Chasing the dots ... Celebrity Collapse!
By: Chris Smith
FROM the sixties, that revolutionary period of free love, flowers behind the ear (not me), mods and rockers having their weekend ‘workouts’ ( I rode a bike, and still do), the idiocy and political mania of the Vietnam war together with the rise of political protest, especially against ‘the bomb’ and apartheid, there arose the tide of youth who hold power and wealth today. Indeed the birth of the miniskirt, while in those days guarded by the protection of solid pairs of knickers (!), was a cause of distress to our parents who blamed the whole thing on rock ‘n roll.
But this ‘never had it so good’ generation shifted the balance of purchasing power down the age rainbow and irreligiously tore down many of the social dogmas of the past. Driven by an upsurge in the power of science and technology, especially in later years.
It was also from this time that ‘celebrity’, once a Hollywood concept, was captured by a new bunch, pop singers and music stars. This was driven by a huge surge in magazines devoted to celebrity and more especially the scandals that emerged; after all scandal, societal protest, was now a route to fame. Respect for authority was often challenged and found wanting just beneath the surface. The emerging social state gave rise to increased risk taking as the safety net expanded. Morality, ethics and social acceptance values began to change. Fame, and later great wealth, took over as the majority fell into line with fashion and the celebrity culture.
This was also the time when the once monopolistic radio environment (and later the TV) came under challenge with the offshore (English Channel) location of Radio Caroline in a converted floating lightship. It was from this that emerged the competitive commercial media. It was this almost continuous rock ‘n roll broadcasts that emerged a new style of broadcast and communication. The soundbite was born, the celebrity music player, the ‘DJ’, emerged and the BBC found it had to join the party as legal efforts to shut Caroline proved pointless as new entities sprang up!
Remember this was the time when ‘the pill’ was unleashed, AIDS did not exist and current STDs were all curable with antibiotics. Free sex held low risk. Thus the ‘event’ emerged, open-air concerts, Knebworth and the Glastonbury festival, to be amplified by the (then) wild concept on TV of ‘Top of the Pops’ with Jimmy Saville and other similar programmes fanning the ‘pop and groupie’ culture. And yes, sex, drugs and alcohol were driving forces of this scene. Casual sex was even bragged about in various ‘underground’ publications! It was OK in those days, part of the emerging culture.
As, for example, Saville matured, he raised millions for hospitals and social mobilising groups, he was a role model and his “clunk, click” TV advert converted many of a cynical nation of (now) drivers to wear their seat belts saving many lives. And yes, he probably continued his groupie tendencies as he was much sought. Indeed, certainly in his early days, his ‘celebrity status’ would have been diminished if he had not succumbed! And authority, even if they were aware of his activities, would have been hard pressed to challenge him due to his financial value in broader society.
So now, after his death, we see the vultures of society, many who had gained personally from his patronage, now going for the final PR kill, to assassinate his character and make money by doing it. Sad even though, in today’s terms, he was probably guilty!
Similarly, we look at Lance Armstrong, whose successes raised billions, whose colleagues, equally guilty, made millions and the ‘event makers’ who knew what was happening and many other financial parasites are now baying similarly to extract the final dollar. Yes his recent revelations are sad, his credibility collapsed and sport as a whole savaged but the money has already been made and spent.
The real question is now, who do we believe in our world? Sportsmen are out, DJs out, politicians out, bankers out? Does the truth set you free? Perhaps not!
For instance, is our minister of education on ‘annual leave’, private business or on official business? Just an example!
csmith@mweb.com.na