The challenge of being a celebrity in Nigeria
David Beckham, former captain of the English national team, is an accomplished soccer star and an example of a celebrity.
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He is rich in pounds sterling and dollars and has gotten his celebrity status on a high from when he was Manchester United football club hero to his celebrity marriage to musician Posh 'Spice' Victoria Beckham.
Celebs come in different shapes and sizes. They adorn brands as ambassadors, live a nouveau riche life and are loved and worshipped by many. On the other hand, celebs who are often in the public domain are often criticised by the public when they fail to live according to their fans' expectations.
Celebrity status ranges from being a television personality, a sportsman, an accomplished actor/actress, a musician or one who frolics with them, seen regularly at social engagement, exclusive parties and all that including Owambe parties of the wealthy.
According to Wikipedia, celebrity refers to popular fame and public attention in the media, usually applied to a person, or group of people (celebrity couple, family etc.), or occasionally, to animals or fictional entities. Celebrity status is often associated with wealth (commonly referred to as fame and fortune) and fame can often provide opportunities to make money.
Successful careers in sports and entertainment are commonly associated with celebrity status. People may also become celebrities due to media attention for their lifestyle, wealth, or actions, or for their connection to a famous person.
In Nigeria, the life of a celebrity is not that rosy. Celebs are known to please their fans even if they don't want to. An actress becomes famous on account of the success of a movie she features in and she begins to assume a celebrity status.
Funke Akindele can be said to have assumed celebrity status after her movie Jenifa became a blockbuster in the Nigerian sense. In order for our celebs to live the life, they buy a house in Lekki even when it seems not convenient. Our actors and singers more often than not are under the pressure of being a celebrity.
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Yours sincerely once entered a Molue bus (the rickety long buses seen on Lagos roads a long time ago and few of them are still plying the roads) years ago and guess who I saw, Papa Ajasco (Abiodun Ayoyinka) in Molue. He was already popular in the Yoruba movie sector. I wondered why he could not afford a taxi. The assumption in this clime is that, if you are on TV, you are a celebrity and then should live as one. But it isn't always so as this puts pressure on them.
Rita Dominic, an actress and now movie producer has once said in an interview that, the media broke her relationship that was supposed to lead to marriage years ago.
How the media broke her potential marital relationship is what our 39-year-old Rita Dominic did not disclose.
But this scenario paints the picture of the pressure on our celebs particularly the female entertainers who sometimes get lured into sex for money in order to attain the celebrity status.
Kenny Saint Best KSB, an inspirational singer, in an emotion-laden voice spoke on behalf of celebrities at Goldie's burial February, 2013. Kenny was asked to comment on Goldie's burial after her interment. Naturally, she would be emotionally unstable after the sad news of losing their big star at la Kennis Music.
KSB on that fateful Monday almost slumped under the weight of the pain of losing a close one and an artiste. She said to the press.
"There is too much pressure on entertainers. You want to be a Lady Gaga, You want to please your fans and displease yourselves. You wear a particular gorgeous dress and appear on the red carpet and sometimes feel that you are not red-carpet worthy. Play down on the hype and focus on the music. Play down on the show and let your work speak for you."
It is a known fact that, most celebs live a false life in order to portray what their fans think about them. There is a difference in one's reputation and one's real self your character.
Efe Omoregbe, Now Music boss and manager of TuFace Idibia, spoke in an article that bothered on not living the life of a celebrity because it is too short a life.
He inferred that entertainers should know how to differentiate their work from the showbiz which oils the wheel of the entertainment scene all with the aim to please the goddess of entertainment even if it means living the life of vanities.
In his words, Kunle Afolayan, award-winning moviemaker, said he itemises the pains of being a celeb in Nigeria where things don't operate normally. His write up on how to be a celebrity in Nigeria, a satirical but real issues published by Nigeria Entertainment Today NET Newspaper in September.
It speaks a lot of what these people in the public eye go through. I don't envy them! This is what Kunle Afolayan wrote:
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You must be a mobile ATM at all times. Very applicable to the following (Police, Customs and Immigration officers) at check points, airports and borders as well as area boys.*Fly* *run*
You must never have personal problems, only solve people's problems. Including buying breakfast for strange figures -' boys must chop.'
You must never have moods. It's forbidden, you are not human remember?
You must never have an opinion. It's not permitted. Else you incur the people's wrath.
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You must be ready to receive insults on social media platforms especially from annoying anonymous persons and also be ready to be impersonated on Facebook with as many pages- miscreants ripping innocent people off in your name.
You must never have a life.
You must be ready to overlook and endure everything, even if it's to your detriment.
Be ready to pay your fans for seeing your movies or listening to your music. You are everyone's fan.
Credit: Leadership (Abuja)