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Comment Box: Larry Craig -- Celebrity?
I'm Larry Craig and I'm not a celebrity. (AP)
Arlington, Va.: So, has Larry Craig gone from minor celebrity (sitting Senator) to being notorious (bathroom cruiser)? And what is the dividing line? -- Submitted via last week's Celebritology Live chat
In other words, when does a name (one that might be recognizable to, say, those who follow Idaho politics or the NRA) cross the molecular barrier into infamy? Because, if I understand your question, you do appreciate the difference between a bona fide celebrity and someone of Craig's stature, whose name -- whose entire existence -- will forever serve as a sort of shorthand for a bouquet of salacious circumstances which, combined, give him the approximate celebrity quotient afforded to Monica Lewinsky's blue Gap dress.
Which is to say that Larry Craig, at least in these rarified halls where we presume to make serious study of all things Celebritological, is not a celebrity. What are the criteria?
Keep in mind that I cobbled together this list rather quickly:
1. World-wide renown: Brad Pitt, a celebrity, is known the world over. In fact, his fame is so widespread he'd likely be recognized in some sandy outpost of the Malay Archipelago. Whereas Larry Craig could likely descend into obscurity by hopping the next commuter shuttle to Atlanta.
2. Enduring Public Interest: Glossy celeb tabloids load the front pages with pics of stars ("They're just like us!") pumping gas and frolicking on the beach for good reason -- our insatiable appetite for glimpses into the lifestyles of the rich and famous. When is the last time you saw a pic of a vacationing Jim McGreevey in People's Star Tracks?
3. Economic Impact: Within celebrity there are degrees of fame. Hence, the "A-list," "B-list," etc. But, one unifying factor for even the deadbeat denizens of the lowest list, is the ability to generate income at the expense of a curious public (us). This is why, no matter how antithetical, Corey Haim and Corey Feldman remain bankable enough to score a TV deal while the Larry Craigs of yesteryear -- Mark Foley, anyone? -- drift off into the obscurity of history.
So again, no, Larry Craig -- despite the current Craig-saturated news -- is not a celebrity. A year from now, five out of 10 people would likely knit their brows to try to recall why his name sounds familiar. Those same 10 people, though, would all smile knowingly at the first mention of "foot-tapping" or "wide stance."
----
Creative Captioning Winner
Congratulations to last week's winner: "Does this skirt make my career look bigger?" -- DJ
The top five winning entries have been added to the original blog item.
By Liz |
September 4, 2007; 10:30 AM ET
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Posted by: Lacie | September 4, 2007 10:49 AM
Similarly I just had to use Google to recall Gary Condit's name in the Chandra Levy scandal and I used to live around the corner from his condo that was a media circus in 2001.
Posted by: sjcpeach | September 4, 2007 10:50 AM
A lot of guys would have trouble recognizing Mr. Craig because everyone looks the same when all you can see is the tops of their heads.
Posted by: byoolin | September 4, 2007 10:57 AM
Think byoolin just got "Comment of the Week"
Posted by: st.louis | September 4, 2007 11:06 AM
Woohoo! There are few things on earth that are as worthwhile as becoming "Celebritologist Captioner of the Week." I think the list above will show that this puts my infamy as something between "Enduring Public Interest" and "Economic Impact."
Posted by: DJ | September 4, 2007 11:11 AM
Every time I hear Larry Craig's name, I think of Larry David. So, for me, no, not celebrity.
Posted by: h3 | September 4, 2007 11:43 AM
Maybe if Larry Craig got a sex-change operation and became a stripper in leather/pasties/dildo, he would be a celeb.
In fact, he and Brit could get up an act, since she already looks like a 50 year-old hooker.
Posted by: POS | September 4, 2007 12:30 PM
If your alleged gropage is compelling to both Nancy Grace and Lou Dobbs, you're not a celebrity.
Posted by: erm | September 4, 2007 4:28 PM
as we've seen with such uninteresting bints as Tara and Courtney - Larry obviously needs a proper handler if he's going to maintain his celeb awareness rating. He'll need to do cameos... like appearing in Avenue Q... or have some photos of him at the beach showing off some Alien-esque stomach features. Of course, he could just bypass it all, and get arrested in another public restroom... maybe while doing lines at a rehab with LiLo. It all depends on how badly he wants it.
Posted by: Quintilus Varus | September 4, 2007 4:35 PM
He COULD be a celebrity. (WARNING: unintentional double entendres ahead) I think that if he would come clean, he could do stand up. (there I said it)
Actually, I think he is much funnier when he believes that he is actually convincing somebody. It's hilarious!
I cannot believe nobody is disputing the 'picking up toilet paper' defense. To me THIS is the definitive evidence of guilt, though the "wide stance" excuse is a classic punchline.
Now, this "respectable person" is trying to recant his guilty plea. Wow, if only the rest of us felt so 'over-entitled' to getting our way. What a wonderful world this would be.
I hope he stays. That would disturb the hypocritical republicans more than anything. He's either delusional, or a comedic genius: "You say our feet bumped, I don't dispute that..." What an Ass!
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The comments to this entry are closed.
Liz - Go tell the folks at WaPo.com that they have the Celebritology link on the home page linked wrong.
Sheesh.