Being popular does not make you a celebrity, the luxury of the Ghanaian celebrity lifestyle, the fake & the pretense
It is getting to the latter part of the year with which I can sniff the numerous events which will be organized across the country, accompanied by individuals noted for specialties.
During this moment, dexterity is exhibited, and people give accolades for such executions.
But the question is, which individual should the term “celebrity” be ascribed to?…do celebrities live their lives to please themselves or the public?…do people have to fake the “celebrity” lifestyle once they become public figures?…can business moguls be considered as such also?…
This keeps running in mind all the time if persons can be prejudiced as it is pictured in a frame.
As part of the entertainment industry, a criteria of people are known to be outstanding and renowned in the various circles in the industry. These people are presented as “celebrities”.
A conglomerate of all the attributes you can think of a person.
Who then is the real celebrity?…
In my perspective, A celebrity is a person who should have impacted society positively and not vice versa.
Perspectives from society in this present time have baffled our minds when it comes to people with high prestige. Let’s examine the purview of who a celebrity is and the lifestyle.
In recent times, people who have been ascribed to this status most often do not possess luxurious assets as asserted turning out to be an imitation.
“Celebrities” would never want to engage in anything that has got to do with the layman. They would always want to live a perfect life which is very hard to procure.
Yvonne Nelson, a renowned actress, has been in the industry for over a decade.
She shared her sentiments on the lifestyle of celebrities in her “I am not Yvonne Nelson” memoir, which she wrote a few months back.
In her foreword, she wrote, “Being called a celebrity is a bestowment of a package on you. It sometimes comes with unrealistic demands and expectations. You have to live for the people. You have to learn the celebratory cues and act on them as if your very existence depended on them. Your reality does not matter if it does not align with the make-believe reality of show business. The industry requires one to act out one’s real life in much the same way a script containing someone’s imagination should be acted out. You have to always smile through the lens of the prying crowd. You have to conceal your weaknesses. You have to hide your tears and fears”, she disclosed.
There have been several instances where some celebrities speak about how they always pretend to be what they are not seen in the eyes of the public.
Some also live their lives to please the public rather than being content with themselves. According to Rosemond Brown, popularly known as Akuapem Poloo, she revealed how she was persuaded to borrow a luxurious car for a publicity stunt.
She said this during an interview on the Delay show hosted by Deloris Frimpong Manso also known as Delay.
“I was pressured by social media to flaunt a car that wasn’t mine. It’s the Honda Civic with a customized number plate – Poloo 1 but it’s not mine” she boldly said.
She continued to say, “It was all for fame, it was someone’s car and I placed a customized number plate on it just to flaunt on social media”.
I keep wondering if people who call themselves celebrities should be freed even when they commit a crime. Hardly will you see a celebrity being penalized for an offense. Even if they do, there is always a medium for them to escape.
Should celebrities be the reason to succumb to impersonation? I wish to see variations in times ahead when ascribing such status.
Article By: Francisca Nanaba Amoako.
