Becoming A Celebrity Is Easier Than You Think

I turned on the tv early last night and then went into the kitchen and couldn't see the screen but I heard a voice that I remembered always sent chills down my spine. I walked into the living room and sure enough, staring me in the face, swastika on forehead, cigarette in hand, Charles Manson, probably one of the most notorious figures of our lifetime.

I did a double-take. I shouldn't have been so surprised that the media had given him yet another Andy Warhol Fifteen Minutes Of Fame; I worked in the media for twenty years before saying "enough is enough" as I saw it going in a direction in which valuable camera-time was being handed over to the infamous, rather than the famous; and often the famous had worked hard and been productive all their lives to get where they were. In other words, sensationalism was winning out over positive broadcasting. I am not saying stories of such notorious characters should not be mentioned or remembered. It is important to remember the Holocaust. It is important to remember Hilter; and for obvious reasons. It serves the educational process. Media can have a powerful effect on teaching a government, a citizenry, an entire nation on how not to repeat the past terrible actions. And it works.

Since I knew there was not much I could do about it (but maybe write the network to complain, I thought to myself, "Maybe it's a good thing to show kids who maybe had never seen or heard of Manson to show his face remind us what we don't want to be. The problem I had with the program was he was given an entire hour of nothing but his predictable rambling. He was having a fun time with all the attention. He has become a clown of clowns, learning to "play the media" by magnify his insanity with loud ramblings and erratic moves. The media was showing the world, "Look, doing something crazy like brainwash people into killing other people, and you two, a half century later, can still be a big celebrity." And that is exactly what was happening. I kept thinking to myself, why couldn't this cable news program dedicate a full hour to a captain of industry such as Bill Gates or Michael Dell or the founders of Google who do so much good in the world. I could have even tolerated another Donald/Rosie fight over Charlie's mug; or pretended like I cared about "Barbara Walter's torrid sex life" now being broadcast from here to eternity due to her new kiss and tell book, one that I don't care to read, though I always did look at her as an excellent journalist. Why do they think they have to end it with a "Gotcha Moment Kiss And Tell" Book. Why can't they back away like a gentleman, Hugh Downs for example, when the time is right?

By the way, when the Monkees (remember the sixties band) had auditions, guess who showed up with his guitar? You guessed it. Old Charlie. Not to mention Steven Stills. Neither made the cut.

I don't think that is what Andy Warhol had in mind with his "15 minutes of fame" theory.

Sigmund Freud felt everyone is driven by something. Do you want your 15 minutes of fame? What drives you? Perhaps not. Maybe it is money. Maybe it is doing good in the world. Maybe it is having money and doing good in the world with it. Whatever it is, chances are, are you willing to take the positive steps necessary to "get it"?

I work in business and the arts. I have had way more than my Warhol promised fiftenn minutes, and I am grateful for it. I have been able to help other people, animals, and environmental causes, and do things I had never dreamed I would be able to accomplish.

The steps to fame or success or both are fairly simple, but hard work.

What is your dream? If you are not sure, write down several and choose one that seems to fit you best.

Take action on that dream. Keep taking notes as it grows and changes. Make a plan. Seek out the right people to help you make it happen.

Use modern technology like the net to accelerate that dream. Andy Warhol and his friends Marilyn Monroe and so many others did not have the luxury of the Internet. Norma Jean never had a blog and Andy did no social networking. You can. You can learn article marketing. Do it. Don't stop with just a few articles. Blog, write articles in online magazines. Learn about quality back-links. Learn all you can. Keep working daily even when you don't feel like it. Success happens when you are not even aware.

Learn this work habit and repeat it daily. Don't slack up when you see a little success come your way. Work that much harder. Suddenly you are a name brand. You should pat yourself on the back. Hard work but well worth it, eh?

About the Author

Cartoonist/writer/entrepreneur Rick London founded the Internet's top cartoon and numerous funny gift shops. This is one of them