About Rebecca Eckler
Since becoming pregnant with her daughter Rowan, Canadian journalist and author Rebecca Eckler has penned three hilarious books, including the best-selling Knocked Up. Catch Rebecca’s weekly unique perspective on motherhood and single parenthood.
Only very occasionally I’ll have a cigarette. My smoking friends laugh when we’re out and they want me to come smoke outside. “I can’t,” I’ll say. “I’m a children's book author! What if someone sees me?” They’ll go out and I’ll sit inside by myself.
This is my paranoia of course. One of the reasons I never go out and get drunk is because I don’t want to be seen as a mommy who drinks so much that she wobbles her way to a taxi at 2am (Again, paranoia. I’m not famous enough to be recognized.).
I recently found myself at Cartier in New York shopping with a friend and Jay Manuel of America’s Next Top Model. Truthfully, I don’t watch the show, but it’s seen in over 150 countries and Jay Manuel is famous. I know this because while we were still in Cartier, someone tweeted, “Saw Jay Manuel in Cartier” and I was like, “Did the tweeter mention he was with Rebecca Eckler?” Of course not. I’m not famous. In fact, in New York, I can smoke and drink all I want (I didn’t. I’m just saying I could. No fear that I’ll be seen.).
That same morning, I found myself outside a trailer on 45th street, surrounded by a gazillion teenage girls with cameras. I asked what was happening. “The Gossip Girls,” someone responded. I fought my way through the crowd, wondering how the hell the stars were going to get out of their trailers.
Two nights later, I went to see a play starring Zach Braff. Four rows behind me was Danny Glover. I stared at him during intermission and watched as person after person walked up and introduced themselves. I thought, “Well that sucks. I mean, Danny Glover can’t even go to the washroom. What if he has to go? I guess he’ll hold it.”
After I left Cartier with Jay Manuel, we tried to find him a cab. (Yes, he takes cabs!) We couldn’t walk five steps without someone calling his name out, or stopping him to take a picture.
Now, the dude was very late for a doctor’s appointment. I realized it’s not good to be famous. Yes, you get what you ask for if you go that route, but I suddenly realized it’s a pain in the ass.
Try walking down Fifth Avenue at 5 o’clock on any day and you’ll be annoyed at the crowds. Try walking down and getting to a doctors appointment with people yelling, “Just one photo!”
Recently I received an e-mail from a friend. It said, “I’m at Whole Foods with Tom and Suri!” I had no idea this friend would even know who “Tom and Suri” were. She’s pretty cultured (unlike me, who likes a good dose of
www.perezhilton.com everyday.).
Imagine the world knowing where you were shopping? Sure celebrity brings on perks, but your life is not your own that’s for sure. In this day and age, it seems everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame. I think I’d rather be able to go to the washroom.
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