The Celebrity Syndrome
Previous post: Glittler and Glamour
Next post: Broken Dreams
Previous post: Glittler and Glamour
Next post: Broken Dreams
updated on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Translate this blog
Recent Comments
- Paulo Coelho on The Law of Jante
- Carmen Costea on The Law of Jante
- Nancy on The Law of Jante
- Jessie B on The Law of Jante
- Empié on The Law of Jante
- Paulo Cesar on A lei de Jante
- Empié on Las señales
- Đana on 1 MIN reading: I have learned
- susan graham on The Law of Jante
- cocoid on The Law of Jante
- Alex on The Law of Jante
- Peter Goldberg on Stop #SOPA
- Psalmbody on The Law of Jante
- Psalmbody on The Law of Jante
- cocoid on The Law of Jante
- diane wolf-latham on The Law of Jante
- Tone Christ... on The Law of Jante
- Genevieve Ross on 3.000.000 Twitter
- judy on The Law of Jante
- Esthela on 3.000.000 Twitter
Follow me on Twitter
- @filipemalkavian errado! Perdeu a passagem. 3 hours ago
- Thank you for your company. End of twitcam.Obrigado pela companhia, final da twitcam 3 hours ago
- http://t.co/0VXKMyol - Writing the new book/Escrevendo novo livro 3 hours ago
- Just had a crazy idea: allowing you to see me writing my new book (for 20 min) I will not interact with anyone, and this may be boring... 3 hours ago
- Acabo de ter uma ideia maluca: deixar que vejam por 20 min eu escrevendo o livro. Nao vou interagir com ninguem. 3 hours ago
Get smart with the Thesis WordPress Theme from DIYthemes.
Archives
Calendar
Categories
- 20 SECOND Stories (125)
- Aleph (42)
- Aleph (français) (8)
- Character of the Week (60)
- Encontros no Caminho (17)
- Encuentros en el Camino (17)
- Forum On (106)
- Guerreiro da Luz (178)
- Guerrero de la Luz (160)
- Guerrier De Lumière (86)
- Guerriero della Luce (87)
- My Transiberian Journey (6)
- News (1083)
- O Aleph (21)
- Q&A (377)
- Quotes (418)
- Stories (578)
- Studies (23)
- The Alchemist (11)
- Videocasts (5)
- Warrior of Light (99)
- Youtube (158)
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
It seems to me we are living in a time when the majority of people want to be a celebrity at any cost. What’s worst is that WE the public make celebrities of just about anyone (think Jersey shore)Talent no longer seems to be a requirement.
I’m often criticized by friends for not having a Facebook or twitter account and for refusing to have my picture taken every five seconds whenever we get together. They ask if I think Im a celebrity and I tell them on the contrary; I’m not a celebrity that’s why I DONT need a picture of every single thing I do.
Maybe it’s just me but I thimk there’s a fine line between wanting to keep memories of special moments and turning every occasion into a fotoshoot.
With Love,
Someone who loves being unknown :)
Hey there! Quick question that’s entirely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My weblog looks weird when browsing from my apple iphone. I’m trying to find a template or plugin that might be able to correct this problem. If you have any suggestions, please share. Cheers!
Para mim a palavra mesmo diz : uma doença raramente curavel
i am worrying what to do if i am a victim
mostly all of we fail to love what is already with us in the light of what we don have around us..what must such victim do
I dont know what means, but sounds like a diseas, I noticed the characters were addicted to the lights and glitter like to drugs. They were not happy but pretend to be, and only very few were able to live in their own way, not playing the rule( unwritten), as you said in novel, they were slaves to their lyfe style. Cannes with all expectations that raised in some minds, acted as the mirage in a desert, who followed the mirage was lost. But you said the same in the book too…I copy your words??? Sorry, is that I agree and the comparison is one of the best.
