The Price of Fame

Illustration by Rachel Jablonski

I'm a huge Justin Timberlake fan but this isn't a typical "People" magazine insider look article on him. Justin Timberlake and the Whoever of Whatever by Jaed Coffin was published in Nautilus, a science magazine. Nautilus covers one topic a month from multiple perspectives and the fifth issue was about Fame - the how and why of fame, famous science, the price of fame, and the fame game.

Jaed Coffin writes the piece on how he met Timberlake once because of a cousin's girlfriend who was somehow related to the superstar. Through this outsider perspective, Coffin shows us the side-effects of fame. By just knowing Timberlake, Coffin brags about the pop star who mosts likely does not remember him. The entire article is kind of like a humble brag - you know he's being introspective and thoughtful about how fame affected him but at the end, he's still publishing an article about his relationship with Justin Timberlake.



I really love the piece because there are so many layers of fame and how a hint of fame or the possibility of fame can mess you up. There's also a great bar scene with J.T and a mystery blonde woman, insider knowledge that as a fan I really appreciated.