WGN Morning News Blog

Seven days and counting---that’s how long John Gerard has until his mission ends: to become famous in 31 days. How? He doesn’t sing with monkeys or juggle hand-grenades. Gerard is trying to become famous in 31 days by simply trying to become famous in 31 days.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a noble goal, but it’s a self-serving goal Why do I want to be famous? Let me see if I can say this succinctly and concisely: because anonymity sucks! Are we all in agreement? Anonymity sucks. I think that pretty much sums it up,” Gerard told me.

Becoming famous should not be that hard. In the You-Tube age, people have become insta-celebreties for synchronized wedding dances, and songs about chocolate rain. But those people are really just a temporary curiosity. To become famouse you need real talent. I am not sure if Gerard has any. You can judge for yourself at www.famousin31days.com where you can see Gerard effort chronicled in an ongoing "documentary." He is essentially travelling across the country, in hopes that people will interview him.

I bought it. It is an incredibly uninteresting idea on the surface. But the former TV producer from New York is chasing a dream and taking big chances and when you put a deadline on it, there is some suspense to see if he’ll make it.

“I had a job. I quit my job…and I’m using the down payment on a house I purchased to finance this trip. So everything is on the line.”

How many of us can say we took big chances in life on a dream, instead of a safe job in a cubicle, for which you are now regretting, as you drop more change in the office vending machine for another package of ding-dongs to get you through the dull afternoon.

Typically, people who have lasting fame, have something to offer society—they’ve won a revolution (George Washington) or made great movies (Denzell Washington.) And yes, perhaps George and Denzell would get better tables at Spago then you. But,

then what? What is the bonus? It is certainly not the only measure of success. Just look at famous people in the news this week:

Britney Spears failed to live up to expectations, or on second thought, maybe she lived up to them, in her performance at the MTV awards. She was a punchline for the next 24 hours.

Kanye West whined like a bratty toddler about not getting his MTV awards because he’s black.

Kid Rock and Tommy Lee got into a shoving match.

Bengal receiver Chad Johnson made a fool of himself, by self-proclaiming his destiny with a yellow self-made Hall of Fame jacket on the sidelines during Monday Night Football.

Hey—these people are famous. Would you want to be them?

Gerard’s goal is to be on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Day 31. If he fails the consequences are…well….probably nothing. He’ll go back to his non-famous life of normalcy--- back to his old profession as a tv producer, slumming with the people “behind the scenes.” The odd thing is, as he runs around the country with a camera to his face, and begging for face-time, what he is essentially doing is producing TV, the very thing he was trying to escape. Perhaps it’s not producing he hates, but what he was producing. Maybe Gerard inadvertently found his calling: the “John Gerard Show, starring John Gerard.” The question is---would anyone watch it?

Gerard’s gamble for passion over a paycheck is admirable. However, for those people like Gerard who measure success by their notoriety, returning to the secure 9-5 job would be a life-sentence of mediocrity….but it is a self-imposed punishment.