Scuba Certified, doing a short film, writing a book.
Those are interesting. It doesn't matter if any of them do well. They are interesting.
You don't do those things with Fame.
But we should pursue those things that are interesting, and perhaps more importantly, the things that we are actually good at -
So in short - don't worry about your Twitter followers.
Don't worry about Instagram, or being recognized.
Worry about what interests you and makes you interesting, find what you are truly good at, and then do that.
That is what the world needs right now.
And thank you Justine Bateman for giving us the perspective to see this truth!
I highly recommend this book.
Fame. Everyone seems to want it, especially now.
How many Twitter followers do you have?
How many views?
Can you quantify your content, or better yet - your reaction gif to someone else's content?
Well, there's a flip side to this day and age of instant Fame, and no one saw it better than Justine Bateman
In the 1980s, Fame was rarer, but a lot stronger
There were three networks in the 1980s. That was it.
There were only a few roles available, but if you won one of them, you had a bigger impact. Ratings were measured in percentage of the national audience, and at any given time, a third of all Americans were watching Justine Bateman as Mallory on Family Ties.
She got the role at 16, didn't know anything, and all of a sudden was given access to everywhere.
Restaurant reservations? Superbowl Tickets? Of course.
Free things? Yes.
And then the Fame faded.
The way Justine Bateman writes it - I'd honestly rather be her now. Doing her own thing, actually being interesting, actually making films and businesses and books, able to walk down the street without getting a camera in her face.
But still - I am not Justine Bateman. I never was famous, never really felt the need.
So she had the experience of Fame, and the experience of Not-Fame.
And oh wow does she write these experiences well
This is not a memoir, this is not a novelty from a former pop-culture icon.
This is a real analysis of Fame, and what it means. It shows how Fame distorts, brings joy and hostility, and how difficult it is to keep it.
But what really pushes it through is that Justine Bateman is a real person.
She's not crazy. She's not a narcissist. She doesn't have the pathologies that characterize so many of today's insane stars and ex-stars.
Or better yet - she's 90 percent sane.
She has ten percent of craziness in her - the kind of craziness that sees another famous person and evaluates herself against him/her, and then gets upset when she is not recognized by that famous person, and not treated as an equal.
But then she brings that 90 percent sanity forward, analyzes her own misplaced emotions, and then writes about them.
That's what makes this book powerful. She is sane at the end of the day, perhaps saner than most of us.
Don't worry about Twitter followers, and don't bash celebrities
One of the themes in this book is that Fame brings anger from people, even fans, because they see you as a successful person that is somehow blocking them from being successful.
So when you fall, they turn on you.
When you can't keep the Rocket Ship of your first big hit going, they say bad things about you.
Be like John Travolta, right? Just have a hit every few years.
No - it's not that easy.
And if you are a fan - no you shouldn't care that much.
If you are Tweeting something mean about a celebrity - you might be part of the problem, and whatever the case, you aren't helping yourself.
If there is one message from this book - it's that you should choose being interesting over having Fame
Bateman found that one of the perks of having Fame recede is that she started actually doing things, and being interesting.
You have these two lines. One showing the level of Fame you have and the other showing the degree to which you are an interesting person. For me. Maybe other famous people were more interesting when they were famous and not so much now, I don’t know. For me, I became far more interesting as the Fame receded.
Fame is not interesting. It is Fame.
Starting your own business, becoming a UCLA Freshman in Computer Science at 46, becoming Scuba Certified, doing a short film, writing a book.
Those are interesting. It doesn't matter if any of them do well. They are interesting.
You don't do those things with Fame.
But we should pursue those things that are interesting, and perhaps more importantly, the things that we are actually good at -
Here’s what I’m saying: You have a basket of skills and talents that no one else has. You are born with them. Your talent may be working with the elderly. You’re really good at it; it brings you pleasure, a feeling of accomplishment, but you know you are never going to be famous doing it. So maybe you hide that gift. You shove it down in the bottom of the laundry bag, down under last week’s socks, because you want to pursue something that everyone, that all others, deem “important.” And like we’ve established, society thinks that Fame is the top of the line. So, you go after it.
So in short - don't worry about your Twitter followers.
Don't worry about Instagram, or being recognized.
Worry about what interests you and makes you interesting, find what you are truly good at, and then do that.
That is what the world needs right now.
