What is common between Muhammad Ali, Mona Lisa, Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe?
Their name starts with 'M'
Yes. But that's just a coincidence.
Let's add Alexander the Great, Bruce Lee, The Pyramids, Steve Jobs, Che Guevara and the words - "I have a Dream", "to be or not to be"- to the list. 🐙
Now?
They are ummm… 'legendary' in their own leagues...
Yes.
Whether they are living or non-living, alive or dead, physical things or ideas/thoughts/dialogues, they have defied time and managed to capture the minds for generations.
Simply put, they have attained the status of a Rockstar God 👑
How did they reach that status?
Every rockstar is unique, not necessarily in their skill or idea, but the way they became rockstar.
There unique story, which evokes certain emotions and lasting impressions, is one of the major things that makes them Rockstars.
But is the story enough?
Probably not.
There are several other factors which there are bigger than the story.
I would go on to say that it has a lot to do with luck/destiny as well...
...and i'll take a shot to derive it from some of the famous examples of rockstar gods, and prove it here.
So, what do you think creates a Rockstar God?
Their exemplary work in their respective fields? 👌👍
Yes.
Great work is a factor, of course.
It certainly sets them apart from others.
But there were many others who do the equivalent or contribute more but don't reach Rockstar God fame level.
Such as?
Dennis Ritchie, the creator of C language and Unix operating system, dies and no one notices 😶😐
Why?
Because the world hadn't gotten over the death of Steve Jobs, who had died a week before!
Now I don't, in any way, want to indicate who contributed more, but there was definitely one who was given a rockstar treatment while the other, who probably deserved as much respect, had a very few mourners.
It could be because not many people understood his work…
May be...
Does the 'level of understanding' of work among the masses impacts fame?? 😖
Not really…
How many of us understand Art? 🙅
I walked through the galleries of magnificent Louvre among some of the best works of art.
Some, in my humble opinion, are equivalent, if not better, than Monalisa, the most recognizable painting in the world.
And equivalent or better in every aspect - design, story depiction, strokes, etc.
But still, Monalisa defies all the limits of a successful art and becomes the single most famous Rockstar God among its peers across the world!
You barely see people in front of the other masterpieces!
Maybe because the work is referenced a lot…
That's right.
Factor 1: Cumulative Advantage of Fame
Monalisa has been one of the most discussed paintings.
Not knowing or understanding it is a faux pas in elite and intellectual (and wannabe intellectual) circles. 😓
Even for general public, it has been referenced in books, movies, newspapers several times.
It has made into dining table discussions (not necessarily with appreciative reference) at least once.
It has thus gained "Cumulative Advantage", which, as explained by Sociologist Duncan Watts:
Once a thing becomes popular,
it will tend to become more popular still
Slowly the references turn them into symbols, which are then utilized, referenced, revered and attacked upon.
Then it doesn't remain a rockstar's story, instead their references become part of every story.
Cumulative Advantage is thus one of the biggest factors in achieving God status.
But there are many things famous and referenced which do not achieve god status!
What makes something exceptionally famous in the first place?
Factor 2: One or more erratic and shocking incidents 😤😱😲
(generally, outside the field of work)
What made Muhammed Ali famous was not just his successful bouts, but his behaviour outside the ring.
The two biggest incidents in his life that generated most awe were outside the ring (of course, he was noticed outside the ring because of his performance inside it but... you get the point...) -
First, when he changed what he called his slave name, along with the religion.
And second, when he refused to serve the US Army during Vietnam War citing his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in Vietnam.
For his refusal, he was stripped of all his titles.
Imagine the shocks such incidents would have sent across the country!
Another Example
Let's go back to Mona Lisa.
The 16th century was definitely a great work of art by a great artist just like his other great works of art.
And it remained that for centuries until in 1911, it got stolen!!
Vacant wall in the Louvre after the painting was stolen.
Source: Public Domain Image from "The Two Mona Lisas" by Walter Littlefield, article from Century Magazine
Newspapers in many European countries published this news along with the image of the stolen art.
This made people speculate on the value of the painting, where it could be, how could it be sold, who would have money enough to buy it from the thief, criticize the government, follow up on French police's leads in getting it back….
Imagine the kind of headlines it would have made every other day.
People queued up outside Louvre to see the empty frame where the painting hung once.
Mona Lisa became a household name at least in France.
Finding it back was, even more, Dramatic.
The thief was caught trying to sell the eye-brow less lady to the Italian art gallery in Florence.
He claimed that he was trying to return it to the motherland where it belonged!
Imagine the fervor among the crowd.
Some Italian even called him a nationalist while the French called him a thief (i can just imagine the horrors if Facebook existed then 😅).
...
Alright. So, incidents trigger the fame which is further referenced to create a cumulative advantage.
But this is still very much local, maybe limited to a very few country.
What makes it create a global fame avalanche?
Factor 3: Visual Cue for/from the Popular Culture 🎭
I remember a video of a TV food host exploring street food in one of the places in India.
He came across several t-shirts hanging in street-side shops with a monochrome picture of a face.
When he asked a couple of buyers and the shopkeeper about the picture on the t-shirt, they mentioned that it was an image of a famous Rockstar (as in a musician/singer rockstar)
😒🔫
It was the famous monochrome picture of Che Guevara.
People in most parts of the world doesn't even know his name and still wear a t-shirt with his image!
Even if they do know him, like one of my friends does, they just know him as a revolutionary.
They don't know his story or what made him great.
How would they?
There is no video of Che Guevara out there strategizing or fighting that made him the ultimate warrior.
There is no famous movie made on him.
It's the famous image and its use as a symbol everywhere including merchandise is what took Che to a Rockstar God level.
Now ask yourself.
What if that famous portrait of Marlin Munroe and the incident of her skirt blowing away were NOT captured...
If Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk was NOT videographed…
If someone had NOT created Che Guevara's image…
If the passion in 'I have a dream...' speech was NOT captured in the audio-visual format…
So, great work,
followed by shocking incidents,
followed by cumulative advantage,
followed by popular visual cue.
All the pieces that create a Rockstar God.
Anything missing?
One last piece that makes it Skyrocket!
Factor 4: An abrupt ending, a Tragedy! 😞
(and the 'what if' that follows)
What if Steve Jobs, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Alexander the Great, Bruce Lee had not died an untimely DEATH at the peak of their career or at a stage where there were huge expectations...
...
Would they still have the status they have after death??
...
..
.
It's not THE STORY that is told that makes something great...
it's the MYSTERY OF AN UNTOLD STORY that keeps the people guessing and gives an event/people/art the status of a 'phenomenon'.
...
So can one plan it all out to be a Rockstar God…??
Probably not.
As I said earlier, it's the DESTINY! 🙏
Disclaimer: Unless mentioned, the source of all the images is Pixabay.
Alright people. This was a long one.
Had been waiting to write on a sociology topic for quite some time. Finally did it.
Let me know how you like this one.
Look forward to your opinions, thoughts in comments :)