Be careful what you wish for…Fame – 17 October 2007

In 1968 the artist Andy Warhol famously said “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes”. We live in a time of media-grown celebrity where people are elevated to front page news and then after “15 minutes” (which could sometimes last as long as a couple of weeks) they are cast aside by the voracious media in the quest for a new celebrity.

The rise of reality TV means that someone like Jade Goody can be plucked from obscurity to become a so-called “celebrity” and then fall from grace equally rapidly to become the focus of public humiliation before disappearing from the limelight, perhaps for ever. Is fame really so attractive?

Young people today, growing up in the shadow of omnipresent parental cameras are used to being filmed – and revel in the attention that they can get from performing for the cameras. The pages of YouTube are littered with video clips of people behaving badly, and the number of people entering the auditions for the X Factor (many without any apparent talent) seems to increase every year.

It strikes me that the un-famous are looking for fame with the same ferventness as the famous are seeking anonymity (avoiding stalkers and paparazzi). The down-side of fame is the fact that very few people can deal with the attention and the constant scrutiny of the press which exposes any cracks in personality, morality or temperament.

The purity of silver and gold is tested
by putting them in the fire;
The purity of human hearts is tested
by giving them a little fame. Proverbs 27:21 [The Message]

Lord, help us not to seek fame – but to give glory to you, in Jesus name. Amen.