Around 10-15
years ago I sat at the bar of a nightclub during SxSW listening to a band and
drinking a beer. Normally during the festival, like most people, I try to get
close to the band on the dance floor in front of the stage. I had forgotten
my earplugs though and so thought sitting farther away (bar was at front of building,
stage at back) might save my hearing. A young woman approached me and then took the
bar stool next to me.
"Are you somebody?" She asked.
I smiled, frantically trying to think about a good pick up line (yes, she was
quite attractive), but nothing clever came to mind. "Well, my mother
thinks so."
She smiled back, and we exchanged a few more pleasantries, but she slowly eased
away. Obviously, I was not somebody enough. At SxSW it is very common to
run into actors, singers, directors, etc., and she really had hoped I might fit
into one of those categories. A struggling writer, fully employed,
self-sufficient and cute (hey, I had hair back then and a number of females
thought me handsome) academic advisor is not "somebody."
I've blogged beforehand about how women are just as superficial as men, but
instead of looks, they lean toward money and prestige. However, her
affliction, well, okay, her desire, had more to do with acquiring fame and stardom.
A driving force for both genders. I like to claim that this appears
in generations after us Boomers. After all, we were the generation that
celebrated the anti-heroes, fought against the establishment and the status quo.
I have a feeling though that there might be a number of us who succumb
to this desire too. Maybe.
I wrote a short story about this a number of years ago and actually convinced
someone to publish it. Titled "Thank You" it focused on a man
who watched a little too much "TMZ" and "Dish Nation" and "E! News" and saw all these glamorous
stars and people living the high life. He soon became despondent because
he was just a little old high school counselor. He decided the only way
out was, well, to end it all. Okay, it may have been more black humor
than just my usual ribald satire. Anyway, the moral was that everyone's
life is important in its own way and we shouldn't judge ours by movie stars,
singers, et al.
Unfortunately, we see this attitude all the time. The attitude that being
a star is everything, while being a good person, whether construction worker,
teacher, cop or some other useful occupation (come on, do you really believe
actors, etc. really contribute to advancing society? Pleeaasseee.) is to not
have succeeded in life.
For example, a number of years ago I remember a news story where a Kardashian
and Posse were walking through an airport and a reporter asked her if she
wanted to meet some big name politician also going through. I think it
was Joe Biden. She had no idea who he was, nor wanted to meet him.
If she didn't recognize his name, he must not have been important enough (similar to some college students who recognize the Kardashians, but not Ronald Reagan).
You really see this when watching those reality TV shows and they start with
the tryouts. There will be thousands of people skipping work, doctor's
appointments or something in order to stand in line for four or more hours in
order to spend one minute on a stage to try to impress someone that they should
be a star.
My satirical book "Sex and the American Male" which mainly took aim
at America's mass consumerism addiction, also touched on this. The main
character, Zach—due to microbes in his brain that want him to go crazy—always
wants to impress his love by either having a great car or by having enough
money and prestige to buy her "STUFF." He has to be a big deal.
To a lesser degree I think you can find this in other countries, but they are
mimicking us. The US sets the trend. As I mention in SEX, "we
are the Borg." American culture and society is overwhelming. We will assimilate
you. Resistance is futile.
As a child of the Sixties I put up resistance to this compulsion as best I can,
but I have to admit, I'd sure like to get more people to read my books and this
blog.
Oh, no, I'm infected.
