Why Are We Such Fame Whores?
Posted by: Ami Angelowicz
Filed in:
news
2:00PM, Friday October 23rd 2009
In her Salon piece, “A Nation of Attention Whores,” Mary Elizabeth Williams asks why everyone in this country seems so starved for fame. I think that very question is on everyone’s mind after the recent “Balloon Boy” incident. As Falcon Heene vomited on national television, you couldn’t help but feel sick about being taken for a [balloon] ride by his fame whore papa. And that’s just one of many examples of how people are doing crazier and crazier things to get their 15 minutes. Others: Meghan McCain’s boobs, Jon and Kate, Susan Boyle, OctoMom, Real Housewives, Perez Hilton—the list goes on and on. Ever since the evolution of reality TV and the internet, it is easier than ever for anyone to get famous for just about anything. No talent, intelligence, or hard work required. But why are we so obsessed with fame?
Williams thinks it’s because of our suffering economy. Is this our way of trying to grasp the unattainable brass ring of the American Dream? The dream used to be work hard, contribute to society, make enough money to provide a comfortable life for your family, and then retire an old and happy man or woman. But, oh, how things have changed. We can’t believe in that dream anymore because it doesn’t exist. It seems like the only way to get rich quick is to (a) be born that way (b) marry into it (c) steal from others, à la Bernie Madoff (d) win the lottery or (e) find a way to get famous. Clearly, the easiest option is “e” and it seems to be our new American Dream. Why work hard when you can win a reality TV competition, make a funny YouTube video, have your blog made into a movie, or have lots of kids as a gimmick? [Salon.com]
So what do you think? Why are we so starved for fame?
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Riley
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 01:04 pm: [report]
Dwindling education standards, stupid is easy to entertain.
bethlynn00
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 01:09 pm: [report]
I think it does have a lot to do with people thinking that instant fame means instant riches, but that’s just not true. Most reality stars have #&@$% contracts, so that often when they are off the show, they are restricted to making any type of appearances or really venturing out on their own until so much time has past, which puts them behind. They don’t get syndication pay, which is how many TV actors maintain their income after a TV show ends. There was just an article about the Atlanta housewives demanding syndication money, because they are not getting paid for being a part of the show and Bravo hit pay dirt with it. Plus the “American Dream” has gotten so blown out of proportion, it use to just mean a house big enough for the family, maybe 2 cars, and disposable income. Now it means a ginormous mega-McMansion, 2 gas guzzling SVUs, a 50 inch big screen, an iPod, cell phone, and laptop for each kid, it’s so overblown, and it all costs money that just the average 9-5 isn;t going to cover, so why not go to the boob tube for fast cash. But now, people don’t have jobs or can’t find work, so they are even more desperate for the get rich quick type of moves, including finding fame.
lea322
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 01:34 pm: [report]
I think most people believe money is going to solve their problems. “If only I had this or that…then I’d be happy!” And money is the way to get “this or that”. But how many stories to we read about people who suddenly came into money and they say it ruined their lives? As a society, we want attention, recognition, and the ability to do whatever we want, whenever we want. We think fame will give that to us. That’s not a very realistic way to be happy though.
lea322
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 01:37 pm: [report]
Learning to be thankful for what we already have and grateful for what we earn/receive is probably a much better road to happiness.
equnsuocha
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 01:42 pm: [report]
While I tried to NEVER retain any of the drunken ramblings of my sexually confused, alchoholic ex-husband, one thing he said has always stuck with me.
Money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it does buy the freedom to pursue what makes you happy.
Cheers
I Go To 11
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 01:58 pm: [report]
@ equnsuocha: Were we married to the same guy? Sounds just like my ex.
@ Riley: I think you’re on the right path. I’d go into a long-winded post here, but in the interest of brevity I’ll just suggest everyone read Charles Pierce’s “Idiot America”.
equnsuocha
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 02:19 pm: [report]
@I Go To 11 - Sadly I knew where he was every waking moment so I dont think so :( Glad to know I was not the only one with one these guys though
Jenn27549
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 02:35 pm: [report]
Occasionally there comes a time when the answer can only be found in the wide words of TR:
“The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”
-Teddy Roosevelt
ChoJinn
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 06:55 pm: [report]
It’s the simple fact that there are >300M people in this country of individuals and many people have substantial, albeit latent, feelings of irrelevance. Hence the explosive popularity of reality television: everyday shmoes and losers thrust into the limelight
adamjs
wrote on October 23 2009 @ 10:14 pm: [report]
@ChoJinn:
Isn’t the explosion of reality television, more than for any other reason, due to the studios trying to reduce production costs?
You throw a few people willing to do anything for cash in front of some cameras, offer them half a million dollars if they win or offer them a bag of CDs and a cheap car if they lose.
It is still waaaaaaay cheaper than having to pay actual actors, script writers, etc etc.
Further to this you get all of the marketing that comes along with it due to prizes and other random products plugged on the show.
Before you know it *BAM* you have an hour long advertisement, that doesn’t count as an advertisement, which crosses several different media modes that has been made for next to nothing….
Marketing gold.
tattooed_redhead
wrote on October 24 2009 @ 08:05 am: [report]
@ Riley - I think you’re on the right track. My personal theory on the increase in the lowest common denominator is that stupid people hook up with other stupid people, and have lots of stupid kids. Smart people go for other smart people, and choose to have very few kids. So the stupid population has been exploding while the smart population is stagnant.
As far as the article claiming it’s the dwindling economy, I disagree. It’s made it worse, but this whole reality/15 minutes of fame crap started long before the economy went down the toilet.
canadiancutie
wrote on October 24 2009 @ 01:30 pm: [report]
I think it’s because America’s overly capitalistic society means that the only people who have money are those on TV or on Wall Street. Everyone else is broke.
canadiancutie
wrote on October 24 2009 @ 01:33 pm: [report]
If they, for instance, paid your pilots, teachers, and nurses BETTER, you know, closer to WHAT THEY DESERVE, they may not be looking for some get-rich-quick scheme like fame quite as often.