KEEN ON BEING "ARTISTIC"

It is well known the success of reality TV programs such as Project Runway, American Idol , X-Factor (english version of the latter) etc come from the deep belief of "normal" people that their own artistic gifts have a chance to be recognised and to bring them the appropriate notoriety and financial success.

Invited to a Birthday Party, we were forced into a Karaoke competition... I suck at singing and I am an even bigger sucker at listening to music, so I wasn't thrilled and after a short while, I handed the micro over to my team mate who was more than elated to get my share of singing... Instead of singing, I observed the participants. Lot of them took it so seriously, it was not fun for the others and watching them performing, I would swear they had trained at home in front of the mirror ( if not in front of their digital video camera)... Their desperation was palpable: they wished they were a contestant in the X-Factor or American Idol etc. Of course, they were more than average, but to their defense, most of the celebrities have no talent at all and still have a career... To my opinion, Britney Spears is a great example: She cannot sing, she cannot dance even with hard work, she is hopeless as an actress and she cannot even be sexy! Yet, she is rich to millions and extremely famous!

A lot of people around me fancy themselves as artists: one uttered with agressivity and greed in the voice that if Jeff Koons has such a success and they don't why She wouldn't be as rich as he is... Although she's been roaming and browsing the galleries for years, she still isn't... Others, more modest, promise themselves they will finally write a book this year, other only like to caress the idea that she might be a writer deep inside for a total stranger in the street told her she had a lot to say. Maybe she has, yet she still plays the silence queen.

Most people have burried themselves in a routine that doesn't fulfill their dream of romantism, adventures or excitement they dream of. At the same time, projecting themselves in such artistic activities satisfies their self image, the OTHER SELF. Watching people do what they dream of on"reality" TV actually make them hold on their turpitude. It keeps them at peace. A lot of politicians like it, their busy minds won't deeply question the society in its whole, focusing on a more ontological subject, watching American Idol...

The hell of a dream is it ot getting a complete stranger humiliate you in front of millions of spectators by throwing mean things at you and demeaning your talent if you have one...

What these programs fulfill in reality is an undisclosable sadistic need to see the potential competitor to be eliminated while you are still waiting for your turn! Hum, le Marquis de Sade, inventor of Sadism was an artist after all!

A reversed effect of celebrity endorsement

Although I am oblivious to celebrity endorsing advertisements, I am amused by the following case as a perversion of marketing when it is all the rage to pay celebrities to endorse their products.

I recently read an article about Charlize Theron who was paid a handsome amount of money by Weill to endorse their watches.
The brand, claiming to having spent over 10 Millions USD for the campaign with Ms Theron, is suing the Oscar winner actress for breach of contract.

It seems quite evident to me that celebrities endorse products ONLY because of the huge amount of money they are getting paid for, certainly not because they actually like the products. This is probably why I would especially not buy such products because they become too commercial and lose of their genuity...
But furthermore, even if they did like the products, they endorse, sensible famous people - if there is one of a kind - would not accept an exclusivity clause that tie them for a certain period of time. Ms Theron gladly accepted that clause that would bring more money and thus, was supposed to wear solely Weill Watches for a mere 11 months. But she didn't care for the product and didn't bother respect the contract she signed for...

Ms Theron also has/ had a contract with Dior perfume J'adore. She probably was required to wear Dior gowns at events as well since she was seen in Dior Haute Couture many times. But she also wore DIor watches while under contract with Weill.

This is actually hilarious: Weill pays Ms Theron to wear their watches and she still favors another brand!
I am not sure whether people do pay attention so much or not but the situation is quite comical and I feel sorry - sort of - for Weill.