So, Cherny, are you saying your fetish is reptiles? Like snakes, maybe? :p

Oh fine, divert the thread into nonsense-land while I'm composing a reply so that I look even more like a wet blanket than usual.

I AM A GOLDEN GOD.

It's an interesting tangent raised by Alex and €uro. But my personal response is the same to both of them, about all of it. If you're hiding it rather than just not mentioning it, you are acting from fear.

That doesn't make you a coward. But it IS a cowardly act. Such an act doesn't define you, and it may be completely insignificant. But it's cowardly.

There is no obligation to be uncowardly .... except to yourself. And you get to decide whether that's a personal obligation.

Oh, fine, Alex.. make a wet blankety statement while I'm continuing the flight to nonsense-nonsense land, so it looks like I'm attempting targeted assholery.

Very well put.

What constitutes celebrity? Should Baby Jessica who's claim to fame is falling down a well as an infant have to disclose her personal information just because at one point she was known worldwide?

I don't talk to my coworkers about my salary. Is that a cowardly act? Is fear the ONLY motivation to ever not discuss something?

Is it not possible to think that something is not an appropriate topic of public conversation without being afraid of it.

I have no fear of repercussions or embarrassment should I go into detail about my intimate sexual preferences. I just don't think they are, except in very narrow situations, something to be talked about.

The same, for example, when it comes to discussing religion at work. I have no fear that discussing my atheism would have negative impacts on me. And I'm certainly not embarrassed by it. I just don't think personal religion (or lack of it) is an appropriate discussion topic for that venue.

Finally, why am I suddenly unable to spell embarrassed without assistance of spellcheck?

But what would exactly hiding mean. What if your friends and family know, close associates, but you just don't make a public statement? Is that hiding? What if you don't like your photo plastered all over the tabloids so you prefer to stay in instead of going out? Is that hiding?

I think it's each persons personal comfort level. Just because someone keeps to themselves I don't think them cowardly. There's nothing wrong with being descreet.

It depends on how you define "out". Does EVERYONE have to know about it to be considered out? I'm pretty sure her partner, her family, her kids, her close professional relationships all knew about it. I KNOW her hairdresser knew (because he was also my hairdresser). It comes to no surprise that Foster is a lesbian to most people. She really never made an effort to not be "out" that I am aware of.

The other concept I find so interesting here is the fact that the celebrities we are talking about here are primarily actors. Their JOB is to make people believe they are something they aren't. If I were an actor, i think it would behoove me to keep my "real" live as private as possible and out of the public eye so it did not effect my career and limit me in any way. It doesn't seem like it would be terribly difficult. There are enough faux-celebrities like Paris to keep the hounds on the chase.