For the first time in my life as an entertainment critique and fast rising blogger, yeah let me prob myself, i have never thought of trying to deeply comprehend what the word celebrity meant.
I , just like many bloggers,follow the usual routine of describing anyone with public appeal as a celebrity. Then over the last few days, i have done some thinking to have a thorough understanding and appreciation of the word so i do not bandy it around like most of my colleagues tend to do.
The word celebrities as most dictionary tend to define has its roots firmly in Ancient Greece. Individuals who fought gallantly in wars and heroes were celebrated for their efforts and exploits. Romans also join suits by celebrating gladiators and actors of the empire for their excellent roles in the empire.
Fast forward to today, Celebrities have taken a certain new dimensions and roles that , immediately one becomes popular and achieve a certain level of fame, he automatically becomes a celebrity. Kim Kardashian became famous for her leaked sex-tape but became a celebrity basically after she used that fame for something else.
Atta Aryi gain fame and popularity for his armed robbery stints but can’t be celebrated or termed a celebrity for his acts. The line here is quite tin and this can be obfuscated if not looked at meticulously.
So when my mentor Chris Vincent-Agyapong of Ghanacelebrities churn out the word “Ashawobrities” to described some of our Ghanaian celebs, most people sided with him, well except those affected. But truth is one. No matter how you tend to romance it, it still remain one.
Most of our famous citizens aren’t celebrities but Ashawobrities who bank on their ill gotten fame to go about sleeping with married men. How do we celebrate such characters. How do i pinpoint such an individual and celebrate them, especially when the person seems to be glued to her sordid behavior.
Then there are the ‘Yeyebrities’ . These are the ones that after gaining popularity and a bit of fame, takes to social media and on a daily bases spew trash upon trash. I do not fault them though. Probably in their minds, they are uploading wisdom and because of fear and timidity, no one has the guts to tell them they are spewing outright stupidity.
These last few days has been a roller-coaster for a couple of our cele-asha-yeyebrities. From a Cardi B ‘meet & greet’ disaster to accusing one another of using juju, sleeping around with married men to butt implant. Quite what i will term as A PLATE FULL OF TACKY AND A SIDE SAUCE OF HOT MESS.
Moesha Bodoung and my crush, Salma Mumin public display of how we shouldn’t glorify everybody as a celebrity needs to be taken very serious.
Afia Schwarzenegger with one silly act , publicly told the world , Ghana indeed does not have celebrities with respects. As much as it hurts to admit it, she quite frankly without mincing words did the unthinkable. I term her acts as part of those yeyebrities.
Least i forget. There is another kind of people. These are the “Clout Chasers”. This few need the attention of existing cele-asha-yeyebrities to rise and shine. This is something Akuapem Poloo perfected and has risen to the stardom she is now.
So next time we decide to term everyone as a celebrity, lets do some soul searching and be certain that, does the person deserve to be worship as a celeb or not.
