Fame is the condition of someone who is well known and who is usually remembered and acclaimed . Someone who is famous is described as famous. For example : “Scientists do not want fame: we only want to contribute to the development of humanity” , “After the premiere of the film, the young actress became famous” , “The British singer rose to fame thanks to a ballad that was a huge hit in the 1990s” .
For many people, fame is a goal they wish to achieve. Gaining fame implies recognition and popularity , something that can bring certain benefits but, at the same time, can also create discomfort.
A footballer who has achieved fame due to his great level on the playing field may receive gifts from his fans and be invited to attend important events and shows, to name two possibilities. On the other hand, the athlete in question cannot walk down the street with his family as his fans want to greet him and take photos with him at all times. Fame, therefore, has positive and negative aspects.
In recent decades, the perception of fame has changed considerably, partly because new ways of achieving it have also emerged. While the great figures of the past usually became popular after many years of effort and determination, today there are “platforms” that promise fame in exchange for mass exposure through the media, with talent shows being one of the clearest examples.
These television shows organize competitions between people with common talents, such as singing or dancing, to name two of the most common. Everything begins with an initial selection , which the jury must make after having examined hundreds or thousands of applicants. This initial stage is one of the main sources of popularity of these platforms, and it usually uses both the most talented and the worst participants to attract the attention of viewers.
Once the judges choose the first group of participants, a more serious and defined stage begins, in which there are guidelines established by the program regarding the performances, meaning that they are no longer free as at the beginning. Little by little, the less skilled are left out of the program to make way for those who will compete for the first prize. Throughout this process, many achieve fame, because not all the public prefers the winner, and thus contracts and careers arise for many, year after year, although their permanence on the stage is sometimes negligible.
In fact, one of the most obvious differences between famous people of the past and those of today is precisely their duration of stardom: because the former had to fight so hard to achieve fame, they defended it much more carefully than today's figures. On the other hand, because of the various aids that young people receive to become popular, we find ourselves in an era characterized by an excess of famous artists , and this takes away their charm because "reaching the top " no longer seems to be a feat.
Fame is also the term used to refer to the opinion that society has about something or someone, generally if it is good: "The lawyer has an impeccable reputation" , "Due to his public scandals, the boxer gained a reputation for being unprofessional" .
A 1980 film that spawned a television series broadcast between 1982 and 1987 and a musical released in 1988 , on the other hand, bears the title “Fama” (or “Fame” in its original language).