Lack Of Talent Equals Success
I may be wrong (not likely), but it seems to me that nowadays, we are being subjected to a dearth of talentless so-called "celebrities". If you want to even have a casual interest in current pop culture, you will be bombarded with idiocy. Look what is on the covers of magazines, on entertainment programs, or even at sporting events - TALENTLESS HACKS!
Examples? Let's start with the one who has a God-Awful singing voice, and is yet EVERYWHERE - Ashley Simpson. For those who know me, you know I have a brutal singing voice. My feeble attempts at singing would frighten small animals. And yet, I dare say that I have more natural singing ability than her. She's HORRIBLE! She doesn't sing, she yells. At the Orange Bowl, THE ORANGE BOWL, where the NCAA college championship was played, we were forced to endure her screams, or, as she called it, her singing, because she's a ROCKER! (Her words). Then again, it was amusing to see her get caught on national television lip-syncing on Saturday Night Live. I always loved her excuses. First, it was her band playing the wrong song. Then, she had acid-reflex......whatever that is. That's not even a real sickness. (I should know. I have acid-reflux). Why are we stuck seeing her everywhere, even on her own MTV show? Yes. She has her own TV show. Simply because she has a sister who also is the music industry. It's not what you can do, it's who you know. That axiom continues to ring true today.
There are others. The biggest example of complete lack of talent or usefulness is Paris Hilton. Boy, did she ever earn her celebrity status. She was born. That took a lot of hard work and effort on her part. She was born an heiress to the Hilton fortune. Don't get me wrong. I do not begrudge anyone who is wealthy. However, do I have to see her on the cover of EVERY magazine while I stand in line at the grocery store? Do I have to see her at every celebrity or sporting event? Can I escape her ridiculous "reality show"? Does she need to be in a bunch of commercials? Let's face it. The only talent she has is apparently in the bedroom on videotape. At least there, she's doing something "that's hot" (her overused expression).
Why do these people, and others (Omarossa, any contestant from American Idol, Britney Spears) get thrust at us as the so-called celebrity idols to worship? I think Ayn Rand may have been right in her book "The Fountainhead", published over half a century ago. In it, there are two architects, Howard Roark and Peter Keating. Roark is brilliant, not constrained to modeling his designs on past successes. Keating isn't as talented, but knows how to "work the room". Roark is shunned by "the people who matter" - his critics in the architectural world, the press and his peers. His designs are bold and challenge the conventional wisdom. For this, he struggles again and again. Keating has great success because he doesn't rock the boat. His designs are copies of the existing models. His peers and the press love him! Why? Because they can prop him up knowing that they are superior to him, and can take him down whenever they want. It's a matter of control and arrogance.
It makes sense. True talent gets cursory applause, but lack of talent gets you far. All you have to do is think back to this year's Super Bowl. The halftime show was ripped by the press for being too bland because there was no controversy. The fact that is omitted is who the performer was - Paul McCartney, arguably one of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century. His show was great because he played SONGS and actually performed them himself. Amazing.
Be careful of the "next big thing" in the celebrity world. The bigger they are at first, the more lack of talent on display.
Examples? Let's start with the one who has a God-Awful singing voice, and is yet EVERYWHERE - Ashley Simpson. For those who know me, you know I have a brutal singing voice. My feeble attempts at singing would frighten small animals. And yet, I dare say that I have more natural singing ability than her. She's HORRIBLE! She doesn't sing, she yells. At the Orange Bowl, THE ORANGE BOWL, where the NCAA college championship was played, we were forced to endure her screams, or, as she called it, her singing, because she's a ROCKER! (Her words). Then again, it was amusing to see her get caught on national television lip-syncing on Saturday Night Live. I always loved her excuses. First, it was her band playing the wrong song. Then, she had acid-reflex......whatever that is. That's not even a real sickness. (I should know. I have acid-reflux). Why are we stuck seeing her everywhere, even on her own MTV show? Yes. She has her own TV show. Simply because she has a sister who also is the music industry. It's not what you can do, it's who you know. That axiom continues to ring true today.
There are others. The biggest example of complete lack of talent or usefulness is Paris Hilton. Boy, did she ever earn her celebrity status. She was born. That took a lot of hard work and effort on her part. She was born an heiress to the Hilton fortune. Don't get me wrong. I do not begrudge anyone who is wealthy. However, do I have to see her on the cover of EVERY magazine while I stand in line at the grocery store? Do I have to see her at every celebrity or sporting event? Can I escape her ridiculous "reality show"? Does she need to be in a bunch of commercials? Let's face it. The only talent she has is apparently in the bedroom on videotape. At least there, she's doing something "that's hot" (her overused expression).
Why do these people, and others (Omarossa, any contestant from American Idol, Britney Spears) get thrust at us as the so-called celebrity idols to worship? I think Ayn Rand may have been right in her book "The Fountainhead", published over half a century ago. In it, there are two architects, Howard Roark and Peter Keating. Roark is brilliant, not constrained to modeling his designs on past successes. Keating isn't as talented, but knows how to "work the room". Roark is shunned by "the people who matter" - his critics in the architectural world, the press and his peers. His designs are bold and challenge the conventional wisdom. For this, he struggles again and again. Keating has great success because he doesn't rock the boat. His designs are copies of the existing models. His peers and the press love him! Why? Because they can prop him up knowing that they are superior to him, and can take him down whenever they want. It's a matter of control and arrogance.
It makes sense. True talent gets cursory applause, but lack of talent gets you far. All you have to do is think back to this year's Super Bowl. The halftime show was ripped by the press for being too bland because there was no controversy. The fact that is omitted is who the performer was - Paul McCartney, arguably one of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century. His show was great because he played SONGS and actually performed them himself. Amazing.
Be careful of the "next big thing" in the celebrity world. The bigger they are at first, the more lack of talent on display.
posted by One Man's Thoughts at 9:37 PM
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