And thank you Justine Bateman for giving us the perspective to see this truth!
I highly recommend this book.
November 18, 2018
Could not finish this trash-heap of rotten writing.
December 14, 2018
Justine Bateman played the character of Mallory in the hit 1980’s TV show “Family Ties,” which means she’s famous amongst Gen Xers like me, but is not necessarily known to younger folk. She is therefore the perfect person to write about the trajectory of fame and how it affects an actor’s life – from the height of stardom through the gradual descent back into ordinary life. Many would say she does nothing but complain in this book, but while I think she cursed way more than was necessary, she also has plenty of valid points to make. She talked about the lack of safety she felt from stalking fans. She talks about the cruel comments about her aging on social media. And most of all, she’s out to let us ordinary folks know that being unknown isn’t such a terrible fate.
As much as I agree with Justine’s overall message, I couldn’t help but think that her fame would have taken shape differently if Mallory had been more an inspiring character. Justine says she loves her, and I suppose every actress should love her character, but to me, she was just the ditzy contrast to the star of the show, Alex P. Keaton. A character like Mallory could never be as beloved as the admirable and brainy Hermione. Look at the fame Emma Watson now enjoys because of her. I think it will last a lifetime, unlike Justine Bateman’s. And even a lesser character can inspire fan devotion. Heck, I’ve followed everything that actress Evanna Lynch has done, all because she played my favorite character, the spiritual Luna Lovegood. Mallory could never generate a fandom like that.
More than that, when an actress plays a ditz, it’s harder for her to get taken seriously in reality. It’s a shame because Justine comes across as a secret academic in this book. She cites sociological theories about fame and human interaction throughout it. She opens it by saying that her first draft was even more academic, but her publishers suggested she write a memoir instead. Well, I suppose Hollywood memoirs are good sellers, but Justine goes on a long rant about memoirs because of it. It didn’t land well with me since I myself am an unknown working on a memoir, as was Frank McCourt once upon a time. And anyway, arguing that ordinary people’s lives aren’t interesting is contrary to her point. But what the publishers’ input achieved was to persuade her to use a more personal tone in this book, which is why she only sprinkles in the academic insights. But the main take-away I get from this story is that Justine was dumbed down once again, all because of someone else’s “spray paint,” which is her metaphor for other people’s expectations.
All in all, I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. As I said, Justine cursed more than she needed to, and she also used too many repetitions and sentence fragments. I understand these are ways of conveying raw emotion and edginess, but I think she overdid it. But since I did like the message –recognize the value of your own non-famous life – I give the book 3 stars.
As much as I agree with Justine’s overall message, I couldn’t help but think that her fame would have taken shape differently if Mallory had been more an inspiring character. Justine says she loves her, and I suppose every actress should love her character, but to me, she was just the ditzy contrast to the star of the show, Alex P. Keaton. A character like Mallory could never be as beloved as the admirable and brainy Hermione. Look at the fame Emma Watson now enjoys because of her. I think it will last a lifetime, unlike Justine Bateman’s. And even a lesser character can inspire fan devotion. Heck, I’ve followed everything that actress Evanna Lynch has done, all because she played my favorite character, the spiritual Luna Lovegood. Mallory could never generate a fandom like that.
More than that, when an actress plays a ditz, it’s harder for her to get taken seriously in reality. It’s a shame because Justine comes across as a secret academic in this book. She cites sociological theories about fame and human interaction throughout it. She opens it by saying that her first draft was even more academic, but her publishers suggested she write a memoir instead. Well, I suppose Hollywood memoirs are good sellers, but Justine goes on a long rant about memoirs because of it. It didn’t land well with me since I myself am an unknown working on a memoir, as was Frank McCourt once upon a time. And anyway, arguing that ordinary people’s lives aren’t interesting is contrary to her point. But what the publishers’ input achieved was to persuade her to use a more personal tone in this book, which is why she only sprinkles in the academic insights. But the main take-away I get from this story is that Justine was dumbed down once again, all because of someone else’s “spray paint,” which is her metaphor for other people’s expectations.
All in all, I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. As I said, Justine cursed more than she needed to, and she also used too many repetitions and sentence fragments. I understand these are ways of conveying raw emotion and edginess, but I think she overdid it. But since I did like the message –recognize the value of your own non-famous life – I give the book 3 stars.
