I saw a piece on morning television today that was promoting the sale of charm necklaces that you could mix and match or wear all together. Each “wish necklace” had a charm with an icon representing a wish: love (symbolized by a heart), luck (symbolized by a four-leaf clover or horseshoe), success (symbolized by a dollar sign) and fame (symbolized by a star).

I think a lot of us—particularly in the South—are used to starting the New Year by eating a meal consisting of black-eyed peas (luck) and cabbage (money). I guess my family already had a lot of love so that wasn’t in the cards (or if you have luck or money, you’re probably going to get love anyway).

But now, apparently, another important wish is for fame. What?

I suppose everyone wants to be a star in a culture that values celebrity over substance, reality television over scripted drama, hype over news, sports over education, Facebook over personal relationships and publicity over journalism. I just don’t put being famous in my top five.

Yeah, yeah, I know—you may think I’m out of touch, and to tell the truth, I never wanted to be famous. Being the best I could be, doing a good job and striving for excellence was my motivation. Not fame.

I wonder how anyone who really is a celebrity can deal with the lack of privacy that results from fame (see the film $ellebrity for an inside look at how horrible a celebrity’s life can be).

What’s going on here? Is our self-esteem so damaged (or non-existent) that one needs a bajillion “likes” on a Facebook page to feel as if one is worthy of existing on this planet? To feel like you’re a decent human being? To make sure you’re recognized for being the wonderful human being you perceive (or wish) yourself to be?

This attitude is prevalent. I wish we could all remember that Facebook was started by an unpopular college nerd who found a way to exploit everyone’s inherent need to feel liked and appreciated. So the next time you take or post a selfie, think about it. Who really gives a crap about you? Do you care enough about yourself and have enough self-esteem to not give a rat’s ass whether someone responds to your post? If you crave attention, grow up, or work hard to do something that’s significant.

Not everyone deserves to be a star. Deal with it.

I would like to personally congratulate the Maple Leaf Bar for celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. The Leaf satisfied many a music jones for me over the years, and it’s still going. The Leaf is featuring bands all month that have helped “make them famous”: Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Andrew Hall (who played the night they opened) and Johnny Vidacovich, among others.

And happy 20th anniversary to the House of Blues, which is celebrating with a party on February 1 with Kermit Ruffins and Colin Lake.

Come February 8, we’ll also welcome a new face to Frenchmen: the Louisiana Music Factory is moving to the first floor of 421 Frenchmen. Can’t wait!