News, sport and entertainment from the Bournemouth Echo and Dorset Echo.

Taking away the Michael

From the Echo, first published Saturday 19th Feb 2005.

GEORGE Michael says he's quitting the world of pop because he can't bear fame anymore.

Apparently, life as a celebrity is "unbearable".

Is that unbearable in the tsunami disaster/victim of the Yorkshire Ripper/dying of cancer sense?

Or does he mean unbearable in the I'm a bit bored and fed up because I'm too rich and I've been there/done that, sense?

What I think George really means is that he wants all the trappings of fame - but none of the responsibility towards the people who put him there.

Does he really want to live a life where he doesn't get the best table at the restaurant, the invites to swanky parties, and the instant recognition that means he never gets shoddy service in the shops, because of who he is?

Can he even remember the days when he didn't?

Maybe someone should tell him, and any other celeb who reckons that the grass is greener in the land of the faceless, that ordinary mortals, even very rich ones, have to wait on the plumber, the electrician and the BT repair man.

Because celebrity is currency. Being a celeb means always being able to get a taxi. It means free food, free upgrades and freebies from almost everyone. Being a celebrity means that everyone who meets you is inclined to find you fascinating, and hang on your every word.

It means that people laugh uproariously at your jokes. It means that you never get vile letters from the bank. Being famous means you can get what you want, when you want it. Which is one of the reasons why people spend so much time and effort trying to become well-known.

Few celebs are immune to this, even if their motives for bowing out are sincere.

Princess Diana once made a speech in much the same vein as George Michael, informing everyone that she would be taking a back seat in public life due to press intrusion, pressure of work and all the rest of it.

Within two years she was back with a vengeance, having realised that you can't put the fame genie back in the bottle, and determined to use hers to do some good.

George Michael should take his cue from this. Instead of drifting about writing musicals, which is what he says he wants to do, he should use his fame to change the things he doesn't like.

He told reporters: "Nobody wants to hear about politics or any kind of strong ideas in pop anymore."

This is nonsense. They just don't want political comment dressed up as tedious songs, like his diatribe about the Iraq war.

There are a million good causes that could use a real celebrity like George Michael as their figurehead. Instead of being self-indulgent and whinging from the sidelines, he should get out there and support them.

Because I truly don't believe he'll find what he's looking for in a life of anonymity, just the petty frustrations that annoy us all.