thefourthbrother: the average one

The Need to be Famous November 26, 2011

Even in a drugged stupor, Michael Jackson could not escape the need. In slurred words he talked about being “the greatest entertainer in the world”. Strange, coming from someone who famously complained about media attention and never having a normal childhood; even writing and recording music about it, which is, in and of itself, contradictory.

Reality shows today are nothing more than an attempt by average (and some less than average) people to gain fame – not to mention the very concept of these “reality” shows is certainly far from reality. So why the need? Why do so many seek it out? Why do they sacrifice so much to gain fame and fortune? It is truly bewildering – mainly because the vast majority of people who achieve this goal end in ruin and despair; a clear sign-in-the-road that the way ahead is dangerous and deadly.

One recent commercial for a show about scouting for the next supermodel has a man telling a girl that he “needs to know that you are willing to do anything.” The implication being willing to do anything to succeed and become a supermodel. What is left unsaid is what anything really means.

Why? Why are so many willing to do anything?

Just take another recent Black Friday commercial featuring Justin Bieber, which shows – and I use this term reluctantly – men screaming like little girls when they realize who is walking past them. Obviously these “men” are willing to do anything to get noticed and possibly achieve the dream of fame so they said yes to appearing in this commercial. Would any self-respecting man really do this? For the chance at fame?

The list is pretty long that contains people living in the public-eye bubble and the world eagerly snaps up the pictorial offerings of the Paparazzi, a league of photographic professionals that are little more than scavengers on the prowl waiting for an opportunity to exploit for profit. Who in their right mind would want to live in constant defense against these vermin? Famous people are reduced to hiding and disguises and tricks to avoid the constant menace of photographers waiting to snap a frame of them in a compromising or unlovely position.

Why is the need so great?

There are literal horror stories of those so consumed by their fame they died young and often terrible deaths; think Princess Diana. I doubt very much that she would be dead today if not for her fame and the Paparazzi. It was in fleeing that fame that she met her end.

Since so many are craving fame and fortune, it makes you wonder if they are clueless to the danger or, as so often happens, believe they will be above such things, untainted by the chaos. The legacy of fame is rather grim: suicide, drug addiction and overdose, divorce, alcoholism, erratic behavior, sheer stupidity, financial ruin, plastic surgery nightmares and a clamoring cesspool of sycophantic leeches. Every celebrity, politician, rock star or sports star has at least one person tagging along showering praises on their heads distorting the reality of their existence and many have a veritable army of leeches.

Along with the obvious problems with fame and fortune is the question of why is it so destructive to people? Why isn’t someone able to handle the fame, the accolades, the awards and the endless piles of money and still retain sanity and behave like – according to my learned (not) opinion – a normal person? And it isn’t just the famous who suffer. Many stories are bandied about telling of suicides because their idol died or humiliated them. One story tells of a suicide because the young man was refused plastic surgery to look like his idol Michael Jackson. Lives are disrupted, wasted and lost in the pursuit of the famous; wanting to be like them or be with them or have something of theirs. Sad is hardly an adequate word to describe this behavior. Tragic comes a little closer.

So why can’t people do it? Why can’t they pull it off? Oh – I know what you are thinking,“there are some famous and wealthy people who were able to handle it and lead normal lives, untainted by the praise and honor heaped on them”. I believe the proper response to this is … you are wrong. It is not possible for someone to be famous or fabulously wealthy or both and remain normal (at least so far as that word can be defined); even poor people have problems with pride so it wouldn’t take much fame or wealth to push them over the edge.

Why do I know this? How do I know this? How can I be so sure?

Because we were told it is this way. Proverbs 16 verse 18 tells us: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” I am arguing that it is not possible for a human being to be famous and adored and not be proud because of it, or have a haughty attitude. Simply put, people were not created with the capacity to be worshiped without it leading to sin and their own destruction. People are  not physically or emotionally or spiritually designed to handle worship. It is not for us – worship is for God alone. When we receive it, it destroys us.

And it isn’t just human beings who can’t handle worship, it goes for created angelic beings as well. After all, who was the first to have pride and bring on his own destruction? Lucifer. When he was an angel serving God he was a model of perfection and beauty, full of wisdom and adorned with every precious stone, according to Ezekiel. Because of these things he thought too much of himself and uttered his 5 infamous “I will(s)”, which are found recorded in Isaiah 14. He got the big head and pride found a home and God smacked him out of heaven.

It is little wonder that fame leads to pride and then destructive behavior. we literally see it played out on a daily basis. Just pick up any tabloid in the checkout line, or read the entertainment section of the news, or watch the political debates. The entire world is eat up with the need to  be famous.

So what is the antidote? How can we avoid this deadly trap? How can we lead productive and healthy and happy lives without succumbing to the temptation of fame and fortune? We give the worship and the glory to the one who deserves it and can handle it. God our creator and His Son Jesus. We need to recognize that we are flawed. That we are sinful. That we cannot handle praise. That we need to be saved from these.

The Apostle Paul gave us a good picture of who we are. He said in Romans 3: 10-23…

There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit;

The poison of asps is under their lips;
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

People need to wake up and realize that fame and fortune are not their friend. It is not the key to their happiness. It will only lead to their undoing. The need to be famous is a poison and it is deadly and it leaves a trail of pain and suffering.

Please don’t go that way.