Thumbs up to all the super-fans in the celebrity world, and big-ups to those that value what it is to be a celebrity. Now, before I continue with what is at hand, the way it will baffle you is same way it did with me before I started to do this article.
Many questions I ponder over, and one is;
“Can a Nigerian fan buy any article/accessory of our celebrities for hundreds of thousands?”
Well, that is a question that is opened. You call it a weird world, but I say it is a world that is reciprocal. Indeed, reciprocal. Let me take you back memory lane, and you will understand why Nigerian celebrities are not really appreciated.
The first time I heard of Eddie Murphy, I was in my early secondary classes, around late 80’s, and it was his black and white picture I saw with a friend that got it from his fan club. How many of celebrities have fan club that they use to show appreciation to the fans, i.e. giving of autographed pictures, albums, visits, etc. it will amaze you that Chris Tucker performed with Michael Jackson on his “You rock my world” video because he is fan of the King of Pop. Many Nigerian celebrities do believe fans are just those people that buy their albums, and perhaps vote them during any awards ceremony. There is no nexus between the two parties.
And sometimes the fans go extra mile to get the phone numbers of their favorite fans, only to call them and the response you get is very funny and annoying. Let me still refresh your memory with celebrities of old. When MC Hammer rose to stardom, he went back to the neighborhood where he grew up and raised people that were not living well. Another sample is Ashanti, she went back to where she was schooled and performed. The list goes on. For now, it is only Psquare that you often see during shows/performances giving thumbs up to Uniabuja students.
The truth is Nigeria celebrities don’t really show much love to the fans, and this is the reason fans cannot go any extra mile for them, not even from their pockets.
Read below and see what fans could do for celebrities that they loved, cherished, and even would have given everything for. When it comes to being a superfan, money is not an option — at least for some buyers who have coughed up millions of dollars at auctions to own everything from celebrity hair to worn clothing and personal mementos. You all remember Elvis Presley; a clump of hair believed to have been trimmed from his head when he joined the Army in 1958 was sold for $15,000. Did I hear you say “what!”, but that’s nothing, in 2002 a clump of the singer’s hair went for almost $115,000.
Remember when Britney Spears went crazy and took an umbrella to hit an empty car? Well, the umbrella went up on EBay, starting at $25,000. Although the auction site took the item down, bids exceeded the starting price (and may have been bought offline).
John Lennon’s Steinway piano, which he composed ‘Imagine,’ went for $2 million. Who is the strange buyer? Well, it is another celebrity, Singer George Michael. During a 1999 auction, Marilyn Monroe’s infamous “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress went for $1,267,500.
Radio host Dave Ryan won Bob Barker’s trademark skinny microphone with a $20,000 bid on eBay, calling it a “cool opportunity to win… a one-of-a-kind piece of American pop culture.” His wife on the other hand wasn’t pleased with the purchase and tried to get him to back out of the auction.
One of Michael Jackson’s jewel-encrusted gloves sold for $49,000 in an Australian auction. You sure know the gloves, because he never took it off when he shook the Heads of States of any country.
Believe it or not, Gary Coleman’s sweatpants were up for sale. Someone bid $400,000 but didn’t come forward to pay. The second highest bidder took the pants for $500. In case you don’t remember him, he is an American actor, best known for his role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Different Strokes (1978–1986).
Audrey Hepburn’s black Givenchy cocktail dress worn in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ sold in 2006 for $923,187.
John Lennon’s hand painted Rolls Royce Phantom V was sold to Canadian businessman Jim Pattison in 1985 for $2.23 million. Judy Garlands ruby slippers from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ sold to a private collector in 2000 for $666,000.
When Justin Timberlake finished a breakfast interview at the New York radio station Z-100, the DJ put the left over French toast on eBay. A fan bought the food for $3,154. You wonder what her plans are. But she told the DJ, “I’ll probably freeze-dry it, then seal it…then put it on my dresser.”
I can guess what you thinking, how could some one spend so much on things like these? It sure did happen. So, can you do same for our Nigerian celebrities? Never to worry, keep the answer to you. Cheers!
