The MLM Dream

MLM - Also known as multi-level marketing. Far removed from outdated and illegal pyramid schemes. (Basically, companies who sell products which are used to hide the pyramid structure. Shhh! Nobody will ever know.)

It's a midweek evening and you're checking your social media. A friend of a friend pops up...someone you've seen a lot of recently online; motivational quotes, lavish hotels - that sort of thing. She asks you to trial some products she knows you'll love, especially as they're 'vegan'. A very informal, friendly chit-chat. She seems nice. You agree.

Within a couple of days your new friend arrives, armed with products. They're nicely packaged, apparently free from all sorts of nasties and get good results. She casually drops the pretty package in your lap, mid-conversation about anything non salesy or product related (clever!), and then heads off to a meeting with a new consultant. Effortless.

You feel intrigued. One point to her!

You try the products and give feedback on her profile, as promised. The goods are fairly nice. Not notably better or worse than other products you've tried. A bit expensive, but worth it for the benefits to customers and the environment. You leave a few positive comments and order a product or two.

A week passes. She collects her goods and brings your new purchase round. You talk. She weaves in a bit about herself. How the business has massively improved her life and income. She mentions "time freedom" a bit - key words that get repeated and stick in your mind. She praises you for everything you do. Appears very interested and genuine, even leaves some free products for you. She says you'd be an amazing fit for the company. Easily flattered, you thank her and agree to talk it through over a herbal tea and fizz stick.

A couple of weeks have come and gone and you've done it! You've signed up for a slice of 'the dream'! To create that 'time freedom' everybody's talking about and to generally achieve all round greatness and fulfilment. It's a step towards a brighter future for yourself and your family. Amen.

Of course, you're a product of the product, so you have to be seen to be using them to be completely authentic. You're the shop front remember?! That will cost you. You place an order. It costs around £140. You then attend meetings, conference calls, join online groups and become coachable.

Within two weeks, you've booked a conference and accommodation that you're told is non-negotiable and essential if you're serious about the business. That's cost you another wad of cash, plus the mini business order for your upcoming launch...taking your total spend to over £500!

This is all wonderful. You're mostly upbeat about your new journey...until you start to question it a bit more and discuss it openly with friends, some of which happen to know this business model very well.

Alarms bells start to ring. You read up, watch documentaries, listen to audios and take advice from someone better informed. This opportunity is starting to make less sense as more facts and figures come to light. Why didn't you think of this before?...put a bit more research in. Simple. Because you were the perfect target. Sucker for a dream! A way of jumping off the hamster wheel...

Knowing that only 3% of all consultants are top earners and most make very little, you decide to pull out. You inform the consultant, who you're just a few hours away from launching with. You let all the people down you've roped into supporting you and back away.

Your upline is disappointed but positive. She says when you're 'stronger',  you'll be welcomed back at any time. She reminds you, you still have the business you signed up to and encourages you to continue to use the products.

You thank her and wonder how quickly you can retrieve some money. Yes, the money....

Celebrity Evolution

Celebrity Evolution

By Nicola Hosking

It is my intention to study and evaluate the concept of ‘celebrity’ and to examine changes over the course of history. As part of this examination, two key issues will be focussed upon; the importance of ‘Individualisation’ and ‘Identification’.  In addition, I will discuss an understanding of media influence within society and how the advances in new technologies determine ways of thinking. The area I aim to direct my analysis most towards is that of the ‘psychological’, mainly because I would argue that everything exists out of an ‘idea’…all that is learnt and created comes from the mind.

By referring to key texts – surrounding academic and public discourse on matters of celebrity – respected theories and perspectives will be presented alongside my arguments. In conclusion, I will summarise my findings, delivering an overview of the changing celebrity landscape and public perception.

The concept of ‘celebrity’ has changed over time, arousing interest for academic discourse and raising questions of worthiness. The word ‘celebrity’ was not seen in print until 1849 (Tillyard, 2005) but can be traced further back to much earlier centuries. Prior to discussion, it is worth defining what ‘celebrity’ is. The Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 2012) defines celebrity as:

                                                      

                                                                                                 A famous person;

The state of being well known 

The Latin origins of ‘celebrity’ are termed;

‘celebritas’, from celeber, celebr-, meaning:   

  'frequented or honoured'.

