"For the Fame"
As I age, the things I have grown to love have exploded in popularity. In the beginning, people enjoyed and contributed to the culture “for the love.” As the mainstream has infiltrated the sneaker culture and hip-hop, people have participated in these cultures with motives far beyond love or natural interest.
The attention that comes being popular within the culture is an intoxicating thing. More people crave outside approval to help increase self-worth. Others want to gain influence to create trends and shift narratives within the culture. I’ve seen “sneaker influencers “ push certain shoe brands to help increase sales. These efforts have made them more popular within the culture. The notoriety received can be viewed as positive or negative.
When you think about doing things “for the fame,” the concept of clout chasing has taken over as one of the top reasons to participate in culture. With the advent of social media, you can craft an online persona that will make you internet famous. People are consistently chasing popularity for likes and comments. If something gains a hint of popularity, you see people hop on the bandwagon and try to outdo the next person to obtain their clout points. To be fair, another perspective is looking at the participation as fun and enjoyment.
Doing things for the fame is not always additive to the culture. People jump on and off of waves to build their personal brand. They extract the value for themselves, then move on. How many suburban kids have emulated what they have heard from black artists that come from urban decay? Fake tough guy personas were created, and some have went as far as trying to make music.
What comes from doing things for the fame? People love to create the next hashtag for the fame. I don’t believe these actions actually contribute to growing the culture. Most of these actions are selfish acts that take from the culture. These actions are help define a culture vulture. I am always a proponent of doing things from a natural standpoint. You can stand on what comes from that and be proud of what you do as a result.
By: K Miles II