Most of us idolize some famous people whom we will likely never meet. We appreciate them because they entertain us and make our lives better.

But, as we saw last week, the price of stardom can be enormous for those who become celebrities. Being famous means that they are constantly in the public eye.

Moreover, if they do something that brings negative attention to themselves, the publicity can be brutal. In short, it's not easy being famous.

Back in the early 1980s two young actors came seemingly out of nowhere to become instant celebrities as stars of a comical television show called “The Duk...