Episode 52 - Fame (Fandom II)
Does fame give society the right to the famous?
Peter Hotez is harassed at his home.
Eminem is followed to the bathroom for an autograph when he's having dinner with his family. From a song, The Way I Am. This particular song seems to really hit the nail on the head for this topic. Eminem basically says "I appreciate the support from the fans but there are times when I don't want to be a celebrity and I don't owe my fans anything other than music."
Artists are often seen as wanting fame or wanting to be famous. This is certainly true for some of them but this isn't easy to be certain of. Commercial art is now part of an industrial promotion machine that they are very likely unable to avoid if they want their music to be heard. And even if they *wanted* to be famous, would that mean that we have the right to bother them during moments when they aren't actively producing their art?
If we say that artists deserve a private life does that make us hypocrites if we want to judge them for immoral things they do in their personal lives? What about politicians and scientists who aren't 100% wholesome? Are there any logical inconsistencies when we look at this?
Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hotez
Eminem - The Way I Am (with lyrics)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmG0ZsUAag
Rush - Limelight (with lyric)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l63eixpYRWk
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/q-and-a/a60015/paparazzo-explains-staged-celebrity-photos/
