DIVA JOBS - Is your job a dream or a nightmare?

I was watching the latest Iron Chef America this morning on my TIVO device whilst drinking my latte and working the creaks out of my bones. (I love DVD recorders - watching TV shows when you want to is very DIVA!) Anyhoo, it was the challenge between Jamie Oliver and Mario Batali - both chefs I enjoy watching and learning from.

Alton Brown was yakking about the judging panel, which this time consisted of Julie Chen, Co-Anchor of The Early Show on CBS, Alexandra Guarnaschelli, Executive Chef at Butter in Manhatten, and Andrew Knowlton, Restaurant Editor for Bon Appetit Magazine. As I was listening and looking at Knowlton, who happens to be young and somewhat attractive, I thought, "hmm, cute, young and his job is eating free food and talking about it. That's a Diva job if ever there was one."

This, of course, gave me another idea for a DIVAville discussion - which jobs or professions are DIVA and which aren't? Here's a few thoughts I had on the matter. Forgive me if I seem a little snippy about it. It's early, I haven't finished my latte, it's cold and rainy outside and I tend to be a bit arthritic and grumpy in the mornings:

WAITRESS:
Nope. They get paid minium wage, deal with snotty customers, get blamed for the bad food and they're on their feet all day. If they do get a decent tip they have to split it with the other restaurant employees and, the final insult, they have to wear some totally inane costume that fits in with the restaurant's theme. Would you want to wear the word "Hooters" on your hooters all day long?

SUPER MODEL:
Maybe. Okay, they get to wear designer clothing, jewels, furs and shoes, they get to travel to exotic locals, meet gorgeous male models, and get paid for it. BUT, those gorgeous male models are most likely gay. Nothing wrong with gay male models - unless you're a female model. PLUS those poor models have to stand still for long periods of time in contrived positions and the words fat, delicious and chocolate are NOT in their vocabulary.

ARTIST:
Think again. Only if you're not making your living at it. I do and I can tell you I work 14 - 18 hour days, I'm always covered in paint and so are my clothes, and I'm my own worst critic. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do but it's not like eating free food and getting paid for it.

FOOD CRITIC:
BINGO! Not only do they get to eat at world class restaurants for free, then they get to either ho-hum it, rave it or bitch about it, and they get paid for it!

What job would be a dream to you and which one a nightmare? Do you have a DIVA job? Or is your job an endless rotation of dreary, dragging, dungeon like days of dead-end drudgery? Drop me a comment and tell me about it. If it's DIVA you get a chance to boast . If it's not you get a chance to bi*ch and you'll feel better!