RE: Don't Let Your Respect Create Hierarchy
That's a big part of the problem of celebrity culture. Others put certain people on pedestals, and then the pedestal people get all this media attention, which makes them even more popular. There are some who are popular for no clear reason at all (Kardashians, anyone?), and others who do a good job at being entertainers, but who aren't doing things other people couldn't do....they just somehow got more attention than the thousands of others doing the same thing.
You can respect their work if you like it, without making them into some god or goddess. Celebrity news takes up so much of the actual news, that we don't get the information on real issues like we should.
It bewilders me to see so many people crying, screaming, and going crazy when a celebrity is nearby. I always thing, "Dude, they're just a human, like you." And, treating people this way only creates huge egos and bad attitudes in the ones being worshiped.
I was married to a guy who worked behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. I've met a decent number of so-called celebrities. I've had them at my house, made coffee for them, talked to them at my kitchen table. Trust me, they are JUST people. If the apocalypse happened, they would be competing for the same resources as you, and unless they have some amazing survival skill that benefits others, their fame will mean nothing.
That doesn't mean I don't have certain entertainers and other public figures like authors and politicians I like and admire. But, I don't go out seeking autographs, I certainly don't cry and act like an idiot when I meet one, and if I get to talk to one, I make sure to ask about something interesting.....and it's definitely not about how awesome they are (I usually ask about their family, favorite childhood memory, hobbies, and other obscure things).
Creating hierarchy makes for an unequal society. I refuse to take part in it. Maybe if other people figure this out, they will stop participating, too, and one day, we can have a truly equitable world.
+1 to all your points.
I did have a first hand experience of being close by someone who is in some ways "put on a pedestal" (some local artist). After taking a step back and observe how others look like fawning at the "famous person" and then knowing him on a personal level. I also thought the same "Dudes, he's a normal guy like you all". And has made me doubly aware of the "fanboy mentality" and tries my best to not have it. People, famous as they are, are still people like me.
It's what we all Steemians stands for anyways. its literally in the word "Decentralization". And it's high time we start treating that as a buzzword and live the essence of its meaning.
Stay Awesome!
Well said.
It's interesting how complicated it can be to tease out what we mean by "unequal" in conversations like this. I fully recognize that striving for equality of outcome is not helpful or practical, but I do think we call benefit when we strive for equality of opportunity while recognizing some have one the genetic lottery and others lost it, due to no fault of their own. We all have capacity for love and acceptance and that's what we are all seeking.