Her head reclines gracefully as she poses for the cameras. Her bewitching smile is comfortable and confident; well-earned for her miscellany of achievements. She is covered in glitz, her aura shimmers with glamour – and the whole world extols her every step, frivolous or benevolent. She was born to be a media darling.
The media is devoted to peppering celebrities’ lives with allure and grandeur. This elite clique gets addictive attention from the public and rigorous chasings from the paparazzi hoping that their one photo click will yield them enough dollars to pay a year’s rent in upscale New York.
I feel like the child boldly confessing that the Emperor is naked.
While these groups are rewarded for trivial and vain deeds, are we suggesting that other ‘average’ people’s deeds are discounted? We are rewarding a celebrity for donning a Vera Wang evening dress at the Academy awards, or showering another with kissing praises on her latest novel on how she became a bubbly actress earning millions. It’s a vicious addiction that has chained the public, entertainment industry, and media under a controlling fist that denotes them as mega brands worth your bow.
What about the stories of real lives? People who go to work everyday in order to feed a morsel to their families. Mothers who decided to sacrifice their careers to raise their children in a loving, closely-knit family environment with all amenities provided. Nurses who keep vigil on patients. Writers who inspire readers and give them their daily pearls of wisdom. Construction workers who build awe-inspiring skyscrapers and gardeners who design picturesque landscapes. Cleaners who stay all night washing the streets and having it spotless by next morning. University professors who build the minds of tomorrow's leaders. The list is endless.
These people’s lives are not covered in trendy magazines nor TV clippings. Can we say then that their deeds have gone unaware and unrewarded? Does everything need to be covered by the media, given a kiss of approval by the public for it to be considered a deed well done?
I feel that power is given too much on a select few groups that imply others are not equally, if not more, deserving of recognition and appreciation for their jobs.
Somebody has to stand up and cry: the Emperor is indeed naked. And yes, your average Joe keeps the world functioning as perfectly as you see it everyday.
60 seconds of fame - is it the acknowledgement you need for glory?