Matthew Steeples bemoans an overused word
They’re everywhere: you’ll find them on magazine covers, on the television and at events. They stalk out the cameras, they behave badly and make utter fools of themselves. In fact, they’ll do just about anything to keep in the “media eye”. Allegedly, Lindsay’s one, Katie’s one and Justin’s one too. They’re forced upon us so much that they don’t even need surnames anymore. The “celebrity” is the force de rigueur and they and the word that describes them has spread like cheap margarine throughout the land.
At a book launch this week, a photographer I spoke with complained that he had become bored of tiresome and pointless individuals who consider themselves famous. The truly famous, instead, just want privacy. There are now, indeed, “celebrity stylists”, “celebrity chefs” and even our Prime Minister, David Cameron, has a “celebrity personal trainer”.
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Fame used to be the reserve of the truly iconic. Frank Sinatra is, without doubt, deserving of the accolade, as are Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson and Madonna. The cast of The Only Way is Essex and Tulisa are not.
Please could someone just put the word “celebrity” back in its box?
Readers have their say
3 comments
The criterion of celebrity used to be measured to approved acceptable standards, a skill or talent of some sort.
Britain is faced with a crisis of anti-social behaviour of epidemic proportions. Tamara Ecclestone and the new wave (no-talent) celebrity fuel anti-social behaviour. The future is very bleak, unless discipline in schools are restored. Good role models are of fundamental importance to the development of the young people. The lewd celebrity culture has a significant negative effect.
It is deeply worrying that youngsters know who Justin, Katie, Paris and assorted Idols are but they have never heard of any ground breaking doctors , scientists , thought leaders , true merit artists , philosophers, writers, past and present. You ask teenagers what they aspire to become and girls want to be models or tv personas , guys dream of footballers, the motivation being not achievement in the field but celebrity for the sake of it,
Let’s here for all the unsung heroes and speacial people we all know who can be famous for NOT being famous!