I get the impression with fame that you get situations that vary along a spectrum from gratifying to plain weird to deeply creepy.

So hundreds of screaming fans crowding somewhere where you have an official engagement at whatever you do - gig/football match/film premiere etc must be hugely exciting and good for your ego. Then there are the extensions of that probably fall into the same category, so waiting age around a gig to spot a band arriving/leaving, a football training ground, whatever is still a pretty controlled and professional situation.

The video Andy posted off Noel Gallagher is getting into the weird category, but it still doesn't seem too threatening, just very surreal. I presume Noel being in Peru doesn't happen too often and is a big event for his fans there and even going out for a walk round the town in such a context is still a semi-public part of the tour, they must learn to expect it at least. It's one of those things we've all grown used to as a normal part of celebrity, yet if you think about it out of that context, it is very, very strange. If this happened to him everywhere he went in England that would be more disturbing. I remember hearing an interview with him where he said he was very perplexed by people who just spot him randomly in the street somewhere, rush up and ask for his autograph, then fumble in their pockets and produce a crumpled up receipt or some such thing to sign. His attitude seemed to be he was completely happy to oblige if it made them happy, but he found it rather weird. He'd ask them what on earth they were going to do with it afterwards.

When it gets creepy seems to be when it is in a more personal situation, like following someone home (anyone know a song about that?), in particular when it ends up being a one-on-one and regular situation. Though even with celebs homes, I've seen scenes of crowds seemingly permanently camped outside the likes of Paul McCartney's house in London in the 60s. Maybe that's why they all have to get mansions in the country. Remember the scrum outside Eric Cantona's modest semi after the kung fu kick thing. Must drive the neighbours mad as well if you live somewhere like that. And if it's all the time, it's going drive you mad too. I remember reading an interview with Jarvis once where he identified a point somewhere after the height of Pulp fame where "tube travel became possible again". This is an extract from Chloe Sevigny's wikipedia page:

 In a 2009 interview, Sevigny reflected on her career, and said she was content with the level of stardom she had maintained: "When I was in my early 20s, I went out with a British pop star, Jarvis Cocker; of course, pop stars have much more celebrity, I think, than actors even. Theyre really hunted by their fans much more. I remember driving around these remote towns in Wales and kids running after us in the street. I was like, 'This is horrible!' And I saw the effect it had on him, and thats when I decided I never wanted to be a celebrity at that level, and I think thats why Ive chosen to do the work that I do and just kind of work with directors that I love and try and do work that means something to me."^[72]

I suppose part of the creepiness of the persistent, personal stalker is you have no idea what's going on in their head to be behaving like that at all and what they might do. Are they just a sweet, over-devoted fan who has lost touch with their real life or are they a nutter like the one that shot John Lennon? Then you hear the sort of paparazzi tales bof some of the celebs at the Leveson enquiry and some of those were very frightening indeed, was it Charlotte Church or some other pretty young woman who had 10s of photographers chasing her, saying think about what is happening here, loads of men chasing a 21 year old woman down a dark alley. Paparazzi are basically professional stalkers in many ways.