Is anonymity a burden? Does hiding your true identity prevent you from enjoying your fame?
Or is it sheer bliss to be able to veil your personal life from the prying eyes of others?
London, Nov 15 (IANS) The anonymous author of three bestselling autobiographical books on a student turning to prostitution – themselves the product of a notorious blog – has been revealed to be a British research scientist.
Dr Brooke Magnanti, a hospital researcher from Bristol, told the Sunday Times she is the pseudonymous blogger of ‘Belle de Jour: Diary of a London Call Girl’, which was chosen by the Guardian as its blog of the year in 2003.
Her blogs were made into three books, including ‘The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl’, and a television serial.
Working as a high class escort girl in London, Magnanti, now 34, charged £300 an hour to clients, using the money to fund a PhD in forensic pathology, before embarking on a career researching cancer and neurotoxicology.
The Sunday Times said that until last week, not even her literary agent knew her real name.
A month ago she revealed her double-life to colleagues working at the Bristol Initiative for Research of Child Health, who were ‘amazingly kind and supportive’.
She decided to reveal her identity because anonymity had become ‘no fun,’ she said, adding: ‘I couldn’t even go to my own book launch party’.
The newspaper said the petite scientist has no regrets about her 14 months as a prostitute, telling the paper’s columnist India Knight: ‘I’ve felt worse about my writing than I ever have about sex for money.’
Her blog was also made into a British TV series, prompting speculation she might be a well-known author or even a man.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20091115/884/twl-anonymous-ex-call-girl-blogger-revea.html
She can probably kiss her career goodbye! I suspect that means she will return to her previous occupation and charge triple for being famous.
March 4th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
I actually don’t hide my identity.
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March 4th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
What is amazing is that she wrote books about prostitution which became best sellers and a TV series.
Will the British ever get out of their psychological addiction to smutty sex?
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March 4th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Her colleagues may be "amazingly kind and supportive" now, because it’s expected of them. But I think her career will soon be adversely affected. Prostitution is far from an approved occupation.
Psychologically, as well as realistically, it’s very difficult to lead a double life. The worry about inadvertently revealing it can become a huge burden. I can understand why she eventually decided to admit it, but I think it was the wrong decision.
Many people have daydreamed about setting up an alternate identity. What new town would they move to? Would they be able to work under a false name? Should they change their appearance? And so forth.
Here in the USA we have a witness protection plan, whereby people who are in danger if they testify against major crime figures can be given new identities complete with real paperwork showing their new backgrounds. I’ve always wondered whether they’ve been able to successfully disappear.
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March 4th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
She can probably kiss her career goodbye! I suspect that means she will return to her previous occupation and charge triple for being famous.
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March 4th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
If by hiding her identity kept her away from getting (stigmatised) it was definitely the wise thing to do
even if she hadn’t received so much as a parking ticket that is against the law to receive a stigma (mark of disgrace) because being a prostitute could very easily have earned her one
because of a personality clash & rumours which are summarily believed & put on record by a person who abused his power & his position in society who has Control over what is put on her record wishes to play police judge jury and GOD sentence her to life long purgatory without the chance to defending oneself It is like a slow creeping death especially when she would apply for a job & is not aware of it on record it is from then on it is slow decent into everybody turning their backs She was very clever by not to reveal herself before it no longer mattered but trust me this system is still very much in force
convicted prisoner’s do not receive such treatment
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I am aware of a person who has got this problem & does not know how to defend against it.