Limelights & Shadows

"If only the sun-drenched celebrities are being noticed and worshipped, then our children are going to have a tough time seeing the value in the shadows, where the thinkers, probers and scientist are keeping society together." - Rita Dove [Poet Laureate of the United States and Consultant to the Library of Congress from 1993 to 1995]

This has never been more true then it is now. With the growing popularity of shows like "Malaysian Idol", "Akademi Fantasia", "Audition" and countless others, it's evident that society these days are geared towards the worship and adulation of those in the spotlight.

I have absolutely NOTHING against celebrities and artistes. I'm a big fan of great music and creative geniuses.
Heck, I fell in love with a creative genius :)

MY main concern here is that fame & glamour is being peddled as a sure ticket to success. A guarantee to a life of blissful riches.

I don't deny that superstardom can definitely lead to a blessed life of limousines and diamonds - and true, that's not an entirely bad thing.

But I'm worried about the impressionable young ones. The children. Their role models are so different from those of my generation.
[and I'm not even THAT old]

Children used to say "When I grow up, I want to be a doctor, like Papa/Uncle/Abang"
It's now "When I grow up, I want to be Clay Aitken/Vince/Guy Sebastian"

We used to look up to our teachers, our parents, our paediatrician, the pilot in his smart uniform, the firemen, the friendly neighbourhood policeman. Children used to be ingrained with the idea of 'helping people' and 'making the world a better place'. We used to want to be the superheroes, to help others, to do good.

Now children look up to singers, actors and tv hosts. Children are now entrenched with the idea that a life of glamour and being adored by millions of fans is the way to go. They want riches, adulation, hero-worship and idolization . They want to see themselves on tv, with millions of screaming fans chanting their name - they want to soak in publicity. They feel that such glamour is the measure of their worth.

I hope I don't come across as generalizing here.
I'm NOT saying that being a celebrity is BAD. I'm NOT saying that ALL children are glamour-oriented. I'm merely saying that things have changed. And what Rita Dove said truly applies these days.

Being in the shadows is not a bad thing. A life without public recognition is not a wasted one. You don't need to have fans to gain respect.
You don't need the spotlight in order to shine.