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The recent enquiry
regarding phone hacking by journalists led me to lend some thought to
celebrity, which is more than most celebrities do for themselves, of course.
It's an odd state, when
you consider it in a rational light. People, often with no discernible talent
and with little to offer the world in general, attract publicity, which, in
turn affords them an income in various ways. So, we have individuals, incapable
of stringing together a reasonable sentence, putting their names to novels and
autobiographies patently written by ghost writers. We have others, without a
shred of scientific knowledge, claiming to have designed perfumes, which have
clearly been concocted by those in the professional know. Yet others act as
presenters of TV programmes, where their inanity and stupidity irritates anyone
with even the most basic sensibility.
And the most peculiar
aspect of this feeding on fame from no good cause, is that there are sufficient
members of the public gullible enough to support these nonentities. I have to
confess to being baffled by this. The world is teeming with people who have
real talent, folk who produce work of real merit, individuals who give the
world something worthwhile. Surely, if people have a need to worship, follow or
become fans, they can direct their adoration toward those who deserve it? Or,
is it that those who have no talent recognise the celebrities without talent,
and hope and dream that they might one day emulate their material success?
Does it all matter?
Well, yes; I think it
does. It's an unarguable fact that money promotes power in its possessors. So,
giving money to fools, ne'er-do-wells, self-publicists and those liars who
claim to be authors of various works of talent, provides them with power far
beyond either their capacity or their desserts. This power resides in areas
such as purchasing power, slewing the markets in ways that would otherwise not
exist. It's reflected in influence, which these individuals deserve no more than
the common man. Most importantly, it shows in their access to the media, where
they're able to spout their ill-considered or spurious opinions and claims to
yet more of the gullible.
When there exist large
numbers of talented individuals who remain ignored and under-appreciated, it seems
to me a shame that these celebrities gain undeserved fame, riches and followers
without positive effort. I would far rather see the media promoting people who
have some worth in society, and the public showing appreciation to those who
deserve it for their contribution to the world.
I feel this is something
that needs to be said and I don't care that some will see my reasoned statement
as a contention based on envy. It isn't. But, I will, inevitably, be accused of
sour grapes. So be it.
A question for you to
ponder: How important do you have to be before you're assassinated, rather than
simply murdered?
