Elements Issue 03

By Jigyasa Jain

"Fame"
TW: Rape
By Anila Noushin
Have you ever wondered how celebrities became famous? You may
think a lot of them are just at the receiving end of “the hype” in society
today, but if you go back to, say, at least the 20th century, many
celebrities have worked night and day for their fame. Even celebrities
on social media, like Charli D’Amelio, Cameron Dallas, or Kylie Jenner
work hard, because it’s their job to be a celebrity. We all think being
famous is easy and simple, but it takes a lot to cope with that level of
success, especially on social media. Not only do you have to endure the
psychological impacts of maintaining your “perfect” image, but you
also have to work hard to keep your supporters engaged.
Before the age of social media, it was common to get famous through
literature, music industry, or Hollywood. Take Maya Angelou as a
prime example. Her ambition and determination made her one of the
most inspiring artists of all time. Not only did her poems influence the
lives of many, but she went from rock bottom to the very top of
American literature. As a black woman in America, life was even
harder for her. She had to work twice as hard as anyone else. To make
matters worse, during her early childhood, Angelou was raped by her
mother’s boyfriend, and the trauma caused her to go mute for a
number of years. However, she soon gained her courage and
confidence back again, and made the decision to tell her story. The
power of perseverance kept Angelou going, and as a result, she even
won a Grammy for her poetry soundtrack.

Then, when you take a look at modern society, Kamala Harris is the
face of perseverance. Not only was she the second female black and
south Asian senator, but she is the very first female, black, and south
asian Vice-President elect. Harris has faced innumerable hardships,
but she powered through, and made it to where she is now, despite the
odds. When I was little, I was so convinced that a woman would never
be a President - 45 presidents were all white, wealthy men. But then,
when Obama was elected as president, it gave me hope. I was
beginning to see more diversity! But, now, as the current, 15-year old
me sees a woman like me being elected as the Vice President of the
United States, it made me want to work harder to achieve the same
goals. Kamala Harris has inspired so many young girls who thought
they would never amount to anything.
Taking a look at social media, Charli D’Amelio is one of the most
popular female influencers. And yet, if you go on this 16-year-old’s
TikTok account, you will see it flooded with hate comments about her
being “overhyped”. In reality, her fans gave her the hype as the fruits of
the hard work she committed to helping her account prosper. At the
age of 16, Charli D'amelio has earned over $4 million from TikTok. Her
Net worth is at least $8 million. How many 16 year olds can say that?
In the end, the next time you think fame is easy, think about the
hardships that come along with it. You have to be incredibly strong to
be able to deal with the hate, and your commitments to your
supporters. Just like how Maya Angelou worked hard to write more
poems to influence and expand her range of supporters, Charli
D’Amelio has continued persevering to create more content and grow
her presence on social media. You cannot compare one or the other -
they are completely different things. The fact that these women have
used the fire inside of them to do good says a lot about their characters.
They have never given up. They inspire their supporters with many
valuable lessons. Fame isn’t everything it seems to be.

peach-tinted prayer
Natalie Chan
By