Raiders of the lost arts - The dangers of instant fame

THERE WAS a time when to be famous you actually had to have a talent. Weird, I know. You needed to have something to offer. Then you had to work hard to develop your skills and if you were lucky you got your break and fame and fortune followed. But not any more. 

There is very good chance that a few weeks ago you would not have heard of Gordon Hill. Those of a certain age may have thought about the ex-Manchester United footballer. But no. There is now a new Gordon Hill in town.


This Gordon is a simple, middle aged man who likes nothing more than supporting his local non-league football team. But after he was recently filmed at a game, drunk and 'giving it large,' he has now become known as the Wealdstone Raider. You've heard of him now, right?


But just in case you have been living on Mars these last few weeks, or indeed on the off-chance that you actually have a life and do not follow social media, Gordon has become famous for his, 'Do you want some, I'll give it ya!!' chant; spat out, along with his pint of lager, in an almost incomprehensible drone.


He has become what the tabloid press now like to dub an 'internet sensation.' Videos of him have sent social media into meltdown and it is rumoured that Gordon is releasing a Christmas single and is set to appear on the upcoming series of Celebrity Big Brother. I kid you not.


We now appear to live in a world where everyone wants to be the next reality 'star'. If a video gets a few thousands hits on YouTube, agencies will be instantly on the phone trying to get you a record deal or a spot on This Morning.


I am of an age where I can still recall the days when celebrities were people you looked up to. In fact being a celebrity was something to aspire to as it meant you had achieved something; be it singing, dancing or comedy.


The old talent shows, such as Opportunity Knocks, brought us real celebrities who went on to have long and rewarding television careers. People such as Su Pollard, Paul Daniels, Roy 'Chubby' Brown, Little and Large, and Lena Zavoroni all started out there.


The losers on these shows usually vanished instantly without trace and there was a very good reason for that. They had very little talent. Most now work in McDonalds or, presumably, in the banking world.


But these days it is often the losers, the least talented ones; the Jedward's of this world, who go on to have the big television or music careers while the actual talent gets cast aside. Is this really the way forward?


With reality shows now filling more than 50% of all new TV programming, it is the 'stars' of these shows that have become the new celebrities. Gemma Collins, the least engaging of all the characters on TOWIE, was recently on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Never can the term 'celebrity' have been used so loosely.


The real nadir, however, was when White Dee, the lazy, dole scrounger from Benefits Street, was appearing on chat shows. Reality TV had well and truly eaten itself.


But it is far worse than that. The advent of social media, and YouTube in particular, has seen a whole new genre created. The Wealdstone Raider is the latest such example.


Andy Worhol once said, 'In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes,' and it appears as though he was right. But he didn't go into the consequences of that. What happens after your fifteen minutes are over?


Let's not forget that these are just regular people with regular jobs. They have no preparation for the pressures fame brings. When it so happens that the person in question also appears to have the mental age of a child, like poor Gordon Hill, then you really have to question the morals of the people thrusting him into the spotlight like this.


Yes we have all laughed along at his video. It was funny because we have all encountered someone similar at football, particularly if you frequent any non-league ground. They are the breeding ground for these kind of characters.


But that should have been as far as it went. Share it with your mates, have a good laugh at the poor unfortunate drunk guy, and move on with your life. But this is the 21^st century. It does not happen like that any more.


I actually feel sorry for Gordon. Mentally he does not appear able to cope with the fame suddenly thrust upon him. I am sure he is enjoying his 'fifteen minutes' at the moment but with it comes many problems. The abusive tweets, the comments in the street, photographers following your every move. Much stronger people than Gordon have struggled to deal with that.


But my worry is what happens when he becomes tomorrow’s chip paper. To think that he will just be able to go back to his old life as a slightly eccentric football fan is hugely optimistic.


What help and advice will be receiving from these agents who are only too keen to make a quick buck off him now? How are they preparing him for life after all this fuss dies down, as it inevitably will? My guess is that they are doing nothing. He is only useful to them while he can make them money. After that he will get thrown back on the street like an unwanted dog after Christmas.


'You want some?' 'No, mate,' will come the reply from the general public. 'We have moved on to someone else now.'


You see instant fame is exactly that. If you haven’t had to work for it, if it has been thrown at you, the likelihood is it will end just as quickly as it started,. Quicker in fact. And then what?


Charlie Brooker wrote a fantastic TV series called Black Mirror. It was a dark comedy about how social media has taken over our lives and the potential problems it can lead to. One particular episode showed a new reality show where the lowlifes of society were the main attractions at a Theme Park and the public could ridicule and mock them. This is basically what YouTube does now and poor Gordon is a victim of that. The line between harmless fun and Internet bullying has been crossed.


I really hope Gordon makes a lot of money out of all this and comes out the other side happy and content with his life. But I fear that will not happen. Once the hangers-on have ditched him what will he be left with?


So if you are one of those people who are so desperate to get noticed that you constantly post videos of yourself doing stupid things, just think about the possible consequences of being yesterday's news.


If you want fame and fortune, earn it. Develop a talent, study, work hard. Without the right foundations in place first it will all come crashing down and who will pick up the pieces?


One final thought. Gordon is not the first Wealdstone Raider. That honour goes to a certain Vinny Jones. The former hod carrier began his football career at Wealdstone and no doubt spent many an afternoon shouting, 'Do you want some?' at the opposition players. I very much doubt many of them did.


Of course he went on to have great success with the likes of Wimbledon, Leeds, Chelsea and Sheffield United and is now a Hollywood star. So Gordon, if you're reading this, there may be hope for you yet!!