By Cheryl Mattox Berry
“Fame is a fickle food – upon a shifting plate” – Emily Dickinson
In the opening scene from the 1980s TV series “Fame,” the dance teacher, played by actress Debbie Allen, tells students seeking celebrity that it won’t come easy. They would have to work hard for it.
Fast forward to 2012, where many of the people who are famous and making the big bucks achieved their status by doing nothing. Paris Hilton, Snooki and the Kardashians are celebrated for having no appreciable talent other than getting dressed up and posing for the cameras.
Sadly, these reality characters have legions of young fans who aspire to be just like them. They copy their hairstyles, makeup, clothes and poses. They hang pictures of their fave on bedroom walls and inside school lockers. Their goal in life is to be the talk of gossip bloggers, tabloids and entertainment shows.
Reality check: There are millions of beautiful girls willing to do stupid things for a chance to be famous. What makes you think that you will be plucked from the masses? I’m not saying it’s impossible, but think about the odds. Suppose you can’t break into reality TV or that genre of programming dries up in a few years. You’ve spent your middle and high school years practicing a smile for paparazzi, but there won’t be any hounding you. What will you do?
The bottom line: You need to learn a skill. Don’t waste your time on something as fickle as wanting to be a reality character. Invest that time in learning something that will make you marketable and pay your bills. Go to college, a technical school or vocational school.
If you’re serious about acting, study drama. Don’t count on reality TV as an entre to an acting career. Of course, there are exceptions. NeNe Leakes of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” landed a recurring role as the swimming coach in the TV series “Glee.” However, she looks out of place and recites lines like my daughter in her fourth grade play. She may own a spot on reality TV, but she’s clearly out of her league next to actress Jane Lynch and the other talented “Glee” cast members.
Call it Plan B or whatever you choose, but you need a backup in case your famous-for-nothing plan experiences a launch failure. If Plan A works out and you become an overnight success, congratulations! Enjoy your 15 minutes of fame.
Photo: Pacific Coast News