A Penny For My Thoughts

The Case Of The Missing Ego

By Paul Wein

Everyone wonders what it would be like to be famous, to have people asking you for your autograph, writing you fan mail telling you that they think you are great – even sending you letters saying that they think you are sexy. The funny thing is, as host of Ring Fever and Moderator of the South Park Booster Club, I have this happen to me all the time – and I would love to know what it feels like too.

My problem is that I have absolutely no personal confidence. No matter how many times people tell me I am a great host, a great moderator, a great singer – or even a great looking guy – I don’t believe them. Why I feel this way is beyond me, but I do.

See, professionally, I am a very confident person. I know that when I have to stand up and speak in front of a crowd at a meeting, ring announce and commentate at a wrestling show in front of thousands of people, give a statement to the press, or write a message to the members of the South Park Booster Club, I have the internal confidence to know that I can do it without worrying that I will say something wrong or screw up – but as for my personal confidence, I have as much as a person with severe stage fright five seconds away from singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

The fact that I have no confidence is very upsetting to me because while my lack of confidence does not hinder my performance in doing the things that I do – it does harbor my ability to fully enjoy what it is I am doing.

What I mean is that despite the fact that people treat me like a celebrity, I don’t feel like one, because to me, I am not. But, each time I film for Ring Fever, at least 100 people ask me for my autograph, whenever I download my e-mails from the South Park Booster Club, I get letters from Booster Club members referring to me as their “illustrious moderator” and telling me that I am great at what I do, and when I sing with my friend Robert Santa’s band, I have ladies telling me I am cute – I even had a girl ask me to give her an autograph once – and it wasn’t on a piece of paper. My point is that despite all of these things, my lack of personal confidence does not allow me to fully enjoy these experiences.

I guess it’s a good thing to feel the way I feel, because if there is one thing I do not have, it’s a big head or an ego. I never feel like I am someone famous or more important than anyone else, and I always get as excited when someone compliments me or asks me for an autograph like it is the first time. So maybe having no personal confidence is a good thing after all.

“I am the entertainer, the idol of my age.
I make all kinds of money when I go on the stage.
You’ve seen me in the papers, I’ve been in the magazines,
but if I go cold I won’t get sold,
I’ll get put in the back of the discount rack like another can of beans.”

Billy Joel – The Entertainer