Hachem Threatened with Letters and Phone Calls
Joe Hachem recently moved to new a house. His decision to move has nothing to do with greed, with wanting a bigger, more expensive house just because he can afford one. The reason is quite the opposite.
Threatening letters and phone calls have bombarded his residence, and, for the safety of his family, he was forced to move. His victory at the World Series of Poker in 2005 is the obvious reason for the threats.
Hachem said this about winning the Main Event:
From ninemsn:
“But the funny thing is I didn’t expect it,” he said. “I just thought I’d be world champion, get a nice endorsement and go back to my normal life. Bulls**t, there’s nothing normal about my life these days.”
Hachem’s quote is exactly what I think when I imagine what it’d be like to win the World Series of Poker. I never thought for a moment that the winners could face threats and danger. But, when I take the time to think about it now, it becomes obvious that, because of their new found wealth and celebrity, that people will be out to get them. Of course, when I say get them, I’m not referring to just violence and threats, but media attention (paparazzi) and old friends resurfacing after years in oblivion or who knows where. Stuff like that.
Family is definitely more important than money or fame. That’s an obvious conclusion for most, as there will always be a few that think otherwise. When it comes to celebrities I always imagine very narcissistic and selfish people. Like with Angelina Jolie and all the stuff she’s done helping people abroad and adopting all these foreign children, I can’t help but think that most of it’s for show, to be in the spotlight, done for attention, to be bigger than the movies.
For me I always view celebrities as mere objects. In a way, they are unreal because all I know about them is from seeing them on television and reading about them. I’ve never seen or met a celebrity in real life, and maybe that will change my impression of them.
I consider poker players celebrities nowadays, at least the more famous ones, and my cynical attitude towards most of them are related to my attitude towards Hollywood and television celebrities. It’s not fair for me to view anyone in this way, as I’m pretty sure they’re all human.
[via ninemsn]
Joe Hachem, poker, Angelina Jolie, Pax, World Series of Poker, phone threats
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