I didn’t return to the States for 4 years, but when I did get back for an extended visit, my first and most profound impression was everyone’s insistence on their inalienable right to be entertained. It was an obsession. I’d never noticed it before because I’d been so immersed in it myself. I had been one of the fish unable to see the water it was swimming in.

This obsession with being entertained recalls for me the old Roman “bread and circuses” that kept the people quiet and distracted from important matters of state.

Does anything change?

Cheers from warm and smiling Thailand,
Charles

My children’s book, “Building Blocks of Prosperity” offers many quotations from “GOOD” celebrities; folks who’s advice can help. We’ve always been drawn to the words of the famous, only now through ubiquitous media, many are drawn to follow and revere the wrong crowd.

I was watching the HBO documentary on John Adams recently and noticed how Ben Franklin handled his celebrity in France. He said something to the effect that “we are all actors playing a part here”. He used the public’s perception of him to actually accomplish something for his fellow man, whereas many of today’s celebrities neither accomplish anything to merit that fame nor use it to achieve anything for the greater good.

Fame may be easier to achieve now, but without a foundation of meritorious accomplishment it’s fleeting. Madoff isn’t a part of history, he’s an unfortunate footnote.

Greetings from rural Australia.

Celebrity status is alive and well in Australia, too.

Life has changed. We’ve transformed from a society that mainly worked to pay for our recreational hobbies, to a mass of trance like people who do nothing but work. And experience little personal reward for those efforts.

Life has become vacuous for many. After putting in long hours at work, they come home, family needs take over, and before they know it, it’s time to go to bed and start over the next day. And all they’ve done all day is attend to chores. And more than likely argue with their family over trivial issues. Because their fuse has become very short and it ignites at the hint of the most trivial slight.

Because their lives are no longer in balance, they look for ways to avoid both the boredom and stress in their lives. They take the easy option of escaping this tediousness through the mass media hype that surrounds celebrities. Because celebrities seem to have everything except mundane lives. They don’t, of course. Their lives are more nightmarish than a Dracula novel. But celebrity obsession is no less escapism than reading a novel.

I escaped the city lights for the rural life in 1992. My partner and I live and work from our remote property in the beautiful Central Tablelands of NSW, 3 hours away from Sydney.

It’s a change we’ve never regretted. Because our lives are in balance. We can run our home based business while at the same time be immersed in the wildlife that visits our property. We’re involved with the local community without living in the pockets of others. We know our neighbours and all the shopkeepers in our nearest town. And they know us. We have a sense of belonging as well as a commitment to support our local community and to look after our neighbours in times of strife.

But I can see that celebrity mania pervades everything. And your advice to tap into it is important to heed. And I agree with you that you ignore it at your own peril. Agree with it or not, it’s a fact of life and can’t be avoided. So why not make the most of it and sprinkle some sparkle dust over yourself and your business? Why not, indeed!

It’s a good post, Paul. Congratulations.

Take care,

CAROL

Carol Jones
Director
Interface Pty Ltd
Ilford NSW Australia
Designers of The Fitz Like A Glove ™ Ironing Board Cover
Our simple solutions for difficult problems make every product a joy to use.

Visit my website Simple Solutions For Difficult Problems at http://www.interfaceaustralia.com and listen to my podcasts about how I’ve built my business on the foundation of good old fashioned service.

As Tony Robbins once put it – “too many people major in minor things”.

Over-consumption of entertainment has become acceptable or even encouraged – and the desire to become a rock star, rap star, or the next Paris or Britney or Kim – far outpaces the desire to become a scientist or engineer.

So what do we get, 10 or 20 years down the line, when most Americans know more about celebrities than they do about math, science, or history? and they commonly use words and phrases like “irregardless” and “a whole ‘nother”? and where the desire to randomly express your baseless opinions online about anything – even things you have zero knowledge or experience with – becomes the major way you want to spend your time?

I get why you’d have some concerns.

Ostensibly, my comments here have less to do with your valid point about using celebrity status as marketing strategy, than with the subtext of the ramifications of a celebrity-obsessed society.

Best,
David