October 14, 2018
Hmmm. I don't know
Feels like in an attempt to be unique, she writes rather maniacally. Her intelligence does come through. She still has the rich/famous person privikege and her writing can't seem to escape that. I think the academic version of this that she originally wrote might have been better. Perhaps she wanted to cater to a wider audience. I also wonder why Jason isn't mentioned more and her perspective on his continued fame. Is the book an attempt to re acquire fame? But mainly the weiting style turned me off. It just felt...desperate.
Feels like in an attempt to be unique, she writes rather maniacally. Her intelligence does come through. She still has the rich/famous person privikege and her writing can't seem to escape that. I think the academic version of this that she originally wrote might have been better. Perhaps she wanted to cater to a wider audience. I also wonder why Jason isn't mentioned more and her perspective on his continued fame. Is the book an attempt to re acquire fame? But mainly the weiting style turned me off. It just felt...desperate.
April 13, 2019
Bateman claims she wanted to write an academic treatise on fame, but publishers only wanted a celebrity memoir, so in a compromise she seems to have dictated a rant into her cellphone about how kids today haven't paid their dues in earning Fame, and we need to make Fame great again, even though, well, it was never really that great to begin with except for, you know, all the awesome perks, and she's totally over it, sure, if you discount this book and all the other important creative work she is still doing. (Meta flash: Hey, look at me!)
Half baked at best.
Half baked at best.
January 26, 2020
Short book. I saw her interviewed and she was so articulate and she said she had written an academic paper on Fame. So I thought I’d check it out. At the start she said publishers didn’t want to print that so here are her ramblings and thoughts in general about fame. There was hardly any personal content. Mostly just a lot of complaining about how when fame goes away it sucks to lose the perks. In general. Very disappointing.
April 19, 2020
No. Just no. Frantic and alllll over the place. This read like a rant on an online forum. I had such high hopes too! The subject matter interested me but the delivery was way off. An editor and some strong guidance might have helped.
September 13, 2018
So what’s it like to be famous? We hear and see the horror stories, the lengths stars go to avoid exposure to the public, and at the same time, their absurd efforts to keep their fame going. Justine Bateman aims to analyze it for us from her own experience in Fame. Since her own greatest fame occurred between ages 17 and 24, that makes up most of the book.
Fame is that most desirable state, except for all the people that come with it. Celebrities need to deal with it rationally, but the media are filled with stories of assaults, bar fights, internet trolling and stalking. Bateman tries to distill it all from her personal experience. That makes this a valuable document.
There are some interesting insights. When in public, keep moving. If you stop, people will surround you and you are toast. On the red carpet, keep moving. As soon as the camera-clicking audibly begins to slow, move off. Above all, try not to say what you really want to. Just be polite, despite everything. Despite them grabbing your arm, stroking your hair, inviting you home, or telling you their fantasies about you.
In North America, you’re only as famous as your last hit. In Europe, you can be famous for one accomplishment all the rest of your life.
She is, inevitably, conflicted. On the one hand she treasures her fame. She is jealous of up and comers who have more of it. On the other hand, she detests fame and all the irrationals criticism of her body, her face, and of her declining fame itself. She googles her name and becomes infuriated at trolls. She takes it seriously and personally. On the other hand, she thinks she has become a much more interesting person since fame has become less of a factor in her life. She has a pilot’s license, a diver’s license, an undergrad degree, and has been in films, plays and has directed – all since her fame began to decline. What really galls her is being treated like a potential troll/stalker by other celebrities, since she is no longer one of them, and they don’t recognize her for who she used to be.
Bateman’s writing style is somewhat bothersome. She loves to repeat the same sentences. Repeat the same sentences. It quickly becomes annoying. She loves capitalizing phrases and whole sentences: “I planned to COME HERE TO TELL YOU a thing or two.” Pointless emphasis at best, head-scratching most of the time. She swears continually, adding nothing of interest. The book would be a quarter shorter without all the repetition and the four letter words.
Bateman misses the privilege now, but she’s a fuller person without it, and recommends everyone steer clear of Fame as a goal in itself. Just pursue what you love or do best.
David Wineberg
Fame is that most desirable state, except for all the people that come with it. Celebrities need to deal with it rationally, but the media are filled with stories of assaults, bar fights, internet trolling and stalking. Bateman tries to distill it all from her personal experience. That makes this a valuable document.
