The Handling of Fame

     We have discussed how fame can change the people around an individual, develop large trust issues, and also about how fame can change the world for better or for worse. Entertainers have proven time and time again, that fame changes lives of everyone involved. The actor Gary Coleman discovered that his fame changed his parent’s intentions. The death of pop star, Michael Jackson, demonstrates that a great deal of fame greats a great deal of trust issues that affects lives. Also, Magic Johnson proves that fame can change the world in a positive way while the rappers, Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls prove that fame can change the world in a negative way.

     Overall, like anything in life, fame is what you make it. Unfortunately, people do not consider the ups and downs of fame. They do not consider the bad aspects of fame such as the pressure fame puts on an individual, or the feeling of always being in the “public eye” and involuntarily becoming a role model to millions. According to Albert Einstein, being famous is not the “fairy-tale ending” that everyone expects it to be. Albert Einstein states, “It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely,” when asked about dealing with fame.

     When becoming famous, think about the changes that are going to be made. Analyze the good and the bad affects of fame. Is fame going to impact your life negatively or positively? Are you going to use fame to change in the world negatively or positively? Fame is a very hard aspect to handle, but with the right amount of focus and common sense, fame could very well be handled.

Advocate & Death

     Fame not only affects the people who get it. Fame not only affects the people who know the famous. Fame affects the world and everyone in it. When becoming famous people can use their fame to do good thing to change the world or to do bad things that change the world. Entertainers such as Alicia Keys and Earvin “Magic” Johnson start foundations in order to help those in need and also to inform others that do not know the tragedies that are going on in the world. Other entertainers use their fame to support negative events that happen in our communities. The rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur are prime examples of entertainers that somewhat affected our world in a negative way. 

     Earvin “Magic” Johnson was a basketball player that played in the Nation Basketball Association in 1979. He held many records and awards within in his career, and is now one of the most well known players that have ever played in the league. On November 7^th, 1991 Magic Johnson publicly announced he was STD positive. He admitted that he contracted HIV from having sexual intercourse with multiple girls throughout his girls in the NBA. Magic Johnson used his fame to create the Magic Johnson Foundation to fight against HIV and AIDS. At the time Magic Johnson went public, HIV was not common in the United States and not many fact of the disease was publicly known. Homosexuals and drug users were the only widely know groups of people that contracted HIV and AIDS. Magic Johnson’s foundation educates a large number if people about HIV and AIDs and how to deal with others who have the disease. Magic Johnson used his fame to do well in the community and to affect the world in a positive way. By Magic Johnson gaining fame, the world has gain knowledge.

     Fame is also known to change the world negatively. The rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur were known for their intellectual rap lyrics, however they were also known for their “East Coast vs. West Coast” feud. Biggie Smalls was from the East Coast of the United States and was often accused of associating with “Crip” gang members. Tupac Shakur was from the West Coast of the United States and often associated with the “Crip’s” rivals, the “Blood” gang members. With gangs being involved in their career, naturally, the two rappers had tension between each other. However, it was no until Tupac Shakur got robbed in a building in which Biggie Smalls had invited him too, that the feud began to grow. The two rappers made “diss” songs about each other and Tupac Shakur made it publicly known that he was not a friend of Biggie and his crew. By creating this feud, these rappers used their fame to influence their younger audience to join gangs create tension in their community. Furthermore, after the mysterious murders of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur, the rapper unconsciously helped influenced gang violence in their communities and around the world. Unfortunately, Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur used their fame in a merciless way that affected the world in a negative way.

     All in all, fame affects the famous, their associates, and the world. When an individual becomes famous, every move they make is watched and examined in the public eye. Everything a famous individual happens to do is going to effects others. It is up to the famous to choose whether they want to affect others positively, such as Magic Johnson, or negatively such as Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur.

Riches & Trust

     One of the main reasons people want to become famous is because they want to be rich. Most of the time, fame can make you rich. Singers, actors, and talk show host such as Oprah Winfrey, have proven this fact. However, by becoming rich, famous people have other problems such as the issue of trust. The financial troubles of Gary Coleman and the death of Michael Jackson proves that famous people have to be extremely careful of who they trust.

     Fame can create a “fake” circle of friends and family around an individual that use them for their own well being. For example, some friends will become an individual’s friend in order to get famous also. Other friends might become friends with an individual in order to live or sponge off that person. Families are known to use their family members also. The child star, Gary Coleman was known for his role on the sitcom Different Strokes and also known for successfully suing his parents. Different Strokes was a successful sitcom in the late 1970’s until the late 1980’s. Along with Todd Bridges and Diana Plato, Gary Coleman was one of the main actors. At the time he acted on Different Stroke, Gary Coleman was underage therefore leaving his money matters up to his parents and business adviser. He sued his parents and business adviser because they mismanaged his money by giving themselves excessive salaries. Gary Coleman was successful in suing his parents and discovered not to trust his parents with his money. However, Gary Coleman was lucky in his situation, sometimes entertainers do not recognize who not to trust until it’s too late.

     Everyone knew who Michael Jackson was. He is often talked about as the greatest pop star of all time. Some may argue that he was the greatest entertainer of all time. Michael Jackson was talented and known all over the world of his music and dance moves. On June 25^th, 2009 Michael Jackson was pronounced dead. On August 28^th, 2009 the Los Angeles coroner announced that Michael Jackson’s death was a homicide. The following February, Michael Jackson’s personal physician and friend, Conrad Murray was charged with the manslaughter of Michael Jackson. Conrad Murray and Michael Jackson had been friends for three years before Jackson’s death, Jackson had even trusted Murray with treated his children in the past. It is safe to say Michael Jackson trusted Conrad Murray with his life. Unfortunately, Conrad Murray took advantage of Michael Jackson’s trust and killed Jackson by giving him a bad mix of prescription drugs. Sadly, it is too late for Jackson to recognize who not to trust. Although, it is not clear as to why Conrad Murray killed Michael Jackson, fame surely played a part in Murray’s thinking. Previous patients of Murray's were not famous and they are still alive, so for the one famous patient he had to end up dead is no accident. 

     Fame makes individual’s relationship much more complicated than those individuals who are not famous. Trust is needed in any relationship whether it is a business relationship, friendship, or an intimate relationship. Naturally, people will come across trust issues in their lives, therefore famous people will too. People without fame and those with fame have the same to lose, but the people with fame will be losing a bigger amount. A middle-class individual may trust their finances with an untrustworthy accountant and lose their good reputation to the few who know about their finances, but a person with fame can do the same and lose their good reputation with the world. The story of Gary Coleman, amongst other celebrities, proves that when becoming famous, anyone can try to take advantage of an individual’s fame. Tragedies, such as the one of Michael Jackson, prove that trusting the wrong person can lead to a wrongful death. Fame can damage the true intentions of people therefore damaging their trust.

Fame

     Fame, everyone wants it but few can handle it. 

     Children often grow up wanting to become an actor, singer, or athlete so they can become rich and famous. People strive to become famous so everyone can know their name. Oftentimes people do not consider the effect that fame has on a person’s life. 

     Fame can make people rich and allow people to own any material that their heart desires. Fame can change the people around an individual. Fame can kill an individual. Fame can create a bad reputation for an individual. Fame can help advocate worldly issues. Fame can even affect the world. According to past examples most people cannot handle fame.