Fame Brings Us Down
It’s the 21st century and most people probably admit that our social media lives are the lifelines to connect us to everything, from business reasons to the hottest gossip of celebrities. Many of us in the Millennial Generation have careers based on social media. One major platform for these careers is Youtube. Whether it is signing with an agent, or making homemade videos, anyone can become a star these days. If you’re like me, you’ll often wonder what it’s like to be a celebrity, have fame, and live in luxury. But you’ll also wonder why some celebrities fail to be a moral person, seem to hate fame, or turn to drugs.
Being famous can seem like it is the ideal way to live – flashing cameras wanting your attention, partying in pools of money, and having people at your feet waiting for your command. But these reasons for wanting fame are exactly what can lead a person to hit rock bottom. So, really, why does fame bring us down? Fame brings us down because of money (which leads to self-entitlement) and lifestyle changes.
The power of money has its ups and downs. Everybody loves it and what it can do, but rarely do we see anyone condemning it for its dark side. Many celebrities such as Britney Spears, Beyonce, and even Youtubers like Jake Paul have so much money, they don’t know what to do with it. Sometimes, their attitude towards money (and if they should even have that much) is questionable. For example, Jake Paul’s hit song, “It’s Everyday Bro,” is successful by metric stats like having 100,175,010 views. But is it actually a good song, lyrics wise? I don’t think so. The song itself is a hurtful bash of his ex-girlfriend and also shows off his excessive amount of money with a Rolex and Lamborghini. I am sure these things are at the highest of luxury, but are these materialistic possessions really worth a person’s morals? On a recent news report from KTLA, Jake Paul’s rented house was captured on camera. The neighbors reported that Paul’s house in particular have been rather disruptive with their backyard pool, loud fans, and shenanigans. Maytal Dahan, a former neighbor says, “We used to be a really nice, quiet street and now we’re just this, like, war zone.” During this interview with Jake, he is caught jumping on top of the KTLA News van and foolishly joking around. Paul has 9,892,709 subscribers on Youtube, most of them young, teenage girls a although fans look up to him as a role model, Paul still portrays a foolish act. If I had a child, I would never let him or her follow his footsteps.
I believe that his actions are sprouted from money. When surrounded by yes-men and glittered with love, how can you deny your own fame? Jake Paul has succeeded in material gain and has reached to the top of the charts, but that does not mean that he has succeeded as a moral person. Fame has brought him down and has failed to teach an impressionable, young audience the moral way to live.
Lifestyle changes are another reason why fame brings us down. Here’s an example that hits close to the heart. Chris Pratt and Anna Faris. Not too long ago, we have come to know that the couple has decided to get a divorce. Something along the lines of distance, rumors of cheating, and “skyrocketing fame.” On a recent interview with Anna Faris, she says, “I take pride in how great my relationship is with Chris, but having said that, of course, in this crazy world where he's off doing movies and I'm in L.A. raising our child, of course I'm going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would.” With this, Ross McDonogh on Dailymail.co.uk quotes, “Pratt is now one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood.” Chris’s fame has skyrocketed to the point of where he can barely be home with Anna and their son, Jack. Rumors of cheating have spread and made it even harder for the two to cope. Obstacles, left to right, eventually has brought them to divorce. A handful of questions come to mind: Why did they grow distant, why are there cheating rumors, and why is the loveliest couple getting a divorce? It all comes down to one thing. Fame. Fame has grown these two apart, meddling into their private lives and ruining the peace of home. Ultimately, it has broken a relationship bound by oath.
Going back to my main point, fame brings us down. Even if it’s not dealing with the darkest side of drugs, it still ruins people. But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world for celebrities. This lesson can be learned by even us, the average human. We should never lose a grasp of who we are. Yes, life may give you a task, and you have to be able to take it on. And no matter how great you or what you have might be, don’t forget that you are ultimately a human being. Prioritize your life and the people in it. Fame or no fame, learn that nothing can be more valuable than sticking to what is right, what is just, and what is moral.