There are some interesting insights. When in public, keep moving. If you stop, people will surround you and you are toast. On the red carpet, keep moving. As soon as the camera-clicking audibly begins to slow, move off. Above all, try not to say what you really want to. Just be polite, despite everything. Despite them grabbing your arm, stroking your hair, inviting you home, or telling you their fantasies about you.
In North America, you’re only as famous as your last hit. In Europe, you can be famous for one accomplishment all the rest of your life.
She is, inevitably, conflicted. On the one hand she treasures her fame. She is jealous of up and comers who have more of it. On the other hand, she detests fame and all the irrationals criticism of her body, her face, and of her declining fame itself. She googles her name and becomes infuriated at trolls. She takes it seriously and personally. On the other hand, she thinks she has become a much more interesting person since fame has become less of a factor in her life. She has a pilot’s license, a diver’s license, an undergrad degree, and has been in films, plays and has directed – all since her fame began to decline. What really galls her is being treated like a potential troll/stalker by other celebrities, since she is no longer one of them, and they don’t recognize her for who she used to be.
Bateman’s writing style is somewhat bothersome. She loves to repeat the same sentences. Repeat the same sentences. It quickly becomes annoying. She loves capitalizing phrases and whole sentences: “I planned to COME HERE TO TELL YOU a thing or two.” Pointless emphasis at best, head-scratching most of the time. She swears continually, adding nothing of interest. The book would be a quarter shorter without all the repetition and the four letter words.
Bateman misses the privilege now, but she’s a fuller person without it, and recommends everyone steer clear of Fame as a goal in itself. Just pursue what you love or do best.
David Wineberg
November 22, 2018
At first I had no idea what to make of this book. Bateman starts on a bit of a rant --- or as she describes it, a Tornado. She had wanted to write a serious study of fame, done interviews, collected academic sources. But every publisher wanted her to write a memoir. And she hates 'f*** memoirs' Well, I found this a bit off-putting. I'm no prudish evangelical, I have no objection to a bit of salty language used in the appropriate places. But I really couldn't see the point here. She is a 50 year old woman, who wants to be taken seriously in her new career as a writer/film maker/director and she's trying to write like an 18 year old delinquent?
I still fail to see the logic behind the first couple of chapters but once I got well into the book it began to fall into place. She goes through the phases of Fame - Love when she was a 16 year old star of Family Ties, the years after, trying to retain some fame, the gradual sipping away, the becoming the person who once was Justine Bateman. It's too bad it takes so long for her structure to be apparent; it took about half the book until it began to make a lot of sense for me..
Bateman is the queen of the analogy- the name drawn from a fishbowl, the safety deposit box, burning p0pcorn -- yep, it starts to be a confusing mess. To add to the stew, (sorry, analogies are a weakness of mine as well) once in a while she can't resist throwing in a quote from her research and it comes out with the air of a pop-psych magazine article that tosses in a few quotes for verisimilitude.
Perhaps Fame: the hijacking of reality is a good title; it got me but the book is both too personal and too general to be much of anything but revenge on the publishers who suggested she write a memoir.
I still fail to see the logic behind the first couple of chapters but once I got well into the book it began to fall into place. She goes through the phases of Fame - Love when she was a 16 year old star of Family Ties, the years after, trying to retain some fame, the gradual sipping away, the becoming the person who once was Justine Bateman. It's too bad it takes so long for her structure to be apparent; it took about half the book until it began to make a lot of sense for me..
Bateman is the queen of the analogy- the name drawn from a fishbowl, the safety deposit box, burning p0pcorn -- yep, it starts to be a confusing mess. To add to the stew, (sorry, analogies are a weakness of mine as well) once in a while she can't resist throwing in a quote from her research and it comes out with the air of a pop-psych magazine article that tosses in a few quotes for verisimilitude.
Perhaps Fame: the hijacking of reality is a good title; it got me but the book is both too personal and too general to be much of anything but revenge on the publishers who suggested she write a memoir.
October 4, 2018
Justine Bateman’s Fame: The Hijacking of Reality gave me plenty to think about. I thought about achievement, privacy, shame, and pride, what sparks them, what extinguishes them, and why.
Bateman made me ask myself, “Why do we act so weird around famous people?” There are the sycophants and the meanies, the stalkers and the terrorizers, but what about regular folks? How do we treat famous people and how does that impact them and us?
