Probably a lot of interesting news was revealed and quickly got lost over the last few weeks as we were all being deluged by the shooting in Ferguson, Mo. Whether we were really interested didn't matter, the news media (television was easily the worst) continuously distracted us from our normal way of life. Some of the television interviews played on race relations, the use of unnecessary force by law enforcement, freedom to protest as provided in the Constitution and, not surprisingly, the plight of "poor America." Regardless of which particular issue we supported, questioned, or ended up being distracted by, most of us overlooked a media report about some sources of celebrity wealth and how great the separation is between the haves, and the have-nots. The have-nots are, of course, most of us average working-class people.
All this issue of wealth forced me to look at a definition for what the world seems to call a "celebrity." Having sought others' opinions on their understanding of this term, I came to the conclusion it is (for me anyway) someone who can make money or demand to be paid, for their time, picture, attendance or relationship as as result of media attention over their activities. Having defined, for my purposes, a celebrity, I had to separate "famous" from celebrity because some individuals are recognized for their success in a specific endeavor but not necessarily a celebrity. Berkshire Hathaway's famous leader -- Warren Buffet -- is known for his success as a builder of a financial empire, but cannot "sell" his image to the youth of today. Selling a million DVDs of a musical performance while scantily or outlandishly dressed apparently is a mark of a celebrity as is charging an enormous fee for making an appearance as a speaker.
All this questioning prompted me to look up the salaries, and/or net income, for some celebrity figures in today's society. It is obvious that in America we have-nots spend a disproportionate percentage of our income perpetuating the status of those we "worship" as celebrities. From sports, to musical and motion picture stars, from politicians to talk show hosts, we keep these people in front of the eyes of the public in the way we spend our money. And, the rewards of celebrity status can result in enormous incomes that continue to separate the celebrity from those who support their status by attending their performances, buying their records or purchasing look-a-like personal wear clothing or sports attire.
It surprised me to find that Major League Soccer star Clint Dempsey (of whom I had never heard before this) of the Seattle Sounders (I didn't know there was a soccer team in Seattle) has a guaranteed salary of $6.695 million according to ESPNFC. How many tickets at what price does it take for the team to support that income? I don't know much about soccer nor the individuals, but the game is recognized world-wide and the stars are rewarded accordingly. Cristiano Ronaldio of the Real Madrid franchise is reported to earn $73 million in salary, bonuses and the real indicator of celebrity status, endorsements.
Our most famous golfer (Tiger Woods) was reported to earn $78 million in 2013 and the majority of his income is from sources other than actually winning golf tournaments. His name and face are synonymous with golf, country-club life styles, golf accessories and being with other celebrities.
Peyton Manning of professional football fame makes television commercials, plays quarterback on winning football teams and sells tickets and football gear in the process. According to Forbes, his salary is $15 million for playing football -- convincing people to see the game on television and in person and getting them to wear his team's jersey. His total income was estimated at $27 million. That's a lot of Buick and pizza commercials.
Heaven only knows how much money Michael Jackson earned over his lifetime performing on stage world-wide and endearing himself to millions. And we still have Elvis Presley fans willing to pay large sums of money for memorabilia and working to keep his memory alive. Performing as an Elvis look-alike is almost a career in itself.
A recent event even pointed out an enormous source of income for some celebrities that few of us can fully grasp. Former First Lady Hillary Clinton was invited to speak at a Founder's Day Dinner at Las Vegas, Nevada, University (UNLV) and the details of the contract were reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Her normal fee for an appearance is $300,000 but she was willing to accept this engagement, a fund raiser for the school, for "only" $225,000 plus a number of additional items which push the overall cost well beyond a price I can comprehend. In addition to her fee, she required the "presidential suite" at a luxury hotel of her staff's choice, a chartered private jet of a size stipulated (16 passengers) by Mrs. Clinton and all expenses for her and her staff including air travel for the early arriving staff . And, because she is who she is, a celebrity, she controls the time devoted to the speech, the number of pictures taken with guests, control over the media information and the only notes to the speech. Celebrities are a group set aside from us working class supporters by more than just money. However it is interesting to note that one media person calculated that $300,000 is the equivalent of 20 minimum wage salaries for a year. (I did not check that number.) Celebrities have skills and status that allows them to negotiate benefits that keep the gap between them and us ever widening.
Please remember, I, too, watch football and therefore contribute to the celebrity status of stars by paying my cable television bill. I am, however, too cheap to buy Dallas Cowboy (or even U of A) football attire.
It is you and I, and our children and grandchildren, if we have them, that keep these celebrities where they are -- on a pedestal that gets further and further above us every year. This is true no matter what their profession -- music star, athlete or politician.
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Editor's note: Leo Lynch is an award-winning columnist. He is a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Editorial on 09/10/2014