Saul (2011) differentiates fame and celebrity as follows:

“The idea of celebrity overlaps with that of its sibling 'fame'. Fame describes 'reputation', 'renown' or 'good report'; it is associated with recognition of an achievement beyond time or place…the knowledge that he or she will have a place in history. Celebrity, however, is associated with a certain glitziness which underlies and informs a relationship between the celebrity and an admiring audience...”

‘Celebrity’ has also been described as being variously used to indicate a more fleeting conception of fame (Rojek 2001, 9) - the contemporary state of ‘being famous’ in which ‘meaningful’ distinctions and  hierarchies have diminished, or when fame rests predominantly on the private life of the person, as opposed to their performing presence (Geraghty 2000, 187). To expand further, Chris Rojek, has categorised fame as a process of ‘celebrification’, suggesting distinctions between ‘ascribed’ celebrity (a product of lineage), ‘achieved’ celebrity (a meritocratic conception where fame is linked to talent and accomplishment), and ‘attributed’ celebrity (which simply emerges from ‘concentrated’ media representation).

The emphasis here is clearly that we have moved toward a culture of attributed celebrity. This is very much in keeping with the popular discussion of fame in the contemporary moment, and again underlines the reciprocal relationship between public and academic discourse (Rojek 2001)

 The modern day celebrity has been recognised as a by-product of the growth of mass literacy, arising from an explosion in the number of printing houses and the existence of a public concerned with new ways of thinking about itself.  However, according to Saul, the roots of celebrity can be found much earlier. It may be that the origins of the modern celebrity cult are to be found in the 13th and 14th centuries, in the so-called age of chivalry (Saul, 2011 20-25)

 

Reflecting on a time before the word celebrity existed, those individuals who brought honour to nations or displayed a specific talent and flair, were the celebrities of their day. Medieval knights, scholars, artists and diplomats stood before an adoring public to entertain, enlighten and inform…to be ‘celebrated’. Their acclaim would be recognition of what had been accomplished rather than for the individual.  In the ancient world Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Augustus, even Socrates, had all in their different ways encouraged the growth of a cult around themselves (Saul 2011. 20-25). 

On the contrary, the modern celebrity does not go hand in hand with talent or merit. Daniel Boorstin’s (1962) book on the media, The Image, affirms this by referring to celebrity as a "human pseudo-event," A product of manufacture – ‘creation’…where celebrities are known unlike ‘heroes’ for their ‘image’ rather than their achievements (Briggs & Burke 2005). This focus on image is related to contemporary postmodern culture’s emphasis on spectacle and surface reality. Robert Dyer (1980) argues that stars embody social values that need, or are felt to need assertion or reassertion (Stadler, 2005). This is further reflected when thinking about the rise of urban democracy. The two-hundred-year expansion of its media of communication, together with the radical individualisation of the modern sensibility making fame a much more transitory reward, changing public acclaim from an expression of devotion in to one of celebrity.  (Inglis, 2010)

In consideration of the above, we can begin to have an understanding of why celebrities are so successful. What they portray through their image reflects society’s own needs and desires. As a society we have become much more focussed on ‘individualism’. This is affirmed by Holmes (2005):

“The topic of selfhood and identity is particularly important, as it appears to be where popular discourse on contemporary celebrity and academic perspectives meet.”

The shift towards a much more ‘individualised’ society has erupted out of fractured social frameworks which have led people to become ‘self-sufficient’. The systems that once united people; religion, communities, class, don’t hold as much importance as they once did. Not that they don’t exist but their relevance has diminished somewhat. Similarly, Inglis (2010), posits that celebrity, at a time when the realms of public politics, civil society, and private domestic life are increasingly fractured and enclosed in separate enclaves, is one of the adhesives which serves to pull those separate entities together and to do its bit towards maintaining social cohesion and common values.

This more self-centred perspective is further permeated by the advance in information technology which enables the public to make broad connections across many platforms, closing the gap between distance and time. Consumers are able to communicate accessibly and instantly. News can travel faster than ever before.

We are surrounded by images of celebrities; on television, adverts and films, through internet sharing, in glossy magazines and on billboards. In relation to this, the multimedia press churns out celebrity stories (most of which are fabricated) and capture private images which reach the public sphere at great speed. The use of this new media brings people into ‘close’ connection with their idols, therefore allowing a virtual dialogue to develop, making it all the more ‘real’. People buy into the concept largely because of its overbearing presence. It’s the age old case of ‘if you hear something enough, you’ll believe it’. The idea rubs off, influencing thoughts and actions.

The overwhelming interest in the celebrity cult today could simply exist out of a fascination for the basic human desire to succeed or gain individual recognition. People like to be seen as popular. It’s understandable that fame or celebrity lifestyle is often thought of as glamorous, but what an image depicts is far different from the truth of a situation. Celebrities, much like ourselves, ‘perform’ to an audience. They need the media as much as the media needs them. Holmes (2005) suggests that if we were to apply the questions we ask of celebrities to the broader context of human identity, they explore ‘useful’ issues surrounding selfhood: is there a distinction between our ‘private’ and ‘public’ selves?  With this in mind it is worth thinking more in depth about psychology and how in everyday life there are very clear elements of ‘performance’ at play. People adapt their behaviour to different situations, in a sense ‘performing’ according to what is happening or who they are with. Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter enable a profile to be created for sharing. In one sense that profile becomes manipulated to show the ‘best’ (or perhaps the worst) of somebody….to present themselves in a particular way. We adopt a new ‘mediated’ personality for the purpose of others and in the same way the press manipulate their material to make headlines.

Today’s culture of celebrity is much less romantic then what has pre-existed.  We are surrounded by, arguably, talentless individuals who end up on reality TV, parading their selves in a ridiculous fashion to gain credibility. The sad matter is - it works. If we take Big Brother (Channel 4, 2000) contestant, Jade Goody, as a well-considered example, she was an inarticulate young woman with a poor sense of geography, a lack-lustre demeanour, brutally opinionated and vocal, with low self-esteem regarding her own self-image. It was just those attributes that pulled her through to the end and crowned her ‘winner’. What the public recognised in her, was her sense of humour and her ‘no-shame’ attitude. This is what the public appear to want from celebrities (and probably politicians too)….to identify with them as ‘real’ and ‘ordinary’. Stadler (2005) suggests that the success of Big Brother points to two factors: the way that every day people can become instantly famous – having their fifteen minutes of fame.  And the way they are quickly found, celebrated and then disregarded since these shows are perpetual events.

It is possible to argue that the underlying quest for fame and renown in the age of chivalry, which was embodied in the values of the social elite, is mirrored by contemporary celebrity culture today.  To affirm this, Fred Iglis (2010) sums up how:

“…understanding celebrity turns into an enquiry into the best and worst values of contemporary Western society. These public lives embody key meanings of the day; success and wealth first, perhaps: then niceness, generosity, honesty, integrity, spontaneity, sympathy (on the good side); and arrogance, insolence, cruelty, narcissism, irresponsibility, greed (on the bad)”.

The success of any celebrity is built upon a combination of media marketing, the contribution of the star themself and importantly, audiences who pay to see them.  The ‘product’, so to speak, is groomed and marketed to connect with people. Stars offer a symbolic resolution to cultural concerns (Dyer 1987).

If we observe celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe or David Beckham, it is clear to see how their images and identities can mean a number of things to many people; Marilyn on the one hand, as a woman struggling to survive in a male-dominated world, appealing as sex object, victim or heroine and David Beckham’s contradictory image of sporting and sexual prowess coupled with responsible husband and family man…both celebrities embody a type of identity representative of changing social norms, (of their respective eras) and shifting boundaries around sexuality and gender. The association between iconic figures and the ideas they convey impact upon audiences. We buy into the package they present. Not always for the positive. Negative press (i.e Michael Hutchins tragic sex/drug fuelled death) is glamorised because tragedy makes for good drama. It entertains. The tabloid press make a very good job of exploiting celebrities which in turn causes legal battles with big media corporations. 

