Obsession with Fame
Fame and talent used to come hand in hand. You wouldn’t become famous unless you had something great to share with the world. Fame was simply a by-product of sharing your talent. In recent years we have seen this culture shift dramatically with emphasis being placed on fame status obtained rather than the talent. This concept is one that has baffled me. Why do we, as a culture, value fame over almost everything else? I can understand respecting talent, but why is it that people, like a Real Housewife, are idolized simply for being on a show?
My only explanation is that being famous, essentially, is a popularity contest. People want to be liked. Obviously, at its core, a completely superfluous need, but either way, understandable. Who wants to be hated? Look at kids in high school. They’ll endure pretty awful experiences just to surround themselves with “the cool kids.” Is it the same with celebrity? Do people simply want to be close to them because they think by proximity it makes them more likeable?
In today’s culture, almost anyone can become a star. Reality television has made it more than possible for someone of no measurable talent or intelligence to become a mega-celebrity, raking in millions upon millions of dollars per year. These stars on these shows have one objective: fame.
Back in 2003, The Simple Life staring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie blew up the reality television scene. Watching a pair of overly privileged girls run around rural Arkansas in Gucci mini-skirts and 6-inch Louboutin’s made for addicting television. Since then, it feels like every year there’s a different reality show that introduces the general public to a new slew of trashy, flamboyant, and preposterous characters. With each new show, a different level of crazy is made into the new normal for television.
Many label these reality star celebrities as ‘famous for being famous’ — that is attaining celebrity status for no identifiable reason (as opposed to being talented in acting, music, writing, politics, modelling, etc.).
The term originates from an analysis of the media-dominated world by historian and social theorist Daniel J. Boorstin. He argued that “the graphic revolution in journalism and other forms of communication had severed fame from greatness, and that this severance hastened the decay of fame into mere notoriety”.
While some argue that these reality celebrities are an insult to people who really are doing something valuable, I believe that as a society we are fuelling the fire. As a society, we are giving them the attention they are asking for. WE are the ones making these people famous for nothing. We are buying the magazines about them, we are watching them on tv, we are talking about them, and we are the ones paying exuberant amounts of cash to see them.
This is only resulting in their fame sky-rocketing. If as a society we didn’t support these celebrities, they wouldn’t be celebrities. They wouldn’t get paid 1.6 million pounds to DJ in Ibiza, like Paris Hilton, or hundreds of thousands just for an appearance like Kim Kardashian.
Why is it that we place such vested interest in the lives of these people? Is it that they are like us with no amazing talent? Is it that we can more easily relate to them?
The Kardashian klan are a great example of reality stars with minimal talent that have created an empire of over $200 million dollars. Not to mention their ridiculous following of fans. This concept is mind-blowing, even to Oprah Winfrey- a superstar in her own right. In her Next Chapter interview with the family she said: “Why do so many people love to watch their every move and why do so many others love to hate them. Are they completely ego centred? Are they really ‘famous for being famous’ or is there something more?” Oprah describes the Kardashians as a cultural phenomenon that people just can’t get enough of.
While I am no stranger to watching trashy reality television, I am more concerned about the value we are placing on fame. Is society going to realise that these value are instilling the wrong messages in our children. We are encouraging them that being ‘popular’ and being ‘cool’ is important. Forget being a nice person.
Branford Marsalis has a great quote from the film “Before the Music Dies” in which he states: “We live in a country that seems to be in a massive state of delusion, where the idea of what you are is more important than you actually being that.” As a culture, maybe we need to stop respecting fame, but more so, talent, brains, kindness and courage.
