Kyle Rawlins <rawlins@cs.umass.edu> wrote:
: I think that the idea that the quality of an action (music making, acting,
: writing, etc.) is what makes people famous is a little naive. In fact, I'd
: tend to think that what makes most people famous is a combination of luck, and
: being in the right place in the right time (which really just boils down to
: luck). That's not to say that there's no overlap between the famous and the
: good (at whatever they do), or between the unfamous and the bad.
There is some truth, here, but I think that the main quality which makes
people famous is the ability to form (and perhaps to exploit) the right
relationships. That's pretty much it. Talent (at least enough to sustain
celebrity) is abundant. The folks who "make it" are the ones who sell
themselves the best, acquire the support of others who help sell them
further, and so on. The ultimate "sale" is then made to the public...
This is why there isn't a one-to-one relationship between "quality of an
action" and fame. And it's why fame doesn't have much bearing on this
discussion, and the challenge "If you really could do all you claim, why
aren't you fuckers famous?" is irrelevent, at best (which I think was
your point).
-Ed
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