I spent some time with a celebrity and much admired person some days ago. A person I also to a large degree also admire. Strangely enough I did not had the urge to ask the person to sign a paper or even one of her products. Something that actually rankled her and she got the idea that I held her in contempt. I explained that was not the case and gave my reasoning. Which cemented my status as plainly weird and eccentric.
Perhaps I am. But I really do not see any point of getting an autograph from anyone unless it is written on a cheque, payable to myself and/or my ltd. Neither do I see the point of doing personal appearances and booksigning sessions either. What's the point ? I very much prefer that my readers does not meet me at all. The books is all that matters.
Frankly, I do not like this celebrity culture whatsoever. A celebrity culture which means British youths does not want to take manufacturing and factory work because they believe they can become celebrities instead. So everyone, talented or not, is queing up around the block everytime a TV talent show is in town and the Eastern Europeans fills the vacancies in the factories. Then the UK youths claims there is no jobs and the Eastern Europeans are taking all their jobs. The cheek........ All this is down to a celebrity culture where even the most tone deaf crow think they can make it as a pop singer.
I see no point of asking anyone for their autograph. So I get an autograph and briefly meet a celebrity. So what ? A much admired man, Neil Peart in Rush, asked this question himself in his excellent book Travelling Music. He likes to travel around without being hassled for autographs and having to pose for photographs. I got all the Rush albums myself. I am indeed a collector and that also goes for Rush bootlegs. Neil Peart is a man I admire. But I see no point of walking over to him and ask him for an autograph or getting my photo taken with him. His greatness is in the Rush albums and in his books. I feel Neil Peart has given me everything I need/he can give me. I do not need two minutes with him and/or a photo with me and him posing together. Items which will prove or give me what ? Pointless. Absolute pointless.
I am very in favour of artists and authors producing their work and then be left in peace to do their shopping and walks. Off course, if they misbehave with breaking the law and/or is doing immoral things; the free press should expose them. But I see no reason for cornering celebs and artists/authors for autographs and pictures. I think the whole celebrity culture is wrong. Both morally and for the society in general. Mark Knofler's lyrics to the big Dire Straits hit Money For Nothing is spot on. This culture is money for nothing. It is also a culture where you get deluded starry eyed youngsters which does not take the jobs their grandfathers and fathers was happy to take one generation ago. In growing economy, that is a luxury we can afford. But in a recession like today, that is a fatal flaw in our culture.
A fatal flaw in a culture is no good for any of us.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment