Celebrities

We live in a culture where celebrities (famous, prestigious, influential) abound. Some are given that title whether earned or not, and they are either adorned, ignored or simply recognized. They occur in a variety of domains ranging from athletes to academics, politicians to physicians, scientists and a host of others. They range from influential to mundane as well as pace-setters and troublemakers. Some remain famous and others simply fade away and without the media, their influence could be stymied considerably nowadays.

Not everyone concurs with this status nor do many of us give a whole lot of attention to the subject. Celebrity is fame and public attention in the media, usually applied to a person, or group of people or occasionally fictionally. Successful careers in sports and entertainment are commonly associated with celebrity status. So goes some typical thoughts on celebrities.
Three questions:

1. Are celebrities a recent phenomenon? No. There have been celebrities that go way back into history but may not have been called celebrities in the sense we think of them today. There were wise men, rulers, scholars, inventors, high priests among other occupations and professions. Most of us could name some of these celebrants.
2. Are celebrities good or bad for a culture? Both. Some make a favorable impression while others are stumbling blocks or trouble makers. Some undoubtedly qualify for both extremes.
3. How does one become a celebrity? There are many ways: some do something significant or beyond the usual; some are promoted by a benefactor who recognize or amplify their potential; others were in the right place at the right time. In fact, there is no set criteria so celebrants arise for innumerable reasons, some of which may be questionable to some but lauded by others.

There are more but we will stop here to raise one more issue. It is probably futile to imagine a society without celebrities just as it would be unlikely to see the phenomenon cease to exist. But if a significant majority of Celebrities (both earned and endowed) sought seriously to make their society a better place for themselves and non-Celebrities, imagine the benefits that could result. Even wishful thinking is a step in the right direction.