Chloe Leal
Is fame all it is made out to be?
Lady Gaga may have once said it the best “If only fame had an IV… I live for the applause….” Yet living mainly for others’ validation, as we all know can lead us down a dangerous path. When whom you are, your self-esteem depends on how much the world loves you, retweets your quips or likes or followers you on Instagram, you are at the worlds mercy. And what happens when all the attention starts to fade, you begin to feel empty or worse, without all the constant affirmation you are left to feel like a complete failure.
Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D, the coauthor of The Narcissism Epidemic, identifies that dreaming of being on the covers of magazines is in noway beneficial to our mental health. The desire to be famous is connected to unhappiness,” she explains. “Research has shown that people who value money, fame, and image are more likely to be anxious and depressed.”
So I am just going to say it, stop fantasying about being the next Katy Perry or Kendal Jenner. How many Kendal’s and Katy’s do you in the world? Just one, one lone cheerful Katy and Kendal. The odds are therefore not in your favour and let’s face it, it’s something to be celebrated. Being you is more than enough rather admiring to be someone you see superficially through a screen. Even worse if you were a celebrity you wouldn’t be able to grab a quick coffee or enjoy bathing in the sun without paparazzi capturing your ever move, commenting on your cellulite. Or even worse getting mobbed by annoying strangers who want a selfies with your whilst you enjoy your casual stroll around the mall. Exhausting right? If you wanted to go outside without wearing makeup then think again cause you will be ripped apart in the press.
And what about a breakup I mean that’s hard enough, then you look at Taylor Swift. Every time one of her relationships ends, everyone in world are talking about it, whether the rumors are true, no one is cute enough to suffer that.
This brings me straight back to school, waiting for affirmation from your friends, which group makes you cool and whether or not that cute guy said hi. Or even when someone turns a story into a rumor and every other person is so invested in it. That’s when it started to make me think, I don’t want to go back to school nor do I want to care what people are saying about me nor if they like what I am doing, being anonymous is trendy cause you can do you! So, yes, the upsides to fame can be pretty alluring—the couture dresses, the dating Harry Styles and all the VIP treatment, and lets not forget the money. But for now I think I will keep take my regular life and have happier ending. I think you should, too.
