Famous for Being Famous: BTS, Celebrity Life, To Rome with Love

Watching BTS’s recent comeback concert, I was struck by how outstanding their performance was, and it made me reflect on how much preparation they must have put in to achieve such perfection, as well as the immense pressure they must feel throughout the process. It also reminded me of this film. There is a well-known saying, “He who wishes to wear the crown must bear its weight,” and people often say, “There’s no need to worry about celebrities.” Yet fame clearly brings not only great rewards but also significant exhaustion and hardship.

In the past, a famous actor once said, “My dream is to have a lot of money but live a life where no one recognizes me,” which sparked considerable public discussion. The fact that so many people resonated with that statement suggests that the public, too, understands the burden that comes with fame. This is especially true for extreme celebrities, such as idols, whose every move becomes a topic of public attention.

Above all, when you consider being in your twenties—the most beautiful and vibrant period of life—when you should be free to love and date, yet are forced to hide it and constantly be careful not to be exposed, it is easy to imagine how deeply painful and restrictive that must feel. Perhaps that is why some may even choose to get small matching tattoos, secretly hoping that they might be revealed and acknowledged by everyone.

The story of Leopold Pisanello, who becomes famous overnight for no particular reason, illustrates how even the most trivial aspects of daily life—such as eating a simple breakfast of a café latte and two slices of toasted bread with butter and jam—can be consumed as something meaningful by others. His ordinary actions, like shaving, getting a haircut, or simply sleeping, are broadcast live under the excessive scrutiny of the media. Even meaningless remarks are interpreted and exaggerated, and eventually, exhausted by this relentless attention, he runs away from the media.

When he asks, “Why am I famous?” he is told, “You are famous for being famous.” Though he has done nothing, he is constantly asked for his opinions, and meaning is imposed on everything he does, leaving him confused and overwhelmed.

However, the media’s attention quickly shifts to another ordinary person. Returning to his normal life, he feels a sense of relief as he reunites with his family. Yet paradoxically, he also experiences a strange sense of emptiness and discomfort when no one pays attention to him anymore. Longing for the days when people recognized him, he tries to draw attention to himself in the streets, but no one responds. In the end, as a driver remarks, “Life is painful for everyone, but it’s still better to live as a celebrity,” Pisanello comes to experience both the desire and the emptiness that lie between fame and ordinariness.