Hypersonic

Yeah -- sad eh.

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450SEL6.9

For a while there, Bruce, I thought there would be no replies at all.

Celebrities make so much easy money today that is is absolutely ridiculous. Top actors, singers and even athletes can earn $1 billion over a career. Not too long ago those numbers were unfathomable. To earn a billion, one would generally need to make it in business. Seemingly, celebs can make these sums without much education, talent and contribution to anything.

I have always been clueless as to why there is such outrage when CEOs of successful company make millions. There isn't similar outcry when some athlete snags a $150 million contract or some actor makes barely profitable movies at $25 million a piece. At least the business execs oversee a workforce of tens of thousands, create wealth for stockholders and employees and help provide a service for consumers. Yet their pay is considered repulsive, whereas celebrities can do next to nothing and earn similar money. How many jobs does a $50-million-a-year actor or athlete create? How much stock market value do they add to their investors?

To me, kids want to be celebrities because it's easy money that comes without much hard work. It's a damn shame because I don't know if the situation can be changed.

Centurion

Celebs make easy money when they are at the top, but to get there requires extremely hard work. You'd be amazed what some athletes have gone through and what sacrifices some top artist have made to get where they are today.

The Emperor

Co-sign!

And i won't add anything more because it pisses me off VERY MUCH and i wouldn't be able to be polite. Sorry.

Hypersonic

Good points Ray.
However, I can't say I would be unhappy if someone was to pay me $25 million for a few weeks work -- Having some sleazy paparazzi camped outside my house and raking through my garbage would be a small price to pay.

450SEL6.9

We would all like to take that money for a few weeks of work!

The F1 Canadian GP is this week so I logged on to a site to get a preview of the race. What's the first thing I see? Some British PR guru talks about how Lewis Hamilton can easily earn £100 million per year! This is the same Lewis Hamilton with a mere five races experience in a good car and a guy who has been spoiled and never had to pay his dues with a crappy team. I think this is typical of celebrity. My problem is that celebrities often get crazy rewards before results.

Can you imagine the outrage if a CEO of a bank or oil company earned £100 million per year? It's somehow okay for an athlete to earn it, but it's morally wrong for a business executive to do the same. Most people wouldn't have jobs to finance their celebrity obsession without corporations.

Imhotep Evil

As Luw pointed it some work very hard to get on top.


Lewis isn't worthy of 100 millions but he might be one day. Schumi was super paid, but he brought guys from Benetton to Ferrari, worked to glue the team, to push it, to test the car, give input, give/propose solutions to engineers, and was even pizza delivery boy.

Today's top F1 packages (notice the word packages, excludes slackers like Montoya, Mansell ) go from the podium/press conference to training, testing or another PR event constantly for the hole season with only about 2 weeks of vacation late year. And ofcourse they raced since they were 3, 4 year old.

Competitive packages bring sponsors, and McMerc with Alonso also got Santander, Guru, and if they wouldn't have had Vodafone (who most likely came due to Alonso) they would have defiantely had Telefonica. So some "ridiculously" paid athletes in effect bring even more money (they take thru salaries).

450SEL6.9

Whether or not Lewis is worth 100 million-a-year is debatable, but he will be getting those megabucks sooner or later. I think sooner rather than later. He is already being linked to a $40 million switch to Ferrari. If he goes, he might earn $100 million in his first year. Schumacher didn't earn that until he won a bunch of WDCs.

Anyway, I don't want to turn this into an F1 thread. I just brought up Hamy because he illustrates the huge amount of money available to celebrities that have not even produced great results or profits for others. I will just say that it is hypocritical for people to be outraged at corporate bosses for making profits for its stockholders and then turn a blind eye when celebrities make similar sums. Corporations provide more jobs, services, wealth to society than celebrities, who do little more than entertain, but corporate profits are considered vulgar. Where is the logic in that?

siko

Question:
"Is there a social impact from celebrity obsession?"


Answer:
Yes... the human race as a whole is a little dumber as a result.

Imhotep Evil

Yes I a agree. But some celebs are involved in charitable actions, donate serious money, or act as UN ambassadors and so on.
I don't see some top exec pulling an Live 8/whatever.
Some worth their money, that was my point. (many don't)

Apart from that I agree.

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