Having lived in Los Angeles, I understand the celebrity syndrome, I used to liken it to the time of the Greeks and Mt. Olympus, actually there is a Mt. Olympus Drive in the Hollywood Hills! In Greek mythology the gods came down and played with the mortals, teased the mortals, had sex with the mortals, but then they went back to Mt. Olympus, there was a dance between the gods and the mortals. The same happens in Los Angles, the celebrities Mt. Olympus are their gated homes, the private clubs, the passes, the tinted windows. They may run into Ralphs for a carton of milk, or Starbucks for a latte, teasing the mere mortals with their proximity. The big difference with the Greek gods, you couldn’t become a god, you had to be a god, sired by a god, the only way you could live on Mt. Olympus was if you were a god. In the celebrity syndrome everyone has a story of how they became a celebrity, sitting at a drugstore counter, discovered shopping at Ralphs, so yes, you too can become a celebrity, somewhat like the American dream, like winning the lottery! I had a boyfriend who was an actor and did a bit part on very successful series, one of the regulars died and they were looking for a replacement, he was called in to audition for the part. His agent called him the next day and said they want you, you’ve got the part, you’ll start Monday. The next day she called back and said they changed their mind. The actor who they chose went on to have a very successful career, so my boyfriend had to watch this actor have the career he wanted and almost had. There’s a feeling that celebrities are invincible, that they can do and go and be anything they want, no one says, no you can’t go there, where’s your pass. Some celebrities I’ve known make me think how mind boggling it must be, to be known by so many people. I somewhat know a very famous celebrity who espouses wanting to fall in love, I’ve said, well you have your own match.com at your disposal, but maybe because of that, he can’t fall in love. If you use your celebrity for good, then more power to you, is how I look at it, because like it or not, worthy or not, we do treat them like gods and goddesses.
Namaste Sr. Coelho,
People who had celebrity in the book were grasping to hold onto it or garner more while people who didn’t have celebrity seemed to want it. Seems sad to me. It helps an artist sell his or her work, but celebrity is really an illusion which makes a person feel superior… to what, I’ll never figure out.
Love to you
i never realy understood that need which most of the humanity simes to have:to become famous.it never simed like such a great lifestyle to me,beeing followed all the time,not having any privacy,people always getting in your face,thinking that they have a right to critisize everything you do or don’t do and i’m only 20.if i can understand at my age how stupid and empty and unimportant all that is,how can someone who’s 30 or 40 not see that?well,i guess we’re all different.
“the celebrity syndrome… selfish.. empty .,, ignorant and arrogant .. full of dreams .. but nothing satisfy them.. happy.. with themself. they want glory but they wish to have a normal life.. and when they make donations they tell the whole world. and i belive if you realy wants to help someone you dont have to do publicity for it and they all do it to get more than what they gave
when i was a child,i dreamed sometimes to be someone famous.even if i like many famous people, now i think i won’t have this courage,i like my anonymous life,secret,free to walk everywhere,just to be a “grain de sable”.i don’t think that young people see the real price of the fame.
‘Celebrity Syndrome’. This syndrome to me is believing that all there is to achieve in life is money, fame, influence and then some more money- to have everyone envy me. I think that’s what it is because it’s all I see with Celebrities on TV, on the radio and in the news.
When I read WSA, I realized just how much I bought into the illusion of Celebrity. Celebs really are just who the men behind the curtain want them to be. I would not dislike them for what they do though, as I appreciate their work in cinema, music etc., and one does have to make a living after all. But I have stopped taking them seriously outside of their job, i.e. everything that is covered in celeb gossip shows and magazines- because all that stuff exists only to promote themselves further, for example, a celebrity stirring up a large controversy just before a new movie, tour or album release.
As an aspiring fashion designer, I can say that Fashion itself has caught the celebrity syndrome; it’s gone from being an art form that expresses the wearers / makers individuality to being a race of which-celebrity-wears-the-outfit-first. It’s gone from paying for a quality good to paying for the most publicized, celebrity endorsed, and envy inducing products, no matter how unflattering it is. Of course, there are the exceptions, but overall, it’s quite disheartening
To look at the “Celebrity Syndrome” I believe you need to look at both sides of the equation. Yes, there are the people who will do anything for fame at any cost (and often without a lot of substance, but not always). The rest of the equation is the + machine that drives this (Hollywood is one example) and = the great demand, the audience, i.e. you and me.
