Age of celebrity – Spoken word poem

Age of celebrity – Spoken word poem

We live in an age of celebrity
And on every page of every magazine
We see that teenage dream
To be famous
To have finally made it

Playing the fame game
A desire to be desired
Publicly admired
Have the world realise
That what’s inside (or outside)
Is beautiful

And the magazines
Building on all those dreams
Are dutiful
Making stars from girls
And WAGS from women
And suddenly the world’s now spinning round them
Their opinions now worth hearing

And then the dirt is found
And gathering round
The world now hurls such spite
At those girls it once enthroned
That they hurt and hate
And find too late
That’s what’s inside is not enough
For the world outside
Which loves to see their pride laid low

With one hand we bestow crowns that make queens
And with the other tear them down,
Show them to be clowns beneath

The fame game causes pain
The longing for a name is just that, longing
So take care when the crowds come thronging
The air they fill with admiring words
And the fads they follow
Will be gone tomorrow

And your heart’s deep longing
To be truly seen
To be truly known
And truly loved in spite of it all?

There’s only One who can love in full
Every partner loves only in part
And all the world just wants a part of each new Young and rising star
But just as fast discards the last
In favour of the freshest hottest new Sweetheart

The One who truly sees you
Truly knows you
Truly loves you in spite of it all

He’s the fame game changer
With Him it really is game over because
He’s not a player,
But a payer
He paid the sky high price
Sealed the deal in real blood
So now you’re prized, priceless
No longer to be bought or sold
Your body no more a commodity
More precious than base metals like silver and gold
Your value isn’t tied up with stocks
And shares, likes or swipes don’t determine Your worth

So what if you don’t have a following?
Scrap that –
What matters is who you are following.

There is only One who formed you
Who is worthy of true fame
Who called you 
From despair
From loneliness
To togetherness and hope again

So please, this is my appeal to you,
Exchange the fame game for a new name
A heart change and a bright new start
Walk with the One who has always walked with you
Who has brought you through
And who loves you through and through
And give the fame to Him
Who repairs, renews, redeems and restores
He’s the only One who is worthy of it all

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The story behind the poem

This poem started life around eight years ago as I was thinking about fame and the aspirations of young people I met who were just waiting to be recognised as the next big thing – singer, rapper, model.

I was a teenager when Big Brother started making waves in 2000, changing television and popularising the idea of being famous for being famous (rather than for some skill or achievement).

I wrote the poem as a critique of the idea of the fame game and its destructive nature and it was only earlier this year when I unearthed the poem once more that I was struck about the hopelessness of merely railing against the situation without offering any hope or pointing to the truth. So I wrote a second half to point to the God who knows us through and through and still loves us and who set an unchangeable value on each one of us when He sent His Son to offer up His life in our place.

This is a truth I need to soak myself in, particularly when feeling insecure and facing an unrelenting temptation to look to others for affirmation and acceptance.

Note to self –

Your value isn’t tied up with stocks and shares, likes or swipes don’t determine your worth

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So… give the fame to Him
Who repairs, renews, redeems and restores
He’s the only One who is worthy of it all.