We have all seen and heard of America’s rich and famous celebrities. We have viewed their conspicuously extravagant lifestyles with a sense of admiration, accompanied by the inevitable twinge of jealousy. The fast cars, luxury yachts, designer clothing, lavish parties, expensive jewelry, and grandiose mansions are all iconic elements of the glamorous lifestyle led by America’s rich and famous.
But behind the glitz and glamour lies a less glamorous world of practicality. This is a world of the unrecognized, a world we take for granted. It is a world of practicality and building, even a world of creativity upon which the surface world of celebrity is dependent.
Homes of the rich and famous
Perhaps the best examples of both worlds combining are the opulent homes of America’s rich and famous. A perfect example of this is Celine Dion’s home in Jupiter Island, Florida. This sprawling extravaganza features an impressive 11,000 square-foot home with 13 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, five pavilions, a tennis court, and a gigantic water park that has 3 swimming pools, two water slides, a river, and water cannons.
This property is a perfect example of the opulence and glamour associated with the celebrity lifestyle. But after admiring this impressive edifice on the surface level, take a step back and think about what is going on behind the scenes. Imagine the amount of raw material such as bricks and concrete that was used. Imagine the landscaping, the lighting, the cleaning, and in particular, imagine the extensive plumbing.
The plumbing involved in the creation of this home is nothing short of staggering. The water park alone requires 500,000 gallons of water, and that doesn’t take into account the 14 bathrooms and 2 kitchens of the main house or the bathrooms attached to the villas.
Elements such as lighting, cleaning, and plumbing make up the practical world. This a world that exists beneath the surface, a world where we enjoy the benefits without even realizing it.
Yachting, a rich person’s pastime
Another example of the world of glamour and the practical world existing side by side is yachting. Yachts have long been considered symbols of wealth and glamour, and yet they are also a classic example of the practical world behind the scenes.
One shining example of this is a motor yacht named Serene. This $458 million mobile mansion, now owned by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, boasts six decks, five kitchens, 12 double occupancy guest cabins, 32 crew cabins, a master suite for the owner, dining rooms on each deck. The Serene also features seven swimming pools, an indoor climbing wall, a cinema room, a powder snow room, and an underwater viewing room.
No super yacht is complete without a helipad, and the Serene boasts two of these. It also has a gigantic garage, a lavish library, an open-air dance floor, an outdoor bandstand, and a pure white cocktail lounge that features a polished onyx grand piano.
The best of both worlds
This yacht is the very definition of opulence and glamour and is also a perfect example of the practical world behind the scenes. From the metal workers, painters, furniture makers, and interior designers to the electricians, cabinet makers, upholsterers, welders, and plumbers, this yacht truly exemplifies the best of both worlds.
The world of opulence and glamour is out there for all of us to see. It is promoted as an elusive goal, something to be aspired to yet very rarely attained. However, the world of practicality that exists beneath the surface is exactly the opposite. This is a world we are exposed to every day of our lives, yet rarely do we acknowledge its existence.
Take, for example, air conditioning. Wherever there’s a building, you will find it. From the chic and swanky high-rise apartments of New York, through to the sprawling ranches of Texas, the country homes of Colorado and Utah, the celebrity mansions of California, and the millions of people who live in American suburbs, they are all dependent on behind-the-scene services.
When we see a puppet show, we see the puppets and the strings, but we rarely see the puppet master pulling strings. And so it is with the worlds of glamour and practicality. We see the exterior world of glitz and glamour but rarely glimpse the world of practicality that lies behind it and makes it all possible.
So next time you are admiring a stylish mansion, dreaming of a luxury cruise on an extravagantly expensive yacht, drooling over that stupendous sports car, or even just taking a shower at home, spare a thought for the anonymous behind-the-scenes people who make it all possible.
Meta title: A world of glamor meets the world of practicality
meta desc: Get to know the glamorous world of America’s rich and the world of practicality that makes it all possible.