While I for one can, today, take myself out of that equation for the most part (I don’t by paparazzi trade mags, or see a lot of mainstream Hollywood backed film, nor do I watch TV), I have been a consumer, whether knowingly or not, in the past.
I think Paulo’s book brings awareness to this matter…what can each of us do? I can’t change the Hollywood machine, but I can change what I pay attention to and where I put my energy.
Does that make me a “winner?” I honestly hope not, because then there has to be a loser. What I hope it does do is make me peaceful and conscience of what is fulfilling to me.
As for people of any class or status being good or bad, I’m done with that way of polar thinking (most days, I struggle with Bush and Cheney still). I choose to see everyone, and I mean everyone as divine at their core; some just have more evil behavior than others and they will have that karma to work out.
Thank you Paulo for stretching our perceptions with this latest novel!
As ever,
Scarlett
Dear Scarlett,
change is first inner change – then it spreads to others.
I completely agree with you.
Much love
Paulo
People trying to become famous at all costs…we see more and more each day. Unfortunatelly, the great majority are mere forms without substance. As long as they have the looks and famous (again!) stylist clothes are quickly made deities alive. The Bank of Favours gets opened and other “Pales” try to get their business cards as if they were the proper key of the success door.
And again unfortunatelly, when you build a society on smoke, sooner or later it will fall down.
I agree that everything in life has a price but moderation must be involved too and one should learn not too bite more than he/she can chew.
Don’t they say that your countrymen are always the last to recognize your talents?
I think I can see a pattern with quite a few artists and scientists.
Dear Carlitos,
I did not think you were rude.
I wish you all the very best and I hope you achieve your dreams like
I hope I will achieve mine too.
I like what you say about finding a way to help your people.I think it is a honourable way.
Gros bisous pour vous et cristina.
Excelent definition, Kealan.
Sadly this is the Hollywood scene. Cocaine Everywhere. Most of ‘friends’ I made, I couldn’t continue because they all did cocaine. Even one good guy that has just gotten to Hollywood, he changed faces because of cocaine… for this reason, I didn’t have many ‘friends’ there. It was hard though, when it’s practically everywhere.
Thanks! I have lost a few loved ones to drugs over the years :(
The Celebrity Syndrome is when somebody thinks they have made it and self-medicate with cocaine… then leaving them void of emotion and empathy for the world.
Dear Marie-Christine,
First of all sorry If I was rude, I actually like your comments and your name, my girlfriend’s name is Cristina and her is the only reason for what I’m considering to leave my country, the story is simple I fall in love and I’m sure you know that as all the things that matters to the heart you just know when you see it, so I love her and she loves me, we are from distant countries, so choices have to be made… Instead of seeing this as a problem I see opportunity to help from abroad, to create links and to achieve my dreams, I believe that this is my path, but anyway, I wanted to tell you that…
I’m not a Scientist by the way but I know the issue of people going out to find a better life, the sad thing as you said is that sometimes this are not truly their dreams and they just seek money, in my case I’m driven by love, to a women, to achieve a dream and to find a way to finally help my people…
Gros bisous!
Carlitos
That is beautiful Carlitos, you should go out, where ever you need to go, walk the distance and achieve your dream and love. That is the ultimate!
Bon Voyage! :)
Dear Paulo,
Celebrity are public figures in our society. I don’t know why their is this difference between normal ordinary people and celebrity. Humans we all are and humans we all should be till our existence. I agree that some are genuine with talents of art, creation, science, movies, drama, and so on.
Many of those who are celebrity does not necessarily be skillful possess great talent, many of those who wanna be celebrity are highly skillful but they are not.
Every individual has some duty to perform on this earth. Some become writers like Paulo, Shakespeare, Neruda … and some become Celebrity like Johnny depp, Al Pacino, …some become artist Leonardo da vinci, … and they are known to normal ordinary human like us. The reflection of their great work divides ordinary VS extra-ordinary. Maybe this is why the world is changing. With so many great crazy peoples like these.
