Celebrity

In America there is a thing called "celebrity", which is endlessly fascinating, psychologically and sociologically. Everywhere and always there are people who are known far and wide, but the Americans take it to a new level. Rather than making people famous who are powerful, wealthy, or great achievers, Americans celebrate folks just for the fun of it. The most notable current example is, of course, Paris Hilton, who is famous... for being famous.

In America celebrities make a living be being...celebrities. Perhaps the first American to do this was the legendary Davy Crockett, who was a celeb during his life, and an even greater one afterward.

Crockett first became widely known in Tennessee as a great pioneer, bear hunter, and Indian fighter, then his fame spread to the east coast when he was sent to congress, and entertained eastern society with his homespun humor and personality. In 1831 a broadway play opened called "The Lion of the West", whose central character, Nimrod P. Wildfire, was modeled after Crockett. Davy attended the play as a special guest, and when Nimrod bowed to him from the stage, Davy rose from his seat in the front row and bowed right back, to the great delight of the audience. Crockett had no idea why he was famous, but he ended up liking it, and encouraged it, Parisian Hiltonesque. We understand now that his iconic death at the Alamo was his own trap; he simply had to live up to his heroic image.

In the 1870s a play opened on Broadway about Buffalo Bill Cody. Bill decided to audition to play the part of himself, he got the part, and made a great deal more money ($500/week) portraying himself on stage than he ever had out west just being himself. That inspired him to create his "wild west show", which was enormously successful, and lasted well into the twentieth century.

Wild Bill Hickock lacked Crockett's sense of irony, and Buffalo Bill's business sense. When he saw himself being portrayed on stage, he jumped out of his seat and beat up the actor in mid play.

Why do we Americans do this? One possibility is that, since we lack any hereditary royalty or aristocracy, we create celebrities in their place, fulfilling our need for heros and gods.

A word of caution to Paris Hilton: never beat up anyone who is helping to make you famous.