In a world where talent just doesn’t cut it anymore, celebrities are clinging at straws to stay relevant

Oct 1, 2014 19:19 GMT  ·  By
Scandal boosts more careers than actual accomplishments in today’s celebrity culture
   Scandal boosts more careers than actual accomplishments in today’s celebrity culture

Showbiz is a very fickle place. A few decades back, talent was enough to launch a career, be it in music, film, or television. Then, that simply didn’t cut it anymore, so stars (or aspiring stars, better yet) also had to be good-looking. Then came pressure to also be in shape and generally stick to industry standards.

In this day and age, when the Internet can make anyone into a celebrity and they don’t even have to be particularly talented (“different” will do), pressure is even bigger on “older” stars (understood as established before all this) to maintain relevance.

Welcome into the age of scandal, in which all kinds of individuals are suddenly presented with a myriad of ways to keep interest in themselves going. Because, we all know, the moment people stop talking about you even for a short while is the moment you start slipping into irrelevance.

Talent is what gets you started, media interest is what keeps you going

This is a generalization, of course: there are countless singers and actors out there who are just fine going for months or even years without coming out in the press in one way or another, and their work still sells excellently.

However, an overwhelming majority of stars, even A-listers, are turning to this new “method” of keeping the conversation about them going, even if it’s not on the topic of their work. And the way they do this is by leaking stuff that is (mostly) not true.

As sad as this might sound, talent is no longer enough in showbiz: it might make you a respected singer or actor or whatever, but it will not make you a celebrity. Let’s face it, not one single person in showbiz is in it for the love of it, money also plays a very important part in how much they like their “job.”

And the only way you can make money today is if you’re a celebrity too.

Leak personal stuff and plant rumors

This is the oldest trick in the book of creating buzz around your personal life to get interest in a new project going – and it’s been used by celebrities as big as Jennifer Aniston and as D-list as Tori Spelling or Kendra Wilkinson.

Some weeks before the actual promotional tour stars, it wouldn’t hurt if people were reminded about you through some well-planted rumor about a new man / woman in your life, a minor cheating scandal, an adoption story, or some other juicy bit of this kind; anything to get your name in the papers.

The “bolder” version of this is the “leaked” adult homemade tape, which method reality stars like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian invented and perfected. The most recent photo hacking scandal isn’t included because the celebrities thus exposed didn’t play a part in it, they were victims.

Encourage speculation with sneaky appearances, photo ops, vague hints

If you don’t feel like having your publicist call up tabloid editors or bloggers, and are certainly too shy to film yourself while making love to your significant other and then release that video, there’s always another way of keeping people interested. You can always stage photo ops or arrange to be “caught” when you least expect it, say on a very romantic date you didn’t want people to know about.

The paparazzi are of very good help with this, and many celebrities, from Lindsay Lohan to Jennifer Garner, are said to have several agencies on their speed-dial especially for this purpose.

If all else fails, you can also drop hints in an interview – and the Internet will do all the work for you. You don’t even have to be particularly subtle in the hints and it will still work.

Create a cheating / divorce scandal

The hottest trend right now in terms of scandal is that of faking a cheating scandal, preferably with a transgender or some glamor girl no one heard about. You can also stage a divorce scandal and not get into too many details that might embarrass you too much.

If you paint yourself as the victim (the cheatee, as it were), you can call yourself a winner from at least a couple of points of view: you get the sympathy vote and you also get to bask in the glory of being “courageous” and a “fighter” when you reconcile with your man / woman. And who doesn’t like to be hailed a hero?

Recent examples off the top of my hat: Kendra Wilkinson, Tori Spelling, Mama June and Sugar Bear. Even Beyonce and Mariah Carey are suspected of doing it – and you know this world is going to the dogs when two of the biggest singers in the world have to resort to such cheap tactics to boost sales.

Create any other kind of scandal

This is rare, but it’s not unheard of. A drug scandal or some form of controversy (racism, abuse) can work wonders when it comes to one’s image, but the reason it’s so rarely employed is that it’s a blade that cuts both ways. It also happens to be a very sharp blade, so it’s best to be avoided.  

Stage a wardrobe malfunction or some other kind of embarrassing incident

Everyone remembers the premiere when Tara Reid walked on the red carpet and fell out of her dress, revealing a surgically scarred breast. Because it came too many years too soon, the scandal cost her her career, but these days, a little wardrobe malfunction hurts no one. Au contraire, mon frère.

Beyonce, Jennifer Aniston, Anne Hathaway, Paris Hilton all have in common the fact that they flashed their lady bits, to one extent or another, to get media attention. Some people may laugh at their faux pas and some may not, choosing to lament the shamelessness of modern age, but in the end the purpose is served: people did not remain indifferent.

Conclusion

These days, actors, singers, and TV people have no other option but to be celebrities as well, because they don’t want to be left behind. Our current celebrity culture is one that uses gossip and juicy trivia as fuel, which makes a well-timed and well-thought scandal manna in terms of advancing a career.

If you’ve got the talent, you also need the people to make this happen, or else you risk being left behind with all the “uncool kids.” And no one wants to sit with them.