People need to know that being a celebrity does not always translate to a sustainable
luxurious life with lavish cars, mansions, designer clothes and bucket loads of
money – all these are just luring temptations and it is now becoming more palpable
that the portrayed glamorous lifestyle of being a celebrity is just a façade. Even
most of what they adorn themselves with stems from endorsements and sponsorships
with no real ownership, but they deem it necessary because being famous
commands this excessive and hefty price tag - talk about selling your soul to
the devil!
“When I was growing
up I would put on the radio and hear talented people. When you guys put on the
radio now, you hear popular people” #NickiMinaj
Apart from the life of opulence advertised by these
celebrities on social media, reality TV and magazine spreads - what other influence
do they really have out there? Throughout recent years they have been nothing
but passively active in addressing social ills such as racism, crime,
corruption and economic emancipation. The only time you know they have a voice
is when they are personally affected by an unfortunate fad or there’s something
in it for them. They have a habit of
looking down on the people who “made” them and see fans as just means to an end
yet when their career and health go south, it’s the same fans’ money that gets
used by the state to bail them out. The sad reality is that South Africa has
indeed seen a sizeable number of such celebrities perish over the years and
these prominent personalities’ deaths, though once known to live lavishly
whilst at the pinnacle of their careers, have left a serious dent on the taxpayers’
purse - because when they are ultimately indigent, their families are the ones
left to pick up the pieces and sometimes end up with no choice but turn to fans
and the Department of Arts and Culture for assistance. I suppose this is the
same department that should actually be at the forefront of spearheading
financial literacy and facilitating contracts signed in this industry to
eradicate exploitation and this shame?
The thing about celebrities is once they “make it” - everything
about them changes - from their tastes to their habits and this uptake sure costs
money to maintain. You will start spotting them at fancy restaurants, VIP
section in top notch clubs and at Diamond Walk buying a mere pair of shoes
costing an equivalent, at most, of 5 year’s worth of premiums for a
comprehensive funeral cover. The recording labels and production companies, in
addition to advances, also use material things to trap these cash cows. Giving
them company owned cars and residences to flaunt whilst intentionally neglecting
to empower them because if these “assets” were to be suddenly woke and
independent, the leash on them would loosen. It’s only when it all goes sour
that fans learn about the unfair terms of their contracts. Who is to blame for
their poor money management and decision-making though? Why do most of them end
up broke?
Its unfair to put this blame on fans and say they are the
ones who put pressure on artists by classifying them as celebrities because,
truth be told, the onus is still on the individual to take charge of their
lives and their perceived status in society. Fans only need for them to hone
the art and impress with it, not with the lavishly debt riddled lifestyle of
not waiting until one can afford - a dire consequence of mimicking and keeping
up with the Americans.
It gets worse when some, after putting out a couple of hits,
want to go solo and/or start their own recording labels without building a
solid foundation and accumulating or investing in enough resources to propel
the business and their career to greater heights. Others get a lucrative gig on
TV or with local and international brands then become pompous and exclusive –
most perish because of these costly and greedy mistakes and go on to voice
their sudden frustration about not getting support from their fans and the
industry, conveniently forgetting who has been keeping them afloat and elevated.
At this point they are already operating at a deficit and are a splitting image
of their former self. They become debt slaves who can’t afford to act on
principle and this leads to depression, reckless behavior and suicide. Those
who’ve sutured and managed to survive this spell spend the remainder of their
lives paddling in debt or in rehabilitation.
Here are some of the other major detriments to their
livelihood:
- Not Investing in their brand – this has a potential to pay annuities for life
- Fake circle of friends and family – the limelight attracts a lot of parasites
- “Flexing” – keeping up with the latest trends to impress peers and fans
- Expensive habits - spending on drugs, alcohol, cars, designer clothes and shoes to look rich
- Tax evasion – this is a very costly pitfall for them because that bill piles up over time and best SARS hits you with it while you are on stable ground – very few recover from this one
Clearly some Mzansi celebs are yet to master the separation
of what happens in their craft and under the spotlight from their normal and
day-to-day life – fans are intelligent enough to differentiate between the two. Personally, I will never understand why someone would live
beyond his or her means and then cry to the world about it. We all have our
fair share of financial decisions to make and sometimes this means
interrogating opportunity costs and, at times, delaying the imposed wants to
satiate only the basics (needs) in your life. Your wellbeing is your
responsibility – do not place that burden on others.
By S.J. Ngobeni (810111)
#WhyMusiciansDieBroke #TaxpayersToTheRescue
#RecklessCelebrities #PoorCelebrities #DonationsForCelebrityFuneral
#PaupersFuneral #EntertainmentIndustry #MzansiCelebs #NotAllThatGlittersIsReal #TaxEvasion #Mponeng #SlayQueens #Blessers #Rimming #bare
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