The Desire for Fame and Its Consequences - Coursework Example

Being famous is one of the major desires of every mankind as it is seen as a way of building one’s ego since most people believe that fame emanates from widespread approval and success of what they are doing. In the contemporary world, fame is associated with financial and societal excellence as individuals of such nature command great admiration such that their appearance either in the show business or marketing of products attracts considerably huge pay. The media has continued to play a major role in making people famous by the way of promoting their activities through covering and airing them either in the print or electronic media (Bond, 2005). This is important based on the fact that fame cannot be achieved without attracting audience and there is no better way of doing so other than through the media. However, for one to become famous, there are various characteristics which he or she must exhibit in order to gain widespread appreciation or dissent. It may be worth noting that it is not always that people will be considered famous for doing positive things as fame emanates from a show of uniqueness and persistence in what one does. For example, leaders such as Stalin of the Soviet Union, Adolf Hitler of the Nazi Germany among other renowned murderous dictators became famous not through their good deeds but due to their persistence in doing what is contrary to every man’s expectations. On the other hand, people such as Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Martin Luther King junior among others became famous due to their positive contribution and persistence towards the fight against racial discrimination (Efran, 2007). These people suffered a lot in the hands of their tormentors but at no time did they give up their efforts to achieve what they were fighting for. It is therefore no wonder to find that all these people alongside others in the political arena are the subject of discussion especially in history classes due to their contribution on matters of governance. Similarly, to be famous one must be good at what he or she does. In this context, one must have the guts to challenge the existing status quo in order for him to attract the eyes of the public (Efran, 2007). For example, if one is into sports such as athletics, he should embark on breaking the existing records and winning more and more trophies and medals. In soccer for that matter, a team is consisted of 11 players, but it is usually those who show technique and goal scoring power that become the center of attraction to the extent that every time they are playing, every person in the audience would have the anticipation that they will, before the end of the match, score a goal. However, the contrary is also true as doing the worst in what you are into can also make you famous (Efran, 2007). In soccer for example, a player may on several occasion exhibit lack of technique by accidentally scoring on his own side. A defender may also show desperation by preventing a goal through unconventional means such as handling the ball thereby attracting a red card from the referee and a penalty kick to his side. This gives him an upper hand in terms of popularity as the media houses especially while analyzing the match and also the fans will discuss his shortcomings at length as opposed to other players who play well but do not score or conduct themselves in a manner worth reporting. This may be demonstrated by the event that saw the exit of Ghana from the 2010 world cup after Luis Suarez of Uruguay used his hands to defend a goal that would have guaranteed the progress of Ghana to the semi finals. The player was awarded a red card and a penalty kick awarded to Ghana but it failed to produce a goal after the ball hit the bar on Uruguay’s side (Callad et al, 2011). Up to now, Suarez continues to linger into the minds of soccer fans especially those who were supporting Ghana while supporters of his team at that time saw him as a hero especially since the event was being broadcasted world wide. This can only be compared to the hand of gold associated with Maradona, who scored a hand goal in the 1986 world cup held in Mexico. Similarly, William Hug, an American musician of Asian origin is said to have gained fame through his singing which is considered to be off key. There are a lot of musicians in the country, most of who have the talent, but have taken longer periods and perfection to gain fame but it is interesting to note that imperfection can also accelerate ones success and recognition in the industry (Efran, 2007). Scholars also have great potential of becoming famous especially those in the field of research (Bond, 2005). There are numerous problems and issues facing the society such as diseases and infections for example HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes among others, which have continued to claim lives due to lack of sufficient treatment. This being a global dilemma, it therefore goes without saying that any person who may come up with a cure for these ailments would definitely be celebrated as a hero in the society. Several scientists especially during the Agrarian and industrial revolutions continue to be celebrated due to their discoveries both in medicine, agriculture and technology. These scientists include for example Sir Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, Isaac Newton who among other contributions in mechanics and mathematics, came up with the law of gravity. However, to achieve this one must have a lot of patience and academic excellence so as to be able to develop projects that would be of significance to other humans (Bond, 2005). Charity work is usually done without the expectation of gaining financially or otherwise but with the sole purpose of helping the needy and the highly disadvantaged. As a result, one should never use the platform as a way of gaining fame for example by bragging in public on how much he has spent on his or her activities. However, the society is such a way that it will always appreciate good work and therefore those in charity find them selves becoming famous as a result of positive feedbacks from those who have benefited from their noble actions (Efran, 2007). There is usually no shortcut to fame but if one desires it, the best thing he or she can do is to always increase participation whenever there is an opportunity irrespective of how tiny the chances of succeeding are. People such as Michael Jackson tried to use shortcuts by fabricating and posting false information regarding him self on the media only to find it character damaging. For example, he at one time fabricated a story in which he claimed that he usually slept in an oxygen chamber in order to