The same way crowds were once entertained by gladiators fighting to the death in the arena; the public now gain entertainment from tragic life stories. Jeremy Kyle’s television talk show is just one example of how people revel in misery. The media finds, devours, and then spits out the latest discovery (Stadler, 2005). We are observational creatures, interested in what we see, hear and read. In this respect, today’s concepts of celebrities and their influences may have altered, however essentially people want to be entertained in the same gladiatorial way.

To summarise, my argument would be that the reason for the shift in the concept of celebrity lies alongside a shift in society. Values and ideologies have changed as society has become fractured, leaning towards an emphasis on the ‘individual’. There is a greater interest today in the latest celebrity scandal than in heroes receiving awards at royalty-lined ceremonies; because it’s seen as ‘real’ and the public can easily identify with it. In our culture, news of celebrity scandal often takes the headlines above important world events. Celebrities are built up as ‘modern day Gods’.

Contemporary society is captivated by those they see as glamorous. Since recorded history, humans have had a fascination with the famous. Gods were created as very human-like beings by people in ancient Greece and Rome, complete with character flaws and drama. Throughout the middle ages, royalty and nobility were the celebrities of the time.

In today’s fast-changing world consumers are much more empowered in their use of the media, gaining more control as tight regimes have become relaxed (encouraging ‘individualism’). The speed in the turnaround of new media and technology is moving forward at a very quick pace…what we have available to us today was different to yesterday and will be even greater tomorrow.

The Writer's Voice

Some people are very good at enlightening us in ways we hadn't predicted.

Having been introduced to Daisy as a Writer and Producer, she talked to us about her experience of working in the film industry, straight from graduating as a scriptwriting student.

A working history, in brief...

Daisy's first job was as an assistant producer for the Discovery Channel, also working as a script reader for Working Title. Daisy went on to work in distribution, working for Downtown Pictures, followed by three years in acquisitions and development for international sales agent and financier Capitol Films. She moved into production when joining producer Nick Hirschkorn for Five Children & It and helped him to launch the film arm of his commercials company Feel Films in 2004.
As head of development for Feel she managed a slate of literary adaptations through development, production and distribution, including the upcoming production of The Song of Names written by Jeffrey Caine. She was Associate Producer on Feel’s production Skellig starring Tim Roth, John Simm and Kelly Macdonald. She worked with Enlightenment Films as a consultant and Associate Producer on I Can’t Think Straight and the multi award winning The World Unseen.
Daisy was a founder of Stellar Network UK, a membership organisation connecting professionals in film, television and theatre. As a script writer, she is represented at Casarotto Ramsay. She had a radio film review slot on Classic Gold for a number of years and has served on various panels and short film festival juries, and taught on numerous script development workshops.

Daisy gave some great tips throughout her talk, helping us to see the industry for what it is - ruthless.
Her advice to read as MANY scripts as possible, to network (that word again), to embrace change and to think about what type of writer I am? - what my 'voice' is?... helped me to put my thoughts into perspective and to think more broadly about my writing journey. I have never had grand notions of BIG things happening quickly (if at all)...I realise that this is a tough business and I'm prepared to work hard to pave my way. Daisy shed light on areas, such as the importance of spreading myself as thickly as possible. She even suggested working as a script reader for free at first as a way into the industry -  a way to make contacts and raise profile. I'd never considered this before and I appreciate the knowledge of her first-hand experience.

So what type of writer am I? And what is my voice?...

I would say I lean mostly towards gritty drama....ideally for TV, quite probably at some point for radio. Having said that I want to explore horror/crime thriller and also comedy. In a session with Serena Cullen, she made it clear that a writer should write for one genre only. That you should not cross over. I can see why writing across genres could be problematic in terms of  a building and maintaining a repertoire. However at this early stage in my journey I cannot say for certain where my writing is best placed only that I do enjoy writing drama.