All of that to say, I was TOTALLY FEELING Bateman’s WTF vibe. She looks hard at fame, at famous people, at fame-chasers, at fame-trashers, and she not only asks, “WTF,” she makes a stab at ANSWERING. (And she owes us none of that.) I won’t summarize her conclusions or theories here. I’ll let you read the book yourself. Bateman doesn’t distort or stylize or spit-shine anything. She tells you her thoughts as they come, presents them for what they are, and she’s unapologetic. By the end of it, I liked her. I liked her way. I admired her grit. And I hope she doesn’t give a rat’s ass what I think.
(Goes without saying, but I’m not famous at all, and sometimes, for instance, at the mall, I want to be able to duck in and duck out, unseen. I don’t want to interact or drum up the energy to choose a facial expression, engage in niceties, or exert myself socially. That’s a need for privacy, a conservation of energy that I would wish for anyone, famous or not. There’s something brutal about the expectation of response and engagement, any time, all the time.)
So, thank you, Ms. Bateman. Real Real Real.
Bateman made me ask myself, “Why do we act so weird around famous people?” There are the sycophants and the meanies, the stalkers and the terrorizers, but what about regular folks? How do we treat famous people and how does that impact them and us?
All of that to say, I was TOTALLY FEELING Bateman’s WTF vibe. She looks hard at fame, at famous people, at fame-chasers, at fame-trashers, and she not only asks, “WTF,” she makes a stab at ANSWERING. (And she owes us none of that.) I won’t summarize her conclusions or theories here. I’ll let you read the book yourself. Bateman doesn’t distort or stylize or spit-shine anything. She tells you her thoughts as they come, presents them for what they are, and she’s unapologetic. By the end of it, I liked her. I liked her way. I admired her grit. And I hope she doesn’t give a rat’s ass what I think.
(Goes without saying, but I’m not famous at all, and sometimes, for instance, at the mall, I want to be able to duck in and duck out, unseen. I don’t want to interact or drum up the energy to choose a facial expression, engage in niceties, or exert myself socially. That’s a need for privacy, a conservation of energy that I would wish for anyone, famous or not. There’s something brutal about the expectation of response and engagement, any time, all the time.)
So, thank you, Ms. Bateman. Real Real Real.
October 5, 2018
So. This book. I mean where do I start? Okay. Let me try this. "Fame" is Justine Bateman's exploration of Fame from the perspective of someone who has experienced it and then lost it. Personally, I enjoyed the book, but I could see how someone could hate it. One polarizing aspect is the heavily mannered conversational narrative voice. There are many passages in the book that contain these throat-clearing start/stop sentence fragments that introduce a thought or vignette. (See my first five sentences for an example of how it reads.) I got the sense that the publisher told her that she had to hit a 220 page count, and when she finished her first draft she only had 200, so she resorted to the age-old approach used by high school and college student everywhere, padding the word count.
While I thought "Fame" offered some good insights into the everyday indignities experienced by the famous and the formerly famous, JB tended to resort to similes in a way that began to confuse me. Fame is a sheath, a lobster trap; you need to empty your safe deposit box before they blow up the bank. I would have been fine if she stopped at lobster traps.
Anyway. So where was I? Oh yeah. The review. So. "Fame". Good book, really good book in some places. Still, some questions left unanswered. Like, what's Tina Yothers up to?
While I thought "Fame" offered some good insights into the everyday indignities experienced by the famous and the formerly famous, JB tended to resort to similes in a way that began to confuse me. Fame is a sheath, a lobster trap; you need to empty your safe deposit box before they blow up the bank. I would have been fine if she stopped at lobster traps.
Anyway. So where was I? Oh yeah. The review. So. "Fame". Good book, really good book in some places. Still, some questions left unanswered. Like, what's Tina Yothers up to?
April 21, 2019
I think Bateman has a lot of valid points about fame and the sociology behind the concept. It was also interesting to get her personal take on fame, in all its glory as well as its downfalls. Heaven knows, she knows what it’s like to hit the top of the top, and then slowly descend into “non-fame”.
