Whether it is better to be famous or influential

When I'm not posting anonymous, mean-spirited comments to amateur YouTube videos, I occasionally venture to the theater and sit through a full-length motion picture.  Unfortunately they still haven't made "Grey's Anatomy: The Movie," so I had to settle for "9" the last time I was at the big screen.  Anyway, I've learned that this Friday, a movie called "Fame" is being released; the film follows numerous youngsters at a prestigious arts high school as they toil towards their apparent singular goal of, well, being famous.  The pic's catchphrase: "Dream it.  Earn it.  Live it."

I, for one, never wasted valuable dream time dreaming of being famous.  I don't think that concept has ever appealed to me.  There are more attractive alternatives, in my opinion, and perhaps highest on my list is the position of influence.    

But the two conditions - having fame or having influence - are not mutually exclusive, or for that matter mutually inclusive.  Let's look at some people that fall into various categories of fame/influence, and end with my thoughts on why I prefer influence to fame.   

People who are both famous and influential:

Jeff Bezos

George Clooney

T. Boone Pickens

People who are influential but not all that famous (at least in the mainstream):

Tim Berners-Lee

Evan Williams

Erik Prince

People who are famous but not all that influential:

David Spade

Jennie Finch

Howie Mandel

People who are neither famous nor influential:

Middle school principles

Beth from Chappaqua, NY

Individuals who go #2 in the public restroom at an AM/PM

There is clearly an array of pro's and con's for each group identified above.  Being solely famous, for instance, has many perks, both financial and social, but I'm concerned that it also has too many drawbacks - v-neck shirts, cocaine, and the sweaty, live-at-mom's-home blog-erazzi.  Being neither famous nor influential offers few positives, while putting forth a laundry list of potential downsides, including driving a minivan and catching hepatitis A.  

Meanwhile, the benefits of being exclusively influential - prolonged brooding sessions, walnut desks with globes on them, and business trips to Shanghai or Casablanca - vastly outweigh the negatives, of which I count zero.

And then there's this: If you are like me, you want to be able to go to Wendy's, minding your own business, without the pimply register girl helicoptering her wrists, making a sound that causes area canines to experience moderate strokes, and taking four dozen photos of you with her bejeweled Motorola Razr from a crouch position while you try to enjoy your food.

If you are highly influential, and you get a Wendy's craving?  You'll find a way to get that Double Stack delivered.

So, while it wouldn't necessarily be that bad to have both fame and influence, I'd rather have just the influence.*

*Aka the first 60 years of Dick Cheney's life