Fame and Talent

Do fame and talent go hand-in-hand?  I think not.  We have only to consider the reality shows that focus on people behaving badly to answer that question.  Contrast the likes of Snooky or any of the "Real Housewives" with that of Meryl Steep, Jack Nicholson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman and James Franco.  On the one hand, we have people who gain fame by showing the worst of human behavior, and, on the other, we have talented artists who are famous because we willingly pay money to watch their performances.  I could also have listed talented people in the fields of music, painting, sculpture, stage, etc., but you ge the picture.

I am at a loss to explain our culture's obesession with reality shows, but, at least, we have a few shows in that genre that expose us to undiscovered talent, such as American Idol and America's Got Talent.  Some, like Dancing with the Stars, have a mix of stars that have proven talent in their fields and "stars" that are merely famous.  Other reality shows deal with subjects like gardening, cooking, decorating, buying houses, etc., which do feature people that have talents of a more practical nature and serve a useful purpose.

But, please, spare me the trash and bring on the talent!