Unfortunately, she chose to write this book as if she were aimlessly roaming around, dictating and then transcribing verbatim her thoughts in several long, stream-of-consciousness threads that meander all over the place and are full of endless profanities. The writing is repetitive and almost incoherent at times. She claims she initially wanted to write an academic version of this book but her publisher wouldn’t go for it. That would have definitely been the better option but, although she seems to be intelligent, after reading this rather bizarrely written book I seriously doubt her ability to write an academic book of any kind. Hopefully I’m wrong and next time she’ll stick to her guns so we can get a serious look at the sociology of fame instead of what ended up sounding like a personal rant.
Unfortunately, she chose to write this book as if she were aimlessly roaming around, dictating and then transcribing verbatim her thoughts in several long, stream-of-consciousness threads that meander all over the place and are full of endless profanities. The writing is repetitive and almost incoherent at times. She claims she initially wanted to write an academic version of this book but her publisher wouldn’t go for it. That would have definitely been the better option but, although she seems to be intelligent, after reading this rather bizarrely written book I seriously doubt her ability to write an academic book of any kind. Hopefully I’m wrong and next time she’ll stick to her guns so we can get a serious look at the sociology of fame instead of what ended up sounding like a personal rant.
July 4, 2021
My dog, Bo, is a sweet, middle-aged rescue beagle. He used to be scared of almost everything, and would tail-tuck slink out of the room at noises or anything else that startled him. He was especially disturbed by the F-word. Maybe whoever abandoned him was a loud cusser. But Bo seemed to have gotten past those startle reflexes in the four years since we adopted him. Until today. I started Justine Bateman‘s self-narrated audio version of her book Fame, played at medium volume on my phone. Only a few minutes in, after Justine treated her listeners to a tedious peppering of non sequitor F-bombs, Bo got up and slunk-trotted from the room to hide upstairs. Justine Bateman is angry and doesn’t know what else to do but curse and try to act like a tortured thinker. Too much and too little, all in one narration. Justine needs to get out of the way, hire someone else to narrate. Her swears and her voice are just too distracting from any substance that might be found in her tortured, meandering musings.
December 20, 2018
Shockingly bad. Bateman's thoughts are intriguing, especially considering her first-hand perspective on the subject matter. However, in book form, it is hectic and disorganized. I read this book in its entirety because I was so excited to finally get a copy AND I loved Mallory Keaton...but if you want a cogent treatise on fame and the psychology thereof, try a classic like Richard Dyer. His book Stars breaks down the Hollywood star system bolt by bolt. It's SO delicious, and surprisingly readable for a book that is somewhat dated and on the dryer side.
January 18, 2019
The author is very impressed with herself. She should not be !!!
January 16, 2023
If you've ever truly wondered what it's like to experience Fame from ALL levels, then this book is for you. Justine Bateman writes a very honest, hilarious, sometimes scathing and painful, sometimes wistful "memoir" about her years both in and out of the public eye. This isn't a book about her life, per se - it's just her writing about her experiences with being famous. The good, the bad and the ridiculous. It's not necessarily cautionary, but it does challenge you to think about society's obsession with fame and the foolishness that comes with the belief that fame is the end-all-be-all, pinnacle to success. That nothing you do is worthwhile unless you achieve fame. And the ridiculous concept that you are no longer a worthwhile person when you are no longer famous. You get the impression she had to work hard to come out of this world, unscathed, when so many like her have not. I credit her intelligence and her straight up no nonsense view of life and Fame. I love how she writes this book, too. It's very Hunter S Thompson-esque in it's sort of stream of consciousness, middle finger to traditional styles of writing (she does thank Hunter in the acknowledgements, actually.). All around, a great, unique and eye-opening read. I loved it.
September 16, 2018
Justine Bateman's book is not a memoir. In its first pages, Bateman points this out in a raw and confronting style, expressing her distaste for the genre, how "anyone" can write a memoir, whether their life has earned it or not. There's one problem, though: FAME very much *is* a memoir -- and the best I've ever read.
No, Bateman does not take us through some linear story revealing boring minutia of her life, some behind the scenes from her "Family Ties" days as most celebrity memoirs would be prone to do. This book is much more interesting than that. It's an anachronistic, stream of conscious look in Bateman's head, what it's like to be her, to be so famous that no one alive when that show was on doesn't know her. It's a story told with anger and drive. For years, people have acted like they knew her, said unconscionable things to her, treated her like she wasn't a person -- just because for seven years they projected her image in their living rooms.
