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We Need to Teach Kids How …and Why…to Be Famous
Internet fame turns average kids into celebrities overnight.
James Charles was the butt of many jokes for his Met Gala appearance.
His situation would be a dream for aspiring makeup artists. He skyrocketed to fame. He was permitted to go to this gala. And he didn’t handle the red carpet well. Now he’s subject to ridicule for his look, for his behavior, and for not being “really” famous.
The Internet loves seeing someone crash and burn, especially someone like him who became too big for his britches, so to speak. It’s also coming out that he may have been using his fame to pressure straight men into having sex with him, and now he is being asked to speak to these claims.
Generally, this issue of overnight fame goes beyond James Charles: We now, as a society, have a relatively new problem. The Internet allows young people…children…to become very famous very fast. And many impressionable teens want to be famous. I know I wanted to be rich and famous when I was 14, 15, 16.
But it wasn’t really feasible. And the dream kind of fades with age and wisdom. With deeper goals. I no longer want to be famous or excessively wealthy — My dreams now center around being able to support myself while doing what I love, feeling like I am…