THE PRICE OF $ELEBRITY

$elebrities
faces and images
etched on our collective consciousness
not so much cult as modern obsession
the ultimate goal
the pinnacle of success
satisfying our desparate need for idols
for hero-worship
(cosmic?) father figures
dear leaders
brave warriors
political saviours
icons
not mere mortals like you or me...
like wrapping around a comfort blanket
popping a valium pill
undergoing anaesthesia
something to ease the insecurity
of our impermanence
in an insecure world...
self-idolatry performs a similar function
everyone wants their 10 minutes of fame
the attention
the flattery
the ego massage
the fleeting impression
that life in this world of corporate consumerism
really is important and meaningful...
fireseed logging on to give ya the lowdown
on this week's brush with $elebrity
(senior member of the cabinet, no less, my seeds)
well, $elebrity aint wot it's cracked up to be
it sure don't cure dandruff
but does wonders for boosting the retinue of hangers-on
acolytes
security dudes
bodyguards
the journos and the hacks
the dreaded paparrazi
the mockers who will distort every word
as long as it $ells
constantly playing on your insecurities
nobody ever seems to acts natural around you
insincerity abounds
red carpets are rolled out
ingratiating smiles flashed
photo opportunities squeezed in to hectic itineraries
every last drop squeezed out
welcoming parties fidget nervously
ushers fawn obsequiously
no-one knows quite what to say
is it ok to depart from the script?
everyone wants an autograph
a photograph
a paragraph
a piece of the $elebrity pie
bees around a honey pot
(or flies around a turd?)
appearances to keep up
sponsors not to upset
a party not to embarrass
a mum likewise
the next gaffe only ever a tongue of the slip away
(oopsadaisy, there goes another one!!)
up on that pedestal
it's a long way down when you fall
a distraction
a freak show
a symbol of the shallow ambitions of 2006
the face-lift slipping
the chest sagging
nowhere left to go but D-O-W-N
nothin' sadder than the faded glamour of a has-been
a 'where are they now?' of 2016...