adminBEING a celebrity can be a nightmare at times.
The script can horribly go wrong, especially when fame does not match fortune.
Society harshly judges our icons once they fall on hard times.
During their peak, taking a stroll at shopping malls can also be a tall order as fans will be jostling for autographs.
In most cases, fans are not convinced that stars are not immune to poverty.
Filmmakers and television personalities are the most popular ones with fans.
The roles they play, in refreshing television series, endear them with the fans. So popular are some of these actors/actresses they create both friends and foes.
In extreme cases, we have had reports of these personalities being harassed on the streets for playing nasty roles, which some fans fail to take it for what it is – acting.
There are also some who are popular for playing roles of rich people.
Some fans will end up convinced that they are living large when, in most cases, they would be wallowing in poverty.
However, the majority of celebrities are never taken seriously when they fall from grace.
People are quick to conclude that they squandered their earnings on booze and women, especially if they die as paupers.
A change of mind set is needed to embrace our television stars, especially when they are in need of help.
Like any other person, television stars can go broke, lose marriages, become jobless, get ill or even fail to pay bills.
Last week, we carried a sad story of the popular Gringo series actor, Gweshe Gweshe, who is under the weather.
The 62-year-old is battling prostate enlargement at Chitungwiza Central Hospital. He was operated on early this week but more tests are still pending.
He is one of the few brave celebrities to have made a public appeal for help.
These are the kind of celebrities we want who would never die in silence, for the sake of maintaining an imaginary status.
In Zimbabwe, fame might not translate into fortune as local television personalities are not remunerated well while some never get paid at all.
The majority of our stars, who light up the small screen, are merely doing it for fame and not fortune.
Playwright and novelist Aaron Chiundura-Moyo has on many occasions been lamenting the poor remuneration, which does not match their fame.
It should be a clear message to the masses that acting can be a thankless job.
As it stands, only a few are rewarded with opportunities to preside over major events like weddings, graduations or roadshows. Going forward, our society needs to embrace our actors, especially when they fall on hard times.
The majority of them are struggling to make ends meet. To the arts regulatory chiefs, it’s high time they consider the welfare of television personalities.
Besides waiting for handouts, actors/actresses also need to diversify their revenue streams and insure their health and life.
In a nutshell, celebrities are also human and should never die in silence.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter