ANDY WARHOL SAID, "IN THE FUTURE EVERYBODY WILL BE WORLD FAMOUS FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES"

#SMED11

Everyone dreams of their fifteen minutes of fame. We love it when our photos feature in the print media and become the talk of the town. Better still, seeing ourselves on television or on the big screen at sporting events, means that we’ve made it onto the fifteen minutes hall of fame.

Reality shows on the other hand give a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘fifteen minutes of fame’ A whole new industry has been developed with the sole purpose of providing everyone and anyone with a platform and opportunity to become famous.

Fifteen minutes of fame also comes in many shapes and forms, from the genuine to the ridiculous. A current 15 minute fame seeker was featured on CNN in Anderson Cooper’s ‘Ridiculist’ last week. It features the marriage between a 16 year old teenager and a 51 year old artist. Bizarre footage of love and marriage - and to crown it all, they are already contemplating their own reality programme. Talk about stretching the fifteen minutes of fame!

I believe that in the future we will all have our fifteen minutes of fame. Social Media has made this possible – Facebook, Twitter, blogs, to name but a few. It only requires a click of a button and one’s name can pop up anywhere and everywhere in the world.

There are a number of examples that speaks to where the bright lights of ‘fame’ shine on us, i.e Matric Ball, Graduation, 21st , 50th, 60th birthday, anniversaries and other important milestones we celebrate throughout our lives. Whilst all of us have not yet embraced social media, family and friends post messages and photos on Facebook, Twitter and write blogs - hence an ordinary occasion creates an opportunity to catapult us into the 15 minutes hall of fame.

In conclusion, there are those who actively seek their 15 minutes of fame elsewhere – often leaving home or country for greener pastures. It reminds me of the quotation by Mark Twain, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So sail from the safe harbor. Catch the high winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Go, Go. Go ! Your 15 minutes of fame awaits!