Saturday, February 25, 2017

Second Hand Fame By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

            It has always stuck me as curious how certain people climb on the coattails of the creative and find their way to fame via using the name, production, and/or the method created by someone else. In some cases, I believe this is a very conscious decision to bask in the glory, (whatever that glory may be), of what some other person has created. In other cases, it is actually to hurt a specific person by saying negative, untrue, self-serving, or straight out bad things. But, whatever the motivation may be, whether it be conscious or not, what occurs is that someone becomes noted for their association with a person or with a craft that they had nothing to do with creating simply by talking about it.
            This has happened to me more than once. And, from a personal perspective, I cannot understand why the other person(s) would let something like that happen to themselves in the first place. For all they have done is to tie themselves to me throughout eternity. Sure, maybe they became a bit more famous because of it, but at what cost? All they have done is hitch themselves to my bandwagon and they have taken the ride for free. Do people not think that there is a karma associated with that? Not to be cruel but how young was Gene Siskel when he died and did you see what happened to Roger Ebert’s face?
            Now, I certainly understand that I am a small player in the grand scheme of things, so I find it very strange that this would happen to someone like me at all. But, I guess that is the cost one pays when you create something. People want a part of it—a part of it for free. They want it for free when they paid none of the life-dues that I had to pay to get to where I could create something in the first place.
            Since I was a kid I have witnessed this—ever since the trash magazines were attached to the cash registers at all the supermarkets, they would say this and they would say that about whatever celebrity was a celebrity at the time. And, I guess they still create those mags, though more of the focus has shifted to the internet. Programs like TMZ have created an empire by doing this—making all of the talkers on the show famous in the own right—famous for talking about someone else and what someone else has created.
            Certainly, there have been a few reviewers who have become very famous with their own newspaper review columns, radio and TV shows; simply for loving or hating what someone else created. But, what does loving or hating what someone else created actually mean? The reviewers didn’t do anything—they went through none of the trials and the tribulations to get the project actualized, all they did was to love it or hate it. What does that even mean?
            Some people are good at this. I guess they are highly motivated. They set out on a course and they make a name for themselves by talking about the creation(s) of others. But, who are these people, what are these people? And mostly, why do they get to be famous simply because they attach themselves to someone else? Why do they get to take a free ride on the fame, the notoriety, and the creative blood, sweat, and tears of another person? What have they personally conceived and created?
            Again, from a personal perspective, those people who did this in association with me, did nothing for me. In fact, they hurt me way more than they helped. They never reached out a hand of friendship, they never asked if I needed any help on a movie, with a book, with anything… None of them have even met me. Yet, they believe they know me well enough to judge my work, my thoughts, my actions, or me. And, what do they get for doing it? Free fame.
            Now, I am not talking about the people who get out there and actually do something with their life; whether that is making a movie, writing a poem or a book, playing some music, painting a painting, taking a photograph, kicking a kick, whatever... If anything I have said or done helps, GREAT, take full advantage of it! Adapt it and make it your own. And/or, if you want to say something nice about me, “Thank you!” But, to latch yourself onto someone just to take a free ride, that is just wrong.
            Now, I have referenced myself a lot here but that is really not the focus of this piece nor is it what I meant to do. But, you know, free-form thinking and all… It just kind of happened.
            The point I am trying to make is, do what YOU do. Make your own art form. Or, as they used to say in the 60s and the 70s, “Do your own thing.” Don’t jump on someone else’s bandwagon just to make yourself look like some kind of something. Do something/anything from your own source of inspiration and creativity. Do it yourself! Create it yourself! Talk about what you have created, not about what someone else has created. From this, the new/next art form may be given birth to. Don't tie yourself to and ride someone else's bandwagon to fame. That just makes you look like you have no personal inspiration to create something uniquely your own. Create YOU. I've already created me. Get off the bus and stop taking a free ride.


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