Everything is driven by path which is already written in your “hidden scripts”. The path unknown. We are walking a journey which is moved by mind and heart. Anyways, hardly anyone will disagree not to see him/her as an celebrity.The mass media penetration has great impact and role which has played for becoming anyone celebrity.
One wise man once said to me, “when you have little money you have little choices to make and when you have more, you will have more problems to face.”
Maybe he is true. Whatever any person do and become in life, the most important of all is “satisfaction”. What if he does not get it even after becoming a celebrity?
What if he is living not his life but a life of others? What if he never wanted to become a celebrity? But has to be a celebrity because his father/mother/… were previously one of them.
Although there would be difference between the public figures and celebrity. Greene says “You simply have to be present, in the right place at the right time.” Whereas “…public[ly famous] people were once defined as such based upon the fact their remarkable skills had brought them to the attention of the public,” (Source: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity)
Finally I would say, this is very open topic and maybe someday in future some one will make medicine to become a celebrity. It will say, Take two pills in morning and in evening and in one month you are going to become celebrity. Ha ha ha…(Joke)
Santosh… your last line is Quite funny :)
I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw such a thing.
now that is a recipe to add to my list Santosh.
Thank you.
Love
Marie-Christine
Dear Carlitos,
I do understand that scientists leave their country in order to reach their dreams.
Sometimes you have to do that and as you say you have to export yourself in order to be imported. – you don’t even have to be a scientist to realise that too -
Thanks for that
.
Besos tambien.
The Celebrity Syndrome is a byproduct of our society, and it has a Very strong hold and influence on people all over the world. Mostly I think it is young teenagers that are affected, even older ones… I mean, you look at all that glamor, money, fame, and so power is thought to exist there as well…. now who doesn’t want all those things, and on top of that, you are loved for well.. just because, you are famous, and who doesn’t love to be loved?
As for myself, yes I’ve always liked glamor,fame, money, and to be loved, but the reason I entered that world, well I’m not a ‘celebrity’ but it is the road that seems to end there… was not only because I liked to act since I found it challenging, and I loved the golden era Hollywood movies, and the tap dancing and what not, but I also always felt I would find my personal legend in that path. It was just an intuition I had. And I don’t think I was wrong!
But overall, I think the Celebrity Syndrome is very destructible to some, and even damaging. It’s sad.
Dear Marie-Christine,
I don’t think you truly understand what makes a Scientist abandon his country, nobody what’s to leave but sometimes this is a way of reaching their dreams!
I’m in that process, in order to be someone with voice and impact in my country I will have to export myself in order to be imported!
Besos!
This is a slight tangent, but I want to mention a ‘moment’ when young, in which I became so very aware of the world ‘out there’ and what one could say is the public arena/realm.
It was my fifth year in life and we were living abroad… it was a bad ‘eventful’ year. Our eventful year became publicised in a local paper abroad.
I remember hearing about the story; of hearing of my family’s name and painful event being a headline story.
Not only was I suddenly connected to the public arena directly rather than it being a private story within the family; but also then the whole event began to feel out of our hands… suddenly it was a public story!
Being so young, and being so early in life… this event had a profound effect. I clearly remember how it felt being related, defined by that public newspaper.
It seems odd now, because i know that life exists in different realms and circles. At the time, life is organic and holistic though… we almost expect to be defined by life and to define it also.
I feel that the celebrity world has taken advantage of this fact… and this is why people can become so entangled in the world… and led to believe that their dreams can be fulfilled by the superclass life…
it is the ultimate world/reality for the ultimate positivist, non?! Be a winner or don’t survive/lose…
meanwhile, be prepared to have your life force sucked out of you if you do decide to be a player… but stand alone in the name of success or else stand naked… ;O)
Cats, isn’t this what a writer does, share with the world a part of his or her world, for the betterment of people? Maybe you made a mistake about who you told it to, I think that is important, you must know who you are saying what to.
If I was half as good and courageous as Paulo Coelho, I would have written a lot of things about my own life, family, misfortunes or problems, in the hopes of helping someone somewhere in the world.
