For some, just appearing on TV, even without winning a single prize, can be sufficient to make them overnight sensations. William Hung will probably go down in history as the most famous loser on American Idol yet. His comical rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" at the first-stage open auditions was instantly rejected by the three judges, yet his “sweet and humble” attitude touched a nerve with audiences worldwide. He instantly garnered a cult following as fan websites cropped up and video files of his performance were circulated all over the internet. A record deal, together with numerous talk show and concert appearances followed. Hung's fans hail him as unpretentiously untalented, with an innocent, geeky charm that “electrifies audiences.” A petition urging show organizers to bring him back on American Idol has already garnered more than 117,000 signatures.
While William Hung may have achieved unintended fame by simply being himself, others strive in a thousand ways to make themselves stand out from the crowd. Aaron Barschak, a self-proclaimed "comic terrorist" gate crashed Prince William's 21st birthday party dressed as Osama Bin Laden in a pink dress and has gained notoriety by attempted "hijacking" of various star-studded events. The 37-year-old comedic performer confessed that, "I don't want to die in the nobility of poverty - of course I am desperate for fame." Daniel Gonzalez was another man who was desperate for fame: he terrorized London in 2004 by murdering 4 total strangers because he wanted to become a famous serial killer. The 25-year-old jobless drug addict had admitted in a series of written notes that he had planned to murder at least 10 people for his claim to fame.
If you dream of being in the shoes of your favorite stars, there's no need to resort to murder. One French company obviously recognizes just how seductive the lure of fame can be: Soirée de Star, literally Evening of a Star, offers the not-so-famous the chance to experience stardom, with packages that include red carpet and VIP adventures. With the Glamour Star package - superstar treatment for a mere 3499 Euros or RM15,500 - the star-studded experience will include a six-person limousine, makeovers, bodyguards, VIP passes to the hottest nightspots, helicopter rides, screaming fans and paparazzi on motorcycles. The popularity of the experience is such that in just a couple of years, the company has extended its services to Paris, Nice, Cannes, Toulouse, Barcelona, Madrid and Brussels. If you're dreaming of the high life but aren't quite sure how to achieve it as yet, Soirée de Star offers everyone the chance to live out Paris Hilton's glam lifestyle - even if for just one evening.
Get famous in a hurry
Desperate for your 15 minutes? Here's how you can go from zero to hero faster than you can say “dahhliinngg..”
- Volunteer to do something outrageous for your favorite charity. Be cheered and feted for standing up for what you believe in - Nina Barough, founder of breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, started an annual event when she participated in the New York marathon with a group of friends … in her bra.
- Perform a magical stunt ala David Blaine - fancy starving yourself in a glass box high above the Thames River for 44 days, or freezing yourself in solid ice for 60 hours?
- Sign up and brag about yourself at Your 15 Minutes.com, where everyone can post a photo or personal info to get his or her 15 minutes of fame.
- Make a life-sized model of yourself out of toothpicks, or set a record for the longest time spent yawning to get yourself into the Guinness Book Of Records. We just love those outrageous records!