But she is a person -- a very bright one, as the writing shows through its unconventional metaphors, even if this same writing (at least in the ARC) also shows how new she is to book writing. You don't pity her: The strength of her voice won't let you do that. But you can't help but feel sorry for her, at least for a while, as her story's exposed, intimate approach makes you realize you're doing the same thing they did -- invading her life.
It's worth a read, and does a brilliant job of portraying what we as people do to one another.
No, Bateman does not take us through some linear story revealing boring minutia of her life, some behind the scenes from her "Family Ties" days as most celebrity memoirs would be prone to do. This book is much more interesting than that. It's an anachronistic, stream of conscious look in Bateman's head, what it's like to be her, to be so famous that no one alive when that show was on doesn't know her. It's a story told with anger and drive. For years, people have acted like they knew her, said unconscionable things to her, treated her like she wasn't a person -- just because for seven years they projected her image in their living rooms.
But she is a person -- a very bright one, as the writing shows through its unconventional metaphors, even if this same writing (at least in the ARC) also shows how new she is to book writing. You don't pity her: The strength of her voice won't let you do that. But you can't help but feel sorry for her, at least for a while, as her story's exposed, intimate approach makes you realize you're doing the same thing they did -- invading her life.
It's worth a read, and does a brilliant job of portraying what we as people do to one another.
November 8, 2018
This is pretty much a 202 page rant by Bateman on the downside of being famous. Her language is quite vulgar so be prepared. I believe she could have gotten the same point across with less vulgar language although I suppose her intent was to show the reader how angry she feels with the way the media, and particularly social media, have treated, her especially as of late. She chronicles the loss of privacy when she rose to fame during her "Family Ties" years. Later she explains how things changed when she was no longer in the limelight, for instance having photographers wave her out of the way so they might get pictures of "more" famous people. This book is mildly interesting but it was just too biting and negative for me.
February 1, 2019
Great premise: Our culture is obsessed with fame. Fame has changed to where you no longer gain it for a universally recognized accomplishment. Fame is a vicious animal and the internet and 500 24-hour channels means the beast has to be fed continuously. And the public can't wait to tear someone down. Author Justine Bateman also says this isn't a memoir, but she continually pulls in stories from her life, not to illustrate but to rant. The whole books is a sometimes incoherent rant. Fame is poorly written and poorly edited.
October 17, 2018
I think the point of this book is that Justine Bateman is angry about being famous??
September 17, 2018
Free book alert! I received this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Fame. It's such an alluring idea. The great goal that many of us secretly dream of achieving. We even start to base our value and success on this idea of fame.
How many likes do you have? How many followers? Viewers? We base our self-esteem on other people's perceptions of us. I am just as guilty of this as anyone. I look at my Instagram and wonder how other bookstagramers have hundreds of followers in a matter of weeks, and feel like a failure.
In Fame: The Hijacking of Reality, Justine Bateman talks about how the various stages of fame affected her life. But first, what is fame anyway? According to Bateman, it is something that society has created. (Like money. And gender.) Basically, it's all in our head. It doesn't really exist. The jittery, ecstatic feeling you get in the pit in your stomach when you catch sight of someone you've happened to see on TV heading into a Starbucks is only because you and society put more value on them than the pediatric orthopedic surgeon also ordering their morning coffee at said Starbucks.
Bateman uses personal experiences to discuss the awkward, scary, and humiliating descent into non-fame, while giving glimpses of what it was like in the glory days and how fame has changed over the years. What fascinated me was how she witnessed the shift in our culture to the celebrity-obsessed, social media frenzy it is today. When she was on TV in the 1980s, paparazzi didn't wait to ambush you taking your garbage out in your pajamas and messy hairdo and then claim that you are in a major depression due to a bad breakup that never happened. Or how social media gives instant access to celebrities in a way that used to involve postage and too much effort to let someone know that you think they look like a cow who contracted smallpox and hope they die.
As you may have noticed, this subject was absolutely fascinating to me and Bateman had me hooked from the first page. It was gritty and raw at times, with a lot of obvious passion. Her style of writing felt as though I wasn't reading her book, but rather she was sitting across from me relaying stories complete with inflections and gesticulations. Sometimes I felt that the F-bombs were a tad over-dropped, and some of the stories were introduced and dismissed too quickly, but the point was always made with a swift punch.
