Daniel’s appearance prompts thoughts about celebrity Date: 6/27/2018 Standing in the middle of a huge crowd of people in a nightclub may be an unlikely place to contemplate the nature of celebrity, but that’s what I was doing on Friday night.
Yes, I bought my ticket to see Stormy Daniels. If you object on moral grounds to what she is or why she was in Springfield, you may want to stop reading and turn the page. My intent is not to offend anyone with this column. But I’m sure I will.
Daniels was in Springfield to perform a burlesque act at the Mardi Gras. There is nothing new to an adult film star performing at the club, but what made her so special is she is engaged in a lawsuit against a sitting president of the United States.
Many do not deem that lawsuit frivolous and Daniels, if her side prevails, will be more than just an adult film star. She will be part of American history.
Now that’s an interesting concept. How would the textbooks handle this part of the Trump presidency? Daniels would be in the ranks of Monica Lewinsky, except a lawsuit victory would allow her to shed the role of a victim.
From a journalistic point of view, there was little to report from that evening, although media outlets in the Valley did their best to try to get something. Daniels was not allowed to speak with reporters either in advance of the show or on the day of the show for obvious legal reasons – that sort of gutted a potential story.
I can tell you that security was very heavy, with both Springfield police and private security on-hand. There were rumors of potential threats against her, but there were no protesters outside of the club.
In fact, I’ve seen members of the U.S. Senate operate in similar size crowds with a fraction of the security.
She performed and then went to an autograph/merchandising area where there was a waiting crowd. That was that.
For some people who oppose the president, Daniels has been seen as a brave woman who isn’t afraid to take on the leader of the free world and a billionaire.
For people who support the president, Daniels is a morally reprehensible person who is now cashing in on her notoriety.
The bottom line is the Daniel’s story elevates what is going on in American politics to a new level of the surreal. One friend of mine that night said the reason she was there was to “witness the absurdity.”
Yes, when one thinks about this story “absurd” is a pretty good word.
Recently, Kim Kardashian made a successful plea to the president resulting in the pardon of an older woman who was serving a lengthy jail term for a first time drug offense.
Now, Kardashian made her initial fame by appearing in a sex tape. She has posed nude. Her TV show is full of celebrity nonsense and soap opera storylines. With this latest action, though, she is now looking as if she is a serious advocate for prison reform.
How and when did her celebrity change? Was it her status as a reality TV star that gained her entry into the Oval Office? If it had simply been the family members of the convicted woman advocating upon her behalf, would they have been able to have an audience with the president?
I think you know the answer.
It shouldn’t matter who is delivering the message, but it should be the strength of the message itself. Of course that would only happen in a perfect world.
Celebrity is such an odd condition. It can change from good to bad to good again. It can come from the most slender of accomplishments or from a lifetime of good or interesting work.
It doesn’t seem to matter.
I’m sure if Daniels wins, she will be offered a one heck of a book deal. For the time being, she is doing nothing unusual for American popular culture. She is cashing in on a moment of fame. People in this nation has been doing it for years.
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