Where's My Fifteen Minutes?

“I don’t care what you think as long as it’s about me…The best of us can find happiness in misery…”
-Fall Out Boy
“I Don’t Care”

Ain’t that the truth. Sometimes it amazes me the lengths people will go through to get attention. Take, for example, Britney Spears. She is probably one of the more extreme cases of someone who desperately needs to be in the spotlight. She was also the person I have indirectly witnessed to insane all for the sake of her fifteen minutes of fame. Now when you see her, does she look like someone who’s happy with her life? Not really. I don’t know about you, but what I see is someone who seeks happiness by means of inflicting misery on herself. She probably hates her personal life, but loves the fact that the attention she gets for being a nutcase is making her career skyrocket. Doesn’t that sound kind of stupid now that you think about it?

On that subject, one of my new favorite stupid people is the Octo-mom. I mean, seriously, what could she have possibly been thinking? Being a single mother, unemployed, with six kids is hard enough without being an idiot and having eight more all at once. I’m sorry, but putting yourself in that situation is not what a smart woman would do. A smart woman would have been out in the world looking for a job to feed the six kids she already had. Yeah, yeah, I know. She wants a big family. Well, NEWSFLASH lady! Six kids IS a big family. What she needs instead of eight more is a husband. It’s too bad she’s probably driven away any eligible man with her insane antics. Men generally don’t look for women who’s stupidity governs their lives.

Now, let’s return to the main point. She wanted to be known for something, but she figured that since she was a nobody, she would have to do something extreme. Well, she certainly accomplished that, and now look at what has happened. All of a sudden, people took notice of her! Everyone is talking about her –even me apparently seeing as how I am using her as an example). There is even talk that she is going to be getting her own reality show. This is exactly what she wanted from the beginning. She is, in essence, doing exactly the same thing as Britney Spears. She is looking to formulate happiness through self-destruction—or as she sees it, wealth and fame.

Here’s another question you may ask. Are these people aware of what they are doing to themselves all for the sake of their fifteen minutes? You would think so. I mean, how can you not be aware that you are making yourself miserable? It’s surprising how many people aren’t. They prefer to blame their misery on society, on the paparazzi, on their parents…Well, I’m here to tell you that, for the most part, this is a load of bull. There is absolutely nothing that says you can’t be happy. I don’t care if someone lives in a cardboard box. Happiness is a state of mind, not a material object. You can’t touch happiness. You can’t buy it—although many people in today’s society would like to argue that point. And fame and wealth certainly do not equal happiness. Happiness is something you, as an individual, have direct control over.

Ok, enough of all of this. When it comes to fame, there are two basic types. I like to call these “positive fame” and “negative fame.” Positive fame occurs when people recognize a person for his or her achievements and contributions. This person is a positive role model for society. For example, Audrey Hepburn and the legacy she left behind are surrounded by positive fame. She is considered one of the most beautiful, classy, elegant, and talented women in modern American history. People look up to her and try to emulate her in the ways they think are appropriate.

On the opposite side of this, we have negative fame. One person in particular when discussing this topic: OJ Simpson. He is probably one of today’s most famous “bad guys.” People hate him for the crimes he has committed, and they continue to give him tons of press attention. He is famous for being a criminal; not someone you would want your children to emulate. My question for all of you to consider is this: do you think OJ Simpson likes the fame he gets for being a criminal. Do you think it makes him happy? I have no doubt that he likes being in the spotlight. If he didn’t, then why would he keep committing crimes and getting himself arrested? It only makes logical sense.

My one piece of advice for all of you is this: next time you see someone taking drastic measures to put themselves in the limelight, ignore it. Perhaps if they see that no one really cares, they will stop making asses of themselves in a pathetic attempt to gain a little ray of recognition.

Well, I think I will leave you here until I can make another post. If you get bored, I have three stories in the works you can always look at. Bye now. :)