I recently had a conversation with a record company press relations head. We talked about his artists rosters. Many I did not know, but I am over the hill. As the conversation continued I said, “Today, everyone is famous. Either a celebrity, reality show, Instagrammer, YouTuber, 5000 channels, 10.000 programs, and whatever else. All you need is a iPhone. KaBOOM! Instafame!” We both laughed.
In 2018 if you swing a cat, you will hit a so called “famous” person. Famous for being Famous. Not a clue how or why.
Being famous in the past was an exclusive commodity. Reserved for those with talent or a gift from the heavens. Not anymore. Thanks to camera phones and Instagram, fame is the same as mosquitos during a hot summer. Pocket size digital devices replaced sound stages, recording studios, and cameras. As mass media continues to loose its grip on audiences, so too have the boundaries it once set collapses. Fame has become a true democracy, no talent required. There are “Kardashian Wannabes” lurking in every household.
A 20thcentury invention by mass media, fame evolved over the decades: First, the mass hysteria of Valentino, The swooning for Sinatra, blonde Goddess Monroe, the cultural force of The Beatles, and the seismic shift of Michael Jackson,. These artist shook the world with appeal and talent.
The 21stdefinition of fame means: Multi-talentless has appeal. Something of no value has a warped value. The generational gap continues, modern fame skill-sets are lost on many parents. Can anyone over 35 understand why the under 25 crowd follows daily selfies? However, my Grandparents, considered Madonna a Flozzy. HA!
While not begrudging those seeking fame. I bemoan the old rules of being famous. Until recently, it meant something.
