THE BUBBLE CALLED POPULARITY

 



“Popularity is a bubble.

It’s a mountain: you can go up really hard,

but walk down really fast.”

Marlon Brando 

I think, the hunger for popularity is one of the greatest drives in a human being, particularly when one is young. Often, it causes tremendous amount of restlessness in humans… even desperation.

Well, we all are humans. Hence, we all are familiar with that hunger… that, driving force in our bosoms… We want to be there where stars reign… How inviting that place is… How addictive!

I once heard, Oprah Winfrey defining popularity in one of her shows: “It simply means many people know you.”

“That’s all?” I remember reacting to this definition… Imagine how we desire more and more and more people to know us!

The only question this desire brings along is this: ‘Many’ means how many?

Jesus Christ had only twelve disciples when He was alive and going around preaching in and around his village. Today, I am told, that more than two-third of this world’s population follows Him! That’s true of many saints and noble souls… The number hardly mattered when they were alive. But, the ‘essence’ mattered; and, therefore, it spread like a wild fire after they’re gone…

But, today, we live in a world of instant gratification… It’s fast and furious… and, it’s equally fickle. It can come fast and go fast. And, the social media thrives on this phenomenon… ‘Trending’, ‘Going viral’, ‘Subscribers’, ‘Followers’, ‘Viewership’… this is the modern-day vocabulary… You are evaluated by these numbers…

Teek hai ji… If that’s how it is, so be it.

The Great Amitabh Bachchan is getting too old to recreate the magic he has been able to do this far… Slowly and surely, the Legend is stepping aside into the quiet by-lanes of life. And, before him, Rajesh Khanna – the original Superstar - had realized it and was quite vocal about it in public:

“Izzate, shohrate, ulfate chahate

Sub kuch iss duniya mei rahata nahi;

Aaj main jahan hun, kal koi aur tha,

Yeh bhi ek daur hai, woh bhi ek daur tha.”




Ronaldo is trending on social media, now… The world is going nuts beholding the kind of popularity he has achieved on social media…

Good for him… I am his huge fan; so, I am happy for him, too…




But, then, I was a huge fan of Marlon Brando, too. He said - and I, too, know, deep down -  that popularity is just a bubble… Climbing the mountain is hard… but, no one can live there permanently… the downward path can be too quick.

“Aaj jahan main hun, kal koi aur tha…

Yeh bhi ek daur hai, woh bhi ek daur tha.”

 

Therefore, let’s not be too excited about Ronaldo’s insane YouTube feat…

It simply means he's presently reached the mountain-top…

 

GOAL!

 

GERALD D’CUNHA


Pic’s: 1. www.genengnews.com

Video: 1.ABP 2. Article 19

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