Fame and Fortune Are Finally Splitting Up Now That Greed, Artifice and Jealousy Are Fully Grown.

Fame and Fortune Are Finally Splitting Up Now That Greed, Artifice and Jealousy Are Fully Grown.

It’s not news that fame can be attained for seemingly very little this century. The standard bearer of this century’s brand of fame and fortune is, or was, Paris Hilton. Before her, that family name made itself widely known by the sharp business mind of her grandfather William Barron Hilton. He became famous. He made a fortune. He built hotels. Paris didn’t have a penny to her name. She had an allowance. She wore high heels and said ‘That’s hawt.” 

She dabbled in fashion related start-up businesses that worked as long as she went to high profile parties. She had a perfume made in her name. She made a fortune off her own back. After a series of half-hearted TV reality shows she is now a celebrity DJ paid to play. But at 33 and still rich and beautiful, she’s not so hawt anymore.

Paris will always be the Queen of Not Much Inbetween. Fame for talent and fortune for hard work is so last century and that pairing has long gone their separate ways. Greed, artifice and jealousy are the centre stage stars and they created a new, thinner, low-fat fame of their own to beguile the masses and flim-flam fortunes that can actually be spent within one shopping spree and the running time of their own sex tapes. 

It is not a surprise that more people have T shirts by the 70’s underground rock band The Ramones than actually bought their music. 

Everybody knows The Only Way is Essex but the world and her sister travel in other directions. 

There is no way of Keeping Up With The Kardashians unless you care to pursue them with only the view of Mrs. Kardashian-West’s  ample rear end in your face or her other back-up asset, her husband, posturing to be the next Jesus.

It’s not all empty heads in full front row seats however. Beckham did have outstanding ball control skills and, obviously, so has Posh. 

They perhaps are the current Liz and Dick, Burton and Taylor of this century. Although she came to the fore barely able to hold a tune in The Spice Girls, Victoria ‘Posh’ has redeemed herself with her undeniable talent for creating clothing and David ‘Becks’ has developed even more skill at taking his off.

Academy Awards are still given out for great acting talents but more people know Jennifer Garner for tripping up the stairs in her massive satin ball gown  going to accept her little golden Oscar than have seen her movies.  

As long as Naomi can slam a door and throw a phone she will be the most famous and visible hot top super model for millions who don’t know what a Milan Fashion Week is. 

So Selfies are the new sex tapes and spray tans are the new auras and beauty is pin deep. 

Let us all rejoice that with the right photoshop and high profile nervous breakdown we too can all be stars for a day. 

Warhol could never tell time.   

  

Peter Jarrette is a Brighton UK based artist and internationally published writer and author of BRIGHTON BABYLON (Dynasty Press Ltd. 2013).

He is a contributor to internationally circulated Caribbean BELLE Magazine and contributed celebrity interviews with John Cleese and the Monty Python men to the showbiz book POMPOMS UP! FROM PUBERTY TO PYTHON AND BEYOND (Dynasty Press Ltd. 2014)

Author of several fiction, non-fiction, memoir adult titles and four children's books (Little Simon/Simon & Schuster NYC USA 1981)