maintain a slow rate of ageing. Such information, though it gave the public a topic of discussion, displayed him as a person who was out of touch with the reality and he came to realize this later (Taraborrelli, 2009). Fame is usually associated with numerous privileges but equally, it is not without consequences. Once a person becomes famous, it means that he attracts a lot of attention from the public, who view him as a source of inspiration and therefore a center of attraction. It is therefore not a wonder to find that people will always want to keep close tabs on your activities such as where you are or intending to be, what new developments you have made, who you are with among other numerous issues. Since it is impossible for individual fans to follow you around probably because you are not easily accessible, the media is always out there trying to satisfy readers and viewers of their articles either by the way of requesting for live interviews or even following you without your knowledge. This means that a celebrity, for that matter, has limited right to privacy even if it is their constitutional right (Bond, 2005). The media has an upper hand based on the fact that it is protected under the freedom of speech and any attempts by any institution to limit this freedom especially in democratic countries is viewed as a way of gagging the media. It will therefore be found that sensitive details regarding famous people will find their way into the public domain without their consent. Michael Jackson was famous due to his unique dancing styles and perfection in his music, which saw him become one of the most celebrated musicians throughout the world. However, the media contributed significantly in bringing out the other side of him by reporting on his personal shortcomings such as the alleged plastic surgery as well as the numerous accusations of child molestation (Taraborrelli, 2009). The internet has also provided a platform for malicious persons to circulate gossip and other malicious contents regarding famous people. Such contents are for example nude photographs of which most are edited using desk top publishing tools to put a person in a circumstance that he or she might not be aware of. Truth be told, if these people were normal citizens without fame, nobody would actually be interested in their activities. Such reporting has the potential of creating conflicts among couples especially if it depicts infidelity. Famous people attract attention and for this purpose, it becomes difficult to spend quality time with their families especially outside their homes (Sauerwein, 2006). This is due to the fact that people will always want to get a glimpse of them and if possible have their autographs signed. If the other members of the family are not comfortable with such attention, they will always refrain from going out with you thereby causing more stress in the relationship. Due to this, celebrities may end up leading nocturnal lives in an effort to minimize chances of running into rowdy crowds of fans. Otherwise, they would have to hire bodyguards for controlling such crowds and also protecting them from harm, which is a reality in such people’s lives. This is due to the fact that the more popular a person is, the more the chances of having numerous enemies who may want to ruin his or her life. Contemporary fame is associated with riches and therefore, criminals out there would not miss a chance to commit atrocities for their own benefit. Various celebrities have lost their lives to criminals including people such as Tupac Shakur and Lucky Dube only to mention a few (Sauerwein, 2006). Celebrity stalking by fans is also as a consequence of fame (Sauerwein, 2006). This is where fans develop feelings for celebrities leading to their constant nagging such as sending anonymous letters and making calls requesting for sexually related favors. If this is not forthcoming, such fans may result to instigating violence in order to gain attention or for the sake of satisfying their obsession. John Hinckley for example went to the extent of attempting to assassinate the then US president Ronald Regan i.e. in 1981 so as to impress a woman celeb named Jodie Foster. Foster featured in a 1976 movie which was known as the Taxi driver, in which she played the role of a young prostitute. Apparently, Hinckley had tried without success to lure her into his nest and as a result, opted to kill the president in an effort to gain fame as he thought that Foster’s lack of interest was due the fact that she was famous and he was not (Sauerwein, 2006). Similarly, Dawnette Knight was arrested and jailed for three years for stalking an American actor, Michael Douglas, whom she was obsessed with. Due to her obsession, she went as far as threatening his wife, Catherine, telling her that she would cut her throat and feed her to the dogs (Sauerwein, 2006). It has also been noted that fame contributes to drug and alcohol abuse (Morin, 2000). The reason for this is that being famous means that a person is under constant evaluation and criticism from his fans such that he ends up losing his or her true personality so as to fulfill the expectations of the public. Self consciousness thereby becomes a problem especially if feedback from the fans is negative. The fans want you to keep up with the latest fashion either in dressing or the type of services you are offering them and they will always be there to criticize or applaud. If they do not appreciate, the celebrity loses self esteem r even becomes shy whenever he or she is intending to make a presentation. Research indicates that some celebs overcome this problem by forgetting the negative stimuli causing the self awareness while others struggle hard to become the Ideal persons the fans want to see. However, some get into self destructive mechanisms such as taking alcohol and drugs so as to lose self focus (Morin, 2000). In the end, they become drug addicts as a result of overdependence on such substances to maintain their fame. Bibliography Bond, A. (2005).How to be Famous, NAL Trade Callad, R., Whaley, A., and Naidoo, L. (2011).The Vuvuzela Revolution, Jacana Media Efran, B. (2007).The Official Celebrity Handbook: The How-To Guide to Becoming, and Staying, Famous, Sterling & Ross Publishers Morin, A. (2000). ‘Self-Awareness, Self-Esteem, and Alcohol Use in Famous and Relatively Well-Known Individuals.’ Current Research in Social Psychology [Online] Vol. 5(16) Available at: http://www.uiowa.edu/~grpproc/crisp/crisp.5.16.htm (Accessed: 20 June 2011) Sauerwein, S. (2006). The Unfortunate Price of Fame, Altitude Publishing Ltd Taraborrelli, R. (2009). Michael Jackson: The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story, 1958-2009, Hachette Book Group Read More