There are some who need no last names. Paris. Lindsay. Britney. Sadly, just read those three words in context and you likely know the individuals I am speaking about. Why do we know about them, or more importantly, why do we care? Philosopher Mark Rowlands provides readers with an insightful look into what fame is, what motivates it, and how it has, in recent years, evolved. Fame is part of a series called The Art of Living put out by Acumen, and in it Rowlands argues that part of the problem is the culture’s “inability to distinguish quality from bullshit,” hence bringing about the rise of people who are merely famous for being famous.
Fame used to be, at one point, something someone achieved from having accomplished something, or possessing some sort of skill. While this still does occur, our culture has since spawned the birth of what Rowlands calls “new variant famous” (or vfame) which is basically being famous simply because one is famous, not because one possesses any sort of skill or talent that makes this fame worthy and deserved. In his chapter titled “Paris Hilton and the end of history” Rowlands points out that:
“From the perspective of vfame, any way of being famous is just as good as any other. Vfame is the egalitarian version of fame: the new opium of the masses. There are no clear standards of quality that one must meet in order to be vfamous…There are no standards one must attain in order to acquire vfame, not even ideal standards. Vfame is not, in its essence, a matter of quality. Vfame has nothing to do with value.”
Rowlands does an excellent job of arguing philosophically these points — he mentions relativism, individualism, objectivism, fundamentalism, touches upon the teachings of Plato and the works of the great novelist Milan Kundera all in a way that is accessible yet mentally rewarding. Reading Rowlands will grant you a mental meal, yet I want to stress that the book does not fall victim to the turgid, obfuscated prose one can sometimes find from a philosopher. Instead he does a great job of explaining his points, using both classical examples (like those of the Greek myths) with that of Young Hot Hollywood.
Article comments