My voice is my dialogue with others and with myself. It's a way of expressing, exploring and planting seeds.....

Developing the writer's Profile and Status

Developing Profile and Status....the key to success!

It has to be said, I've never been all that good at 'selling' myself but as I take this writer's journey it is essential that I hone these skills if I am to get anywhere at all.
Today I attended a seminar with Helen Jacey, the main focus to inform us of the importance of NETWORKING - that daunting word. Not that I dislike being social....just that at this early stage, I lack the academic jargon to articulate myself as I'd wish...I'll get there. It's becoming easier.
So, how to improve - what strategies should I use to develop my status?
Key points were those relating to what I can DO in the here and now to raise my profile. It's about being proactive and consistent. The list includes;

                                                          -  a BLOG (box ticked!)
                                                          - produce a writer's CV
                                                          - create a web site
                                                          - social networking site/facebook page (box ticked!)
                                                          - invest in some business cards
                                                          - write selling documents for each of my projects
                                                          - enter competitions
                                                          - network/attend film festivals

Lists are good...especially when ticked! I am currently creating a CV - (writer's CV's should be artistic & creative, conveying expression of self) one which will stand out from the rest in terms of visual aesthetics - well that's the plan (I'll let you know if it works).

Further to the discussion of raising profile, Helen relayed to us the importance of establishing the role of scriptwriter within the SIWG- Screen Idea Work Group. This group is made up of all the people who have a direct relationship with the screen idea. They exist in film, TV and radio. Directors, Producers, Writer's and Editors are a few of the people who work within these groups from initial concept to post production. As in all jobs, there is a hierarchy, which isn't often in favour of the writer, especially in the film industry. Working collaboratively, being assertive and open to new ideas helps! It's very difficult when there are a number of people working in one group to create something. Each of us have our own vision of what works. I have experienced this for myself when working collaboratively. It's a fine balance of compromise...listening is key and not taking rejection personally. Having said that, if you believe a concept to be strong, push it and explore it... address the feedback and work with it. Can it be re-worked/adapted? What is causing the conflict? It's about throwing ideas into the pot and filtering out the bad ones so that what is left can be shaped into something strong and thought provoking.

As time has passed I have improved my ability to give and receive criticism. It used to be excruciatingly painful to critique someone's work...I'd be very good at giving positive feedback but when it came to faulting their work in any way, I was terrible. I just couldn't do it. It's a skill in itself and as my creativity has been harnessed, alongside all the theory surrounding structure and style, I am able to find the right words. It's also important to remember that all criticism is constructive, rather than negative.

This seminar with Helen has really got me taking action with regards to 'selling' myself'...I have added myself  to google+, posting blogs there, updated my information on LinkedIn, connecting with a number of respected professionals in the industry and I have become a blogger, which I do intend to keep doing. This is just for starters. I am looking into producing an artistic CV - there are a number of sites where you can customise this selling document to tailor your needs. Business cards too!( - all within my 6 month plan!) I have been aware of my lack of productivity outside of my course. In my attempt at becoming more prolific, I have started to write down ideas for two new projects. I also intend to enter more competitions. I have an existing profile on Circalit and have posted work for feedback on the site. My main aim for the new year is to write, direct and produce something ...anything! Helen really pushed this point and it has stuck in my mind....even if it's on a mobile phone, I'm going to make a film!
                                                                                
I attach a link and a video clip to assist in harnessing your NETWORKING skills...I hope they are of some use.

http://www.brunel.ac.uk/services/pcc/students/finding-a-job/developing-networking-skills

http://youtu.be/XCO9-93Z1H0

For the purpose of 'raising my profile' & indeed networking, my LinkedIn page is attached via this link: (feel free to connect if we share the same professional interests)

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=144717582&trk=hb_tab_pro_top


References:

Brunel University. 2011. Developing Networking Skills.  Available at: http://www.brunel.ac.uk. [Accessed 11/12/2012]

Kintish Business Networking Tips. 2011. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCO9-93Z1H0&feature=youtu.be {Accessed 11/12/2012