Well, seems like you have a strong head on your shoulders, I’m sure you’ll do fine! :)
I have my doubts about the “genuine contribution of the scientific” world.I believe a lot of them are just mere puppets and it saddens me.
A lot of the researchers are leaving their own countries for more lucrative jobs and that country gets the credit for it.
I am not saying that in a chauvinistic way. A lot of it goes against the betterment of humanity.That is not right.
a deep rooted identity crisis, not knowing who we truly are, propels people on path to seeking approval from others, become a celebrity ! the kind of pretense and decpetion one must endure to maintain one’s celebrity status is demeaning to the soul, many celebrities of today end up ……rejects tomorrow.
the real genius like say van gough, maybe even paulo, zesus, …. they didnot crave to be celebrities, they devoted so much of themselves to whatever work they chose, that world could not help but bow to them in salution. times have chnaged in times of zesus, he was tortured and killed, van gough died an unrecognised, paulo is getting his due.
with advent of media like it is today, celebrities are fast becomming short lived in their status, and they no more appear like demigods with aura around them.
the joy and warmth on the face of an average, honest, sincere person who lives his life is far more attarctive than all the artifical halo created around the celbrities which are created by media for its own sustenace.
love
aditya
Celebrity is not to say ‘good or bad’. People are not always people, there are varying levels of talent, genius, ingenuity and character that propel certain ones to rise to the top- whether celebrity on the cover of People magazine or celebrity in their small circles, hometowns, or careers and organizations. There is a balance of power that is disrupted in the process of attaining this level of acclaim and attention and it is momentarily necessary. The ‘problem’ arises, I think, for a variety of reasons. When the basis for attention is not a talent or genuine contribution to the creative, scientific, moral, aesthetic, philosphical etc etc advancement of the ‘celebrity’ in question and the human lives consuming their image.
The Narcisis effect is this ‘Syndrome’. Drowning in the cares of maintaining perceptions and false ‘perfection’. The power scales are tipped too much one way and it traps to shift energy away from an original cause to instead maintain the increase of power and influence as such.
“People are people” but it is certain that there are those who have gifts, or rather, the ability to recognize and manifest the potentiality of their gifts to aid and/or inspire others.
Doing things for the wrong reasons will always lead to a moral, psychological and soul-ful defeat. And the inflated sense of self that celebrity and fame can give some helps to push people down this road of ruining hubris.
A lesson some must engage in. And perhaps when visible to so many eyes, they help remind us of truer values…
Dear Alexandra,
very well put. I totally agree with the rise of “empty celebrities” -people that have no message and yet have fame. This is quite disconcerting – specially for them I suppose.
when the breath comes, and the redundant fly,
essentially remain, and show who you are deep within your soul:
you, as you are, and as we want to love you.
lorsque le souffle arrivera , et que le superflu s’envolera, l’essentiel restera , et montrera qui vous êtes au plus profond de votre âme : vous , tel que vous êtes , et tel que l’on veut vous aimer.
Par amour , et par Son amour
I am not sure about the celebrity sydrome. To me people are people whether they are what you call famous or not, it is the same.I put them in the same basket.There are good and bad apples anywhere.
For me,it is the human quality that counts.
You have rightly quoted, It is the Inner Quality which makes one a HERO otherwise in-spite of his stardom and fame, one is ZERO.
Annie, not everyone has the same taste! not all of us like the same things. Just because we don’t look at them, does not mean that we are afraid, it’s a preference!
By the way, I used the word love in the context of both a noun and a verb. :)
the original concept of being a real star isn’t it ;
shinning from inside to outside ?!
we have this saying too, but it has nothing to do with what i was trying to say maybe because we use it with a different meaning than you do. i used the word ‘smoke’ in order to emphasize the lack of substance of certain people and if these people are to be our models than the society will certainly follow a process of involution.
we use this saying when we want to say that a fact is considered to be true not without a reason, that maybe there is a little bit of truth in what it is said about something or somebody – therefore you can’t have smoke if you do not lit a fire.
thank you annie for your feedback. i am really interested in how different peoples use the same sayings and even words but with different meanings and you are right: the idea is the same.
thank you again