People love drama. Good news does not command the same level of attention as bad news, that is for sure. You have probably noticed how during the weeks where some kind of drama or crisis is unfolding, the eagerness at which people follow the news increases exponentially compared to calmer times. Today, I would like to talk about all the juicy gossips related to celebrities, as people like to call them, which circulate around on the social media. Back in the days when watching movies and listening to the hottest music used to be the favored pastimes, there were no Ethiopian celebrities to speak of whose lives we would eagerly follow and be interested in. Actually, it was not the fact that there were no music and movie celebrities out there to gossip about but it was rather the fact that the movie actors and artists back then did not appeal to the tastes of my generation, or at least, to those in my social circles. And most importantly, there was no such thing as social media which we could use to follow the lives of our favorite artists. So, basically, the only thing we would know about the artists and actors back in those days was only their songs and movies that are out in the market.
For artists back in our days, I have to say that the times were rather good compared to today. Today, let alone celebrities, it has become difficult for the ordinary people to stay private. Of course, being private is a choice. As long as people wish to display their personal lives on social media, they cannot expect to be free from all the drama that would unfold from exposing your life to the public. Even those of us who are not active on social media and wish to stay private and respect the privacy of others, it is really difficult not to be able to hear about all the dramas in a person’s life as they unfold on social media. Sometimes, it amazes me just how much we love to hear about the dramas in people’s lives, and particularly in the lives of those that are well to do. What good would it do our own lives? Why are we so eager to hear in particular about the failures and difficulties that fortunate people face in their lives? Is it envy? Is it a consultation for the dramas in our own lives?
Recently, I heard about the unfortunate incident that one of our female celebrities claimed to have faced in her attempt to secure an entertainment job from her contact in the industry. So, the lady claimed that she was victim of a rape attempt by the man who she hoped would offer her the job although this was completely denied by the latter. The lady claimed that the man paid youtubers to make false accusations on her and clear his own name. Now that all this drama is out in the public thanks to social media, it will be very difficult for the lady, who is only in her 20s, to claim back her name and reputation. Now, a couple of questions come to my mind. First, I asked myself, how do these so called ‘YouTubers’ sleep at night after causing so much pain in people’s lives? Would they wish for others to cause them the same kind of pain that they cause to others? Second, how can the audience following all the dramas in people’s lives as they unfold on social media be able to take sides just by watching what ‘YouTubers’ post on the media? Does the audience have any more evidence than what they watch on social media to be able to take sides and make blames? How can the audience know who is speaking the truth? In the case of the lady, is it her or the YouTubers that we should trust?
I believe that people should be cautious when it comes to trusting social media posts. Taking sides is one thing. Causing more pain by making unjustified accusations on the person who is the subject of the drama is another. Let us not do to others what we do not wish others to do to us!
