Sound familiar? As a fan, have you been in this situation before? You feel sorry and empathetic for the guys over something...say, their absolute lack of personal privacy or some other such anomaly. And someone tells you not to feel sorry for them, they have loads of money and are living the good life, save your pity, et al those things I said above. And you find yourselves agreeing a little. I mean, it makes sense...they have the dough, the life people dream of, how can they experience pain, unhappiness?

Let me just tell everyone something right now: I'm rich. I'm spoiled, basically, and I say that in the most literal and non-egomaniac sense possible. I'm not a millionaire or anything, but I was given opportunities that many people have not been given. I treasure money, but it is almost never a major issue for me. I live comfortably.

And yet?

If you prick me, do I not bleed?

If you attack me, do I not hurt?

If you abuse me, do I not suffer?

Is pain a foreign concept for some people? Because they are "fortunate?" Does that make them different?

Let me just set something straight right now: I don't think the guys of *NSYNC are living an unhappy life. I don't think they are severely depressed or ungrateful for their fortune or whatever, in fact I believe in the opposite. Likewise, I'm not trying to say that I am unhappy with my life or am ungrateful. On the contrary I feel extremely thankful for being blessed as I am.

And I am certainly not saying that the pain felt by anyone else less fortunate is unnoteworthy or insignificant. Certainly I understand that there are people in the world who go through hell every single day, every single minute just to get by and that yes, on a general moral basis our nights would definitely be better spent thinking about them than about *NSYNC.

I'm just putting things in perspective a bit. All I'm saying is that you absolutely can not use the excuse that they have money or live the good life to say that they are not deserving of pity or sympathy at times. Pain is pain is pain, having money does not change the fact that one experiences pain.

Think about that. There's a difference between the two, I guarantee you.

What is the good life? A well paying job, big house, cars, fine women/men, giant pool, indoor arcade, etc etc etc? So if you had all those things, would your life be perfect? Would you want for nothing else? Would nothing in the world affect how you feel, because of course you live the good life? Would you go onto your deathbed thinking, "I have no regrets" because you had material pleasures?

Is that what you really want in life? Of course not. If all you had were material pleasures, ie the good life, I guarantee you you will not have lived a good life. Go on, try it, I dare you:).

So what is the definition of living a good life? Besides the basic necessities of living, such as food, water, shelter, clothing, and the financial means to provide thus, what do you need to have a good life? From my point of view *NSYNC is living a good life right now, even as they life the good life. It's part of the reason I respect them. So I will use them as examples to show what I mean.

What it is that a good life has that the good life doesn't? How about...the personal independence to pursue your own dreams, goals, and ambitions, satisfy your personal career choice, and self-realization? Okay, check. In terms of *NSYNC, most likely they have that, and the fans can't take that away from them even if they wanted to. Heck, some of them even carry multiple careers and have fun doing it! Dang workaholics:p. Anyway, the work you do in your life obviously affects the way your life is lived, and if it's a job you like, the chances of living a good life is that much greater.

What else do you need for a good life? Having relationships, perhaps. With parents, siblings, lifemate, friends, children? This one is more arguable/debatable because obviously there are people who go through life without bonding with one or many of these, and who's to say they haven't lived well? Yet, human beings as a species are sociable creatures, and human society as a culture has been a sociable culture with clearly defined social patterns and goals. Looking at *NSYNC as an example, yes they have pronounced and healthy relationships with friends and family. And they date, which is the foundation in contemporary times to building a relationship with a lifemate and eventually a child. Though some fans find it objectionable that they date, and I can only conclude from this sentiment that those fans logically don't want the guys to live a good life...but heck I've ranted so often on that topic that anything I say now will be a rehash so I'll dispense with that at the moment. My point is that another supporting foundation of a good life is stable relationships. On the norm.

One other element of a good life I can think of at this moment is that things you have accomplished. One of the few beliefs of existentialism that I actually agree with is that your actions and the things you have done shape who you are. As a younger generation I can't really look back at my life and say I have accomplished more or made a bigger difference than someone who is perhaps a few decades older than me. This is where *NSYNC has indisputably shined. They have done unimaginable things in their lifetimes, far too many for me to name, and their average age is around 24 and a half. To most people that should say something. If you, your life, your existence is really defined by what you do and have done, that should say a lot about living a good life.

(Now, I don't think you have to be just like *NSYNC to have lived a good life. Of course not. Not to mention that any one person's wants for a good life could be totally different from someone else's.)

What is is that separates people like *NSYNC from most people? Accomplishments, basically. What they do everyday. What they have experienced in life is different from what people at their age usually experience, most likely. Is that why we look at them so differently? I know I have been guilty of this also. But how is it that we can become so...numb. Numb to what they think, what they feel, how they feel. Not just the fans, society itself looks at the situation and just kinda shrugs it off. It is rare that in any normal given circumstance that celebrities in general are looked upon as just...human. Very rare, very rare indeed.

I used to hang out in a lot of message boards. Nowadays I go to only three, and one of them is a private forum. I dunno, I guess I just couldn't stand the attitude of indifference I saw. There are things that go on in message boards that I honestly, honestly wish I never saw. The attitudes...absolute, absolute indifference towards their livelihoods. It's Justin, mostly, I guess it's just the easiest to dehumanize him. And lately a whole lot more about Joey. And I just absolutely, absolutely love it when an individual tries to defend the guys against hurtful words and someone else says something to the effect of "Get over it, they don't care what we say." Ehhh, hello?

Why wouldn't they?

Because they're rich? Because they have money? Because they're fortunate? So suddenly they just don't...care anymore? And neither should we? Suddenly we should assume things about them? So suddenly it is justifiable that they are attacked on a daily basis for their life decisions? So suddenly we have a reason, an excuse to be rude and negative about aspects of their lives and their decisions?

Suddenly they're so very different from us?

Why? Why do we separate their existence so far from our own?

I don't go out of my way to put *NSYNC up on an undeserved pedestal. I don't feel that I put them up on a higher level than what they are. What I cannot stand is when people place *NSYNC and celebrities in general on a lower level, which face it, is exactly what is happening a lot of times. People have the direct attitude that it's okay to rip them apart and insult them for ridiculous reasons. And tell me, does that not define the actions one would take towards those who one deems "lower" than oneselves? Lower than the norm, lower than human?

Is that an attitude we're proud to have? That we have the right to treat celebrity figures as lower than we are? That as a class, they are less deserving of certain rights than us?

If you'll excuse my language, what the hell kind of f'ing BS is that!?

The good life is not the same as a good life. *NSYNC is fortunate enough to have both. And because of that, we can view them being beneath us. Why does that not make any sense to me?

Like I said, I don't think *NSYNC is more deserving of pity than any other person in the world. There are suffering people. There are people with nothing to look forward to in their lives. People like *NSYNC are clearly more fortunate than them. But should we just not care about the things *NSYNC goes through? Is being respectful and courteous to their situation just not important? We're fans, d**n it. I say if we want to care about the hurtful words spoken or the way they are treated or if we just want other fans to friggin' respect their positions as human beings and not assume that we can say whatever we want about whatever we want and not hurt them, well why not! It's certainly a better choice than the alternative!

People who agree with me should check out this page.

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