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.