Welcome to America. The year is 2011, the economy sucks, and Wall Street has never been more popular. Democrats hate Republicans, Republicans hate Democrats, and still not everyone has equal rights even though we’ve been bragging to the rest of the world that we’re the only country where all men are created equal. Cosmetologists are making more than high school teachers, and pretty much any avenue of opportunity has adopted the good old belief system that it isn’t what you know, it’s who you know. However, there is a light at the end of the corrupt tunnel; becoming famous has never been easier. All you need is a username, a login, and a few semi-original ideas. Turn all of this into a blog/vlog/rant and by God you’re now on your way to becoming “discoverable.”
Becoming famous used to be the most intangible thing to accomplish up until the internet changed life as we know it. Now Kids’ shows go through actors like Manhattan goes through interns. Of course, becoming famous would normally be a great thing. In fact, it’s amazing considering only the lucky
ones get discovered for their insurmountable talent and originality, right? So, what’s the issue? Well, to make a long story short, I began thinking about this over the summer while watching daytime TV. I’m not going to drop any names here, but lets just say I was watching a show about a certain family in Hollywood who’s only famous for being famous. In this case, you only have to be more attractive than all of your siblings who are actually just enjoying the first-class ride to stardom that you’re paying for.
However, there are the few talented souls out there who are actually using the internet as a resource to showcase their talents and originality. The best place to do this is YouTube. In my opinion, this is probably the best website that will ever hit the internet. Does anyone even remember life before YouTube? Because I don’t. These are the people who make their fifteen minutes of fame worthwhile and do it because they love to. They’re not looking for a cash cow or a place to exploit someone or something. They do it because reading the comments below their video makes their time spent in front of that webcam all worth it. I’m convinced that the best things in life come straight at you when you aren’t looking. Think of your favorite YouTube vlogger who you probably follow on a weekly basis. I can guarantee the first video they submitted that received a few million views wasn’t something they did on purpose or planned. That right there is talent. All you really have to do is do what you love and hopefully the rest of the world will like it too. You can’t plan for fame, you can’t have someone else plan your fame, and you can’t become famous without jumping a few hurtles. If it’s something that you truly want to accomplish, then start with something as simple as doing what you love.
I guess it’s safe to say that we live in a place and time where you just have to take the good with the bad. The economy and the world of politics may not be doing so hot, but the internet is making sure we all stay entertained in the meantime. The world has definitely gotten much smaller in the past fifteen years, and we definitely have more room to make our fifteen minutes of fame all it can be and more.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter.