It's a serious question. My first 'tester' sim became famous and never lost a star even though she just did the work gigs and made appearances at the awards. My first proper sim went to the lounge one...
Yes, I feel like it decays way too fast. I get a warning 1-2 times per sim day. I actually select the "staying out of the spotlight" option now because I don't want to deal with the constant upkeep.