I have to agree with the others. It’s a matter of wanting to be important; for some, it gives life more meaning if you are remembered or given attention by people other than those close to you. I don’t think I would ever purposely try and be famous; but if I were to do something great (emphasis on great), then I wouldn’t mind being famous as a result. The type of thing wouldn’t have to be something that makes a huge difference (it doesn’t have to be saving the world), but just something that affects other people positively (can include anything from music to activism to writing to science), not just being famous for the sake of being famous. I also wouldn’t mind being well-known in a community; a lot of people know my dad because of his job and he knows people who are even more well-known. It is pretty cool, but I don’t think I would ever try purposefully to be famous. Seems like people who do that are never famous for important or significant things.
Bonus: I have to say I really like the Balloon Boy Incident. The name is kind of sarcastic in itself and it even coined a term on UD. A “balloon boy” is now a term for someone who pretends to be in danger for attention…lol