Glo Knows... Celebrity
Glo looks at the ups and downs of being famous.
When someone comes up to me and says, “How does it feel to be a celebrity?” I turn around to see who the hell they’re talking to! I don’t consider myself a celebrity. I am a damn hard worker who just happens to complete that work in front of thousands of people every morning on CBS4. Maybe that grounding comes from not always having been on TV. I am me, and that’s what you see on and off screen.
Recently, one woman asked if I felt I always had to wear makeup when I was away from the station. “Why?” I asked. She said, “Because you’re a celebrity, and you have an image to uphold.” My response must have been terse because she looked like she was about to have a stroke by the time I concluded my response. I told her I would never allow myself to be put in that box. I take pride in how I look, but I don’t believe I’m only beautiful when I wear makeup. My beauty comes through pre or post M•A•C. It doesn’t make me look good; I make it look good! To think anything less is bondage. And honey, being on the other side of 40, I don’t do bondage!
It’s been said by celebs such as Oprah, John Travolta, Angelina Jolie, and others that they don’t “feel” like celebrities. While I am not elevating myself to that level of identifiability, I can certainly identify with that statement. In spite of this latest chapter of my recognizability, I feel the same as when I was unemployed, when I was a civil servant, and when I worked in a mess hall cleaning very big pots. I feel determined to see what’s on the other side of this latest opportunity.
So what does it mean to be a celebrity? Who knows? Is the bus driver who is well known to the kids or the employee of the year any less a celebrity than I am? No. Martin Luther King Jr. said not everybody can be famous, but everyone can be great. If my journey affords me fame, I choose to take it and do something great with it. I know one thing for sure: You won’t ever get me to drink that celebrity Kool-Aid. I’ve seen the way it makes some celebs think their droppings smell like roses! They are the hoity-toity, bombastic (HTB) crowd who think it’s OK to mistreat people based on their status. This is where my personality comes in handy. The HTBs will laugh at my jokes, but they don’t like being around me for fear I might forget my place — as if there were such a thing. And when an HTB does drop by, honey, it’s like an old man who can’t control his wind. I just let ‘er rip (verbally, of course)!
Television is a strange elixir. No matter how old you get, you will always be young on a television recording. The camera does add weight, is not kind to round objects, and can be cruel to skin of a darker hue if not properly lit. However, the camera does not lie when it comes to the true essence of a person. I think people get me because I can be famous without being a celebrity. I don’t think celebrity is akin to a four-letter word; it just comes with so much baggage, like being in a bad relationship. I’d rather date “fame” than “celebrity.” And if my fame affords me more access, then I want to use it to help others. However, I don’t ever get confused and think being inside a box in HD defines me. There is life after TV. I know because I had one prior to TV. While I am new to television, I am not new to the planet! I believe service is the rent you pay for living on the Big Blue Marble (remember that show?). Every time I even come close to thinking, “Maybe I am that good ...,” I remind myself that pride cometh before a fall. It’s great to be good at what you do, to take pride in it. But I remind myself it’s not all I can do. There is a fine line between arrogance and confidence, and I am confident I don’t ever want to be arrogant. When others tell me how much they love and admire what I do, I ask their names and what they do because they are my famous people!
Denver Magazine
Issue: November 2009