We live in a society where people want to become famous by all means. In Nigeria, for example, it is evident that many want to join the petition and roll call of celebrities to be remarkable. Many of these celebrities are already known for a very long time, while many are coming new to the stage in the name of being known, celebrated, renowned, famous an so on, and do everything they can to have fans. But unfortunately, the Nigerian society is confused given that the majority of these celebrities use various questionable means.
Thus, being famous is one thing, while the means towards this fame is another. A good instance that has left the public in confusion is the Big Brother Naija, where the display of actors in the competition is questionable because of their moral implications.
Today, in our first episode, we shall consider a letter addressed to Nigerian and World celebrities to point out a few essential things that need to be amended.
Dearest ladies and gentlemen, I mean all you who have gained or still seeking to gain fame through one form of entertainment or the other, I salute you! All you who are actors, comedians, modelers, beauty contestants, teacher and so on, receive my greeting! I urge you to listen to what I wish to say briefly below.
Why do you think I salute you my dear great celebs? It is because I admire your talents, and I give God glory for endowing you with such excellent skills. Yes, I also greet you because you have a good intention to use that vast repertoire of yours to educate the world, to entertain the public, to make the crowd have fun, among other reasons. I hail you because by so doing, you encourage everyone that they have value and worth. If not for any other purpose, you deserve to be applauded dramatically because you are creative and innovative such that such makes you unique and outstanding. Therefore, I say: ‘May your great sense of ingenuity bring new things to the world.’ Amen.
In the same spirit of the above bravos sung to you, may I seek your attention to my further verbal locutions, for what I have to say now is more than praises since they will add more values to your talents and of your fans? Great celebs, one thing present as the highest common factor in all you do is that you seek for fame! What good news for by such you want your name to prevail in perpetuity to bravely and boldly erase your name from the sickness of oblivion. There is one thing you forgot to remember, while at the same time, you remember to overlook some other things. And what is it that you forget to remember? In all your effort to make your name known and personality felt by the world, you forget to remember where you are coming from: You ignore the fact that you are God’s child; that you have a religious background; that you were brought up by a renowned culture; that you were nurtured with good morals such that you are aware of what is morally blameworthy and morally praiseworthy. You remember to forget that deviation from all these instead of making you famous, makes you notorious! Why do you seek to be distinguished by teaching the wrong morals in your movies? Why do you desire to be favored by being naked on the stage? Why do you seek to be well known by organizing fora for and participating in competitions that ask for the hottest and sexiest celebrity? Why do you feel that by being pornographic on TV shows, your fame will last forever? The answer to these is that by so doing, you are notorious for misleading people instead of directing them; you are famous for scandalizing your fans instead of entertaining them.
Do you think that by all these, you are making God happy? No, instead you are provoking Him because you are stealing souls away from Him! You have dethroned Him and enthroned yourself. Have you ever thought of how many souls you have misled by your immoral acts, words, and appearance? If, for example, you are competing in the *Big Brother Naija* or any similar public show,
and you appear naked, the essence of your search and competition is defeated because you lead many into temptations and even sins which you cannot deliver them from! You remember to forget that you have only one soul and that this one soul belongs to God. You remember to remember that once you lose your soul, all about you is lost and that once it is saved everything about you is saved. You remember to forget that once you save your one soul, it is preserved forever, but once you lose it it is lost forever! Do you now see why you have to revisit your conscience to ask yourself questions of how many souls you have led astray by your acts and by your body? Yes, you may receive millions of reasons for such sort of public presentation, while at the same time you may give specific claims to defend yourself as justification, but don’t forget that there is God to whom you must account how well or bad you used your talents!
Dear celebs, remember that you have no profit when you gain all so-called ‘fame’ on earth and lose your soul forever because all you called fame is classified as notorious and scandal by God. Am I condemning you? Of course, no, for I began this letter by first praising you. Am only drawing your attention that you have to revisit your wrong formula for it is clear that as William Buck Yeats as echoed by Chinua Achebe says, things have fallen apart and thus the center cannot hold. Therefore, mere anarchy is loosed upon our land. Why would you allow things to fall apart in our era such that you cause the center of morality to be lost?
Do not be blindfolded by the applause of your fans, for they are mocking and jeering at you. Thus, have a rethink and do things the right way and it shall be well with you.
Finally, you can improve more by imitating the good examples learned by your outstanding models, actors, writers, comedians, and other celebs.
Peace be with you!
Yours affectionately, Martin Nchedo Umeatuegbu (The Marian Parrot).
Martin is a graduate of Philosophy from the Dominican Institute, Ibadan, Nigeria.
You can always reach him by Phone and WhatsApp: +2348167524058 and email:
alphonsomariomartine@gmail.com.
