Wow, can you believe that we’re already a day away from the weekend again? I swear, if there was ever a year that was in a rush to end, it’s this one. Anyway, so while the team and I were busy working towards giving you the latest in entertainment news, there is one subject matter that I realised kept popping up under my radar, and that subject matter is fame
I'm here for the craft, not the fame
If there’s something I’ve come to learn about this entertainment business, it’s that fame is definitely the bane of many people’s existence, it’s a factor that entertainers or people in media do not want to deal with, but unfortunately, it’s inevitable. It’s like wanting a baby but not wanting to deal with all the responsibilities that come with having a baby; like changing their diaper or losing sleep because your baby’s sleeping patterns are way off. It’s just something you can’t avoid when you have a baby, and that is precisely the same thing when you’re in entertainment, fame is just something that comes with the territory
This week, I saw a few of our entertainers directly or indirectly deal with the ugliness of fame, and in my head, I thought to myself ‘Wow, if these people could choose to just have the money and not the fame, they would return the fame in a heartbeat.’
For instance, we had Mona Monyane addressing the public about why she feels frustrated about people demanding her pictures when in society. Then we had actor and maskandi artist - Mlungisi Mathe caution men about the dangers of fame, and just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse Nadia Nakai and Boity’s compromising tweets from almost 10 years ago resurfaced again to bite them in the ass. Now would those tweets have resurfaced if they were just average joe’s like you and me? I hardly doubt it, but like I said, it all comes with the territory.
I guess one of the most challenging things about fame is when it affects people in your life that are not famous, like for instance your partner.
I remember reading an interview article about actor - Fezile Makhanya once and he mentioned that in the early days of him and his wife’s relationship, she was uneasy about the fact that he’s publicly known which is understandable considering how much of an obsession the media and the public has over celebrity couples.
The last thing you’d want to do as an entertainer is to have your loved ones get reeled into this world of fame. Maybe that’s why other celebrities avoid by all means to show pictures of either their kids or spouses on social media because to a certain extent, those family members also become a part of this facade of the somewhat rich and famous.
Maybe fame is not the problem
To be quite honest, you can’t be in this industry, become successful at your job and not expect to be famous, it automatically happens. Thousands of people adore you, and the media takes note, and before you even realise it, you’re one of the most famous people in the industry.
From the outside looking in, fame really is a drag, it’s annoying, and the fact is, fame, especially in our own industry, doesn’t equate to fortune. You can be the most famous entertainer in the country, but be broke or in debt.
So I do sometimes think that our celebrities do need a break from us as the public, just like us, they sometimes simply want to do their work and go home without getting dragged on social media or having someone ask for a picture while they're trying to take a piss at a public toilet.
Maybe, just maybe, we the public are the problem and not the fame in itself. Maybe, we've held these entertainers to such high standards that we've completely forgotten that they're humans like us, humans who make mistakes and have feelings too.
Focus on your own greatness
What I've realised is that when you obsess over someone's fame, you automatically forget about your own greatness and potential. You end up scrutinizing someone's life instead of re-evaluating yours and finding ways on improving your own life. I know, it's a tough pill to swallow and it's way easier to criticize someone from afar than looking into your own flaws, but you should try it. Make sure that your own house is PG Glass protected before you start throwing stones at other people's glass houses.
Never make fame the end goal
So if you happen to become famous one day, try not to look at fame as a curse although sometimes it can be difficult to do so. Just understand that fame will always come with a price and always remind yourself that the end goal was never the fame but the passion you put into your craft.
When you’re famous people will always talk or want something from you, what is important is how you react to the fame. You can either let it build you or destroy you but if you constantly remind yourself that fame was never the end goal, then you probably have a better chance of handling becoming famous than someone who gets into this industry for the fame only.