Fame-iness
- Megham Daum
Summary And Question Answers
Summary:
Fame has always been one of the greatest allures for thousands of people. If a person had an outstanding talent, he or she could find admirers and, with the help of hard work and a little bit of luck, become a celebrity. With the development of mass media and the Internet, however, a person can become famous overnight, and possession of talent is not required. In her article, Megham Daum speaks exactly about such fame and she coins a special term for it - fame-iness which is similar to the usual fame, only for it is fleeting and is not based on extraordinary abilities to sing, act, paint or do anything else much better than the others.
Daum confesses that she does not know most of modern celebrities Really, being famous means to be known to general public, to le recognized on the streets, to be a household name. If someone speaks about Madonna, Sting, Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton and others, he or she does not have to explain the interlocutor who all these people are, because everyone knows them. If you meet one of them in the street, you are surprised and happy. Still, the chances that one can run into them somewhere in a supermarket are very slim, because they have their own assistants who do all the shopping for them. Such celebrities are so admired and beloved and respected that it seems that they are not like real people. They have got millions of fans all over the world, each of whom dreams of being similar to them, to meet them in person, to marry them, etc. That is probably why they are called stars - everyone can see them and enjoy the way they "shine", but they are absolutely unreachable. Looking at modern stars, however, I see that they do not correspond to my own definition of fame, and, as Daum says, "these days it seems that only crotchety dinosaur types like me still harbor such provincial notions of what it means to be famous."
A. Comprehensive :
Q.1. According to Daum, What does it mean to be famous?
ANSWER : According to Daum being famous means being unskilled, untalented, and annoying.
Q.2. How does Daum define a celebrity?
ANSWER : Daum defines a celebrity as someone who is easily recognized in the street and who has made an effort to become well known through his or her work and talent.
Q.3. What does Daum mean in paragraph 7 when she says, "it's pretty clear that it's never been a worse time to be famous"?
ANSWER : I think Daum feels that being a celebrity now days aren't as valuable as it used to be. It's not about talent anymore, and there is a lot of competition.
Q.4. How does Daum see today's celebrities as different from those of years ago? Does she see things as positive or negative?
ANSWER : In my opinion I think that Daum sees todays celebrities in a negative light. Back then celebrities had to be talented and make a huge effort. Now days it seems like anyone can become famous regardless if they have talent. I believe Daum sees all new celebrities as untalented people
Q.5 What do you think Daum means in paragraph 6 by "tabloid-targeted exploits"? Can you give examples of such exploits?
ANSWER : In my opinion, celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Snooki, and Kim Kardashian have become famous because of a "tabloid-targeted exploit". What I think Daum intended by that phrase tabloid-targeted exploit is amateur, inexperienced people that are famous because of the audience that are making them famous by watching their shows, purchasing their magazines, clothing line, and following them on social media.
Q.6. In paragraph 9, Daum says, "Fame is no longer about reaching the masses but about finding a niche somewhere." Give some examples of what a "niche audience" might be.
ANSWER : A niche audience is a select group of people that have a unique interest. For example a niche audience can be a group of people who are only interested in certain celebrity such as Paris Hilton, Honey Boo-Boo, and J-Wow to name a few.
Q.7. What does Daum see as the positive side of the "democratization of fame" (10)?
ANSWER : She believes that because fame no longer depends solely on acceptance from the masses, this gives room for those who create less conventional work to achieve success.
Q.8. According to Daum, what is the difference between "actual fame" and "fame-iness"?
ANSWER : Daum defines "actual fame" as requiring talent and work to achieve, while "fame-iness" is the result of rising to popularity through attention grabbing scandals and humiliation.
B. Purpose and Audience :
Q.1. This essay discusses fame and celebrities in general terms but gives very few examples. What examples does Daum provide? Why do you think she doesn't include more?
ANSWER : The examples she provides of "famous people" are all quite established in their careers and have been around for a while. The celebrities with "fame-iness" were at the height of their fame several years ago and achieved this fame through scandals. She likely didn't include more examples because doing so would leave her at risk of causing a scandal herself; she probably wanted to avoid coming off a bashing specific public figures.
Q.2. What is Daum's attitude toward her audience? How do you know? Does paragraph 5 offer any information that might help answer this question?
ANSWER : Daum assumes that her audience has heard critiques of current celebrity culture before. She believes that her audience has preconceived notion about what a discussion about the changing nature of fame will look like and assures the reader that she hopes not to repeat the same points that they have already heard.
C. Style and Structure :
Q.1. Does Daum include a formal definition of fame-iness in her essay? If so, where? If not, supply one.
ANSWER : Daum does not explicitly state a definition of "fame-iness", but its meaning is implied. Fame-iness is a kind of fame achieved by gaining attention with shocking and inappropriate behavior. This kind of fame is generally short-lived and caters to a niche audience.
Q.2. Where does Daum explain her term's origin?
ANSWER : Daum explains the origin of "fame-iness" in paragraph 11, when she talks about "truthiness," a word coined by Stephen Colbert. Colbert's "truthiness" was a way to describe how people tend to believe ideas and theories with no concern as to their truthfulness. Daum believes that the way the public handles information could be compared to how the public handles fame.
Q.3. Where does she define fame-iness by negation? By analogy?
ANSWER : Daum defines fame-iness by negation in paragraph 11 and 12, in which she says that "fame-iness" is not achieved with accomplishments or talent. She defines it with analogy in paragraph 12, writing that "Instead of a reward for a job well done, it's more like a punishment for cutting corners."
