On Celebrity and Self-Promotion
"Wanting to be famous is surely the most ubiquitous ambition of our age. So why do people look at me when I say it as if I’ve just confessed to being a Nazi sympathiser? There’s something cheap and tawdry about wanting to be a celebrity, as though no one setting out to achieve something so vulgar could possibly produce anything worthwhile. Such snobbery is based on a ludicrously high-minded notion of what inspires people to greatness. According to Freud, all artists are motivated by the desire for ‘honour, power, riches, fame and the love of women’. Even Arthur Miller, the patron saint of liberals, confessed to finding his notoriety a bit of a thrill. ‘Something in me groaned at their approach,’ he wrote of being recognised by members of the public, ‘even if, against my will, I couldn’t deny the animal fun of being noticed.’
Whenever I make this point at dinner parties, the standard response is to accuse me of mixing up fame and celebrity, as if the two are completely unrelated. Thus, it is all very well for Martin Amis to announce that he wants to write books that will still be read in 100 years’ time, but God forbid he should set out to write a bestseller. In other words, everlasting fame is good, but the short-lived variety — the kind that lasts 15 minutes — is bad.
But why should one be so admirable, and the other so contemptible? Why should duration make such a difference? Surely, if the yearning to be noticed is sad and pathetic, then the desire to be noticed by successive generations to come, stretching to the end of time, is even more sad and pathetic? If we’re being logical about this, we should rank Martin Amis even lower on the respectability scale than Jade Goody. She only wants to be famous in her lifetime. He wants to be famous for ever."
"If we’re going to have an Individual Revolution — ie, if we accept that we can be successful without the help of powerful companies — how are we going to find out about each other?
The answer is self-promotion. Who can explain what makes me great with more enthusiasm and authenticity than myself? If I’m not paying my label to plaster my face on a billboard, can I be blamed for speaking boastfully on my little website? Is it so narcissistic to post the best photos of myself when I have the largest private collection of them in existence?
Many of us are afraid to talk about our achievements, even when neglecting to do so is dishonest. If you are special; i.e. if you have personally done something great, by all means, bring it to my attention. You can rather safely assume that if you don’t, nobody will. And if they do, you won’t feel they did it justice. I’ve gotten quite a bit of press and never felt like it conveyed me properly."
{ Filed under Miscellany on Saturday, January 26th, 2008. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site. }
Ben Saunders is the youngest person to ski solo to the North Pole and holds the record for the longest solo Arctic journey by a Briton.
David McQueen wrote:
Some kids asked me the same question about fame this week.
You see I don't mind being known if it garners access to schools and colleges but I also want it for the right reasons. Having been approached to be on reality TV I say "hell no!" but I have no problem doing other TV that empowers….but the funny thing is I like my private life and being known be it famous or a "celebrity" whatever that means comes at the cost of that.
That said you can keep the fame!!!
January 27 2008 · 12:53 pm
Simon Jones wrote:
I don't suppose there is anything wrong with wanting to be famous, but famous for what? Jade Goody is the worst kind of famous in my opinion. She's famous for being famous. You on the other hand Ben, while not as much of a celebrity as Ms Goody, you're famous for doing something aspirational, and noteworthy. I can't see Paris Hilton or Jade Goody dragging heavy stuff to the North Pole, though now that I think about it, I might just watch that Reality TV show if they did!
I guess maybe my own snobbery regarding celebrity comes from the fact that Jade and Paris did nothing to earn their fame really. They more or less fell upon it, and while I don't blame them for enjoying it and milking it for all it's worth, I am more disappointed that these hairjobs are the focus of anyones attention. I mean hell, could you imagine Jade giving a TED talk!
I too would like to be famous just because it must be fun to have your ego stroked to that extent. I wouldn't like to be a celebrity though. I think there is difference.
January 28 2008 · 1:07 pm
88days wrote:
I believe the core issue may actually not be "fame" or the reason behind someone craving so badly for those 15′ but rather WHO is determining WHAT is famous and WHY..
Why is Paris under such a spot light?? How came?? Why are all those parvenu suddenly kissed by glory and worldwide admiration??
Would it possibly be simply because those are a product of factors that position the current culture at below-sublime level??
Mind you, it could all come down to a tad of envy, and ease… everybody wants to be famous putting his butt on some reality show, dragging along tens of kilos at -40° is harder, be a fantastic guitar player is harder, be a terrific football player is harder, dedication is hard to cope with and master.
And, by the way, that is one of the discriminants for endless glory, the other one is genius.
In my very humble opinion, of course…
January 29 2008 · 1:13 pm
Scott Wain wrote:
I agree with Freud. It’s natural for all of us to seek honor, power, riches, fame and the love of women. Even though this is a common desire among all of us, the means by which fame and fortune finds us may or may not be honorable. Some of us are lucky enough to have the love of women. Unfortunately, most will give up their honor for power and riches. It’s those of us who have all of the above and maintain a truth to ourselves and others through our true passions truly deserve the fame and fortune.
As far as the longing for fame for hundreds of years goes, I admire the vision. If you wish to leave a lasting impact on the world in your writing, chances are you’ll have a couple of best sellers. However, to be admired for hundreds of years to come, you may have to do something a little more significant for mankind than just writing a few books.
January 30 2008 · 5:33 pm
Senthil wrote:
Hi Ben, When I watched you over the TED video I appreciated your courage, determination and the style of talk as well. I kind of took you as my personal hero to emulate certain things like trying to achieve the potential even after failures, for the fun talk and also I tried the short cut hair style also.
Being famous helps when you can inspire your fellow men to do something. Or is it other round, wherein when you can inspire your fellow men to do something, you naturally become famous.
I think, the celebrity status Jade, Shilpa shetty or Paris Hilton should be related to other Freudian concept, desire for sex.
Nothing inspiration from them. If I follow their news or views, I am rather wasting my time.
Btw Freudian views are constantly being challenged now and people are rejecting it as well. Albert Ellis?
February 9 2008 · 9:45 pm