Overall, Bateman's blatant, unapologetic commentary was on point. It reiterated what I already knew about our society being totally messed up, as well as made me examine some of my own ideologies of celebrities. It is a good read, especially if you have the desire to one day reach the status of FAMOUS in big, sparkly letters.
Fame. It's such an alluring idea. The great goal that many of us secretly dream of achieving. We even start to base our value and success on this idea of fame.
How many likes do you have? How many followers? Viewers? We base our self-esteem on other people's perceptions of us. I am just as guilty of this as anyone. I look at my Instagram and wonder how other bookstagramers have hundreds of followers in a matter of weeks, and feel like a failure.
In Fame: The Hijacking of Reality, Justine Bateman talks about how the various stages of fame affected her life. But first, what is fame anyway? According to Bateman, it is something that society has created. (Like money. And gender.) Basically, it's all in our head. It doesn't really exist. The jittery, ecstatic feeling you get in the pit in your stomach when you catch sight of someone you've happened to see on TV heading into a Starbucks is only because you and society put more value on them than the pediatric orthopedic surgeon also ordering their morning coffee at said Starbucks.
Bateman uses personal experiences to discuss the awkward, scary, and humiliating descent into non-fame, while giving glimpses of what it was like in the glory days and how fame has changed over the years. What fascinated me was how she witnessed the shift in our culture to the celebrity-obsessed, social media frenzy it is today. When she was on TV in the 1980s, paparazzi didn't wait to ambush you taking your garbage out in your pajamas and messy hairdo and then claim that you are in a major depression due to a bad breakup that never happened. Or how social media gives instant access to celebrities in a way that used to involve postage and too much effort to let someone know that you think they look like a cow who contracted smallpox and hope they die.
As you may have noticed, this subject was absolutely fascinating to me and Bateman had me hooked from the first page. It was gritty and raw at times, with a lot of obvious passion. Her style of writing felt as though I wasn't reading her book, but rather she was sitting across from me relaying stories complete with inflections and gesticulations. Sometimes I felt that the F-bombs were a tad over-dropped, and some of the stories were introduced and dismissed too quickly, but the point was always made with a swift punch.
Overall, Bateman's blatant, unapologetic commentary was on point. It reiterated what I already knew about our society being totally messed up, as well as made me examine some of my own ideologies of celebrities. It is a good read, especially if you have the desire to one day reach the status of FAMOUS in big, sparkly letters.
December 24, 2024
Very interesting getting insight into the extreme fame of a child star and how that fame transitioned and changed throughout her life. Interesting conversations on fame however when the discussions are coming FROM the famous person it makes it 10x more interesting. What do we really look like when we approach a movie star on the sidewalk?
June 11, 2021
What a rare look the reader gets from this book at the innards of fame. Bateman grabs us and takes us from the heights of fame to the depths and shows us crannies in between. The voice is unmistakable, and although the tone is a little hot and hyperbolic, it’s immediate and personal. Very interesting.
June 17, 2022
Justine writes with an intense rambling foul word voice. I loved it!
No matter what she chooses to do career wise she will always be at the peak of her FAME in my eyes.
Justine has an impressive resume including going back to school later in life to earn a degree — brilliant!
FAME is an outstanding piece of writing that shows the ups and downs of being in the spotlight. Personal growth and maturity is at the forefront of her experience.
Thirty plus years have passed, I am the fan that still listens and sometimes sings along to the “Satisfaction” soundtrack on CD during my commute.
“Family Ties” was a true gift of the 80’s family sitcom. We were blessed to have spent time with the Keaton’s especially being a teen along with Alex and Mallory. I easily related to Mallory because we had our own smarts and need to be supported.
Justine Bateman is a rockstar!
No matter what she chooses to do career wise she will always be at the peak of her FAME in my eyes.
Justine has an impressive resume including going back to school later in life to earn a degree — brilliant!
FAME is an outstanding piece of writing that shows the ups and downs of being in the spotlight. Personal growth and maturity is at the forefront of her experience.
Thirty plus years have passed, I am the fan that still listens and sometimes sings along to the “Satisfaction” soundtrack on CD during my commute.
“Family Ties” was a true gift of the 80’s family sitcom. We were blessed to have spent time with the Keaton’s especially being a teen along with Alex and Mallory. I easily related to Mallory because we had our own smarts and need to be supported.
Justine Bateman is a rockstar!
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