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"Fame" Without Fortune
note: I have posted this subject under Festival and Pitch Ethics because I think it is an ethical question.
I had just finished a show in downtown Boston when a representative from the Columbia Braodcasting System (popularly known as CBS) approached me to ask if I wanted a ten second commercial slot.
Well, okay, I thought, but please continue.
The representative said I would just say the line 'Hello, my name is _____ and I wake up the the Early Show every day.'
She spoke real fast. I had no idea where she was going with the whole thing and "the line" went past me in a blur so I inquired, 'You want me to say a line from my show?'
'No,' she said, 'say the line.'
'I'm sorry, what's the line?'
She repeated the line.
'Oh,' I say, 'That IS the line.'
'Yeah, will you do it?'
'No.'
She was disconcerted,'This is a 67 million dollar time slot that will be aired nationally. Why don't you want to do it?'
'Because there is nothing that I do from my show that I am offering to the commercial.'
She quickly cuts in, 'What do you want to be famous for–What do you do?'
'I am a comedy juggler.'
'Then why don't you want to do it?'
Silence.
'Will you do it?'
'No.'
She stormed away faster than I could see.
From her perspective I am insane because if I am juggling on the street with a huge crowd then why on earth would I turn down juggling for millions.
From my perspective she is insane because if CBS will spend millions of dollars on a commercial and they aren't going to offer me anything to do it then why would I do it.
I can see how she might think street performing is doing something for nothing. But by the same token if I am worth nothing by their standards then why should I think I'll be worth any more by doing the commercial on their terms. Does TV make people famous? Or do famous people appear on TV? In other words doesn't one create success by letting the world know they are worth something? They wanted a juggler and the public would have seen a juggler. Someone, somwhere might say, 'Oh, look at the juggler on TV.' But if CBS wanted me with a capital M, Me, then they would have thought we'll need to pay Him so He will be on TV. If I did part of my show then I would create the reason for someone who saw me to form a more important opinion of me like, 'Oh, that was cool, I like him, Who is he? where is he?' But I think that's a stretch. CBS knows as well as I that if I am offering something of value to me that they will need to pay for it. At least then without the "fame" she referred to I would have something to invest in my future. But she was asking me to do a job for her for nothing, that is, to think of myself as worth nothing.
When she left I was insulted. I don't watch the Early Show and I don't just juggle. I have a lot to offer that I give to audiences in person every day in an atmosphere I find fulfilling. Had she added the shallow sum of 250,000 dollars to her shallow request I would have done it. But she didn't and I said 'No' And I feel good about it. Already I have gained more than she had to offer.
I had just finished a show in downtown Boston when a representative from the Columbia Braodcasting System (popularly known as CBS) approached me to ask if I wanted a ten second commercial slot.
Well, okay, I thought, but please continue.
The representative said I would just say the line 'Hello, my name is _____ and I wake up the the Early Show every day.'
She spoke real fast. I had no idea where she was going with the whole thing and "the line" went past me in a blur so I inquired, 'You want me to say a line from my show?'
'No,' she said, 'say the line.'
'I'm sorry, what's the line?'
She repeated the line.
'Oh,' I say, 'That IS the line.'
'Yeah, will you do it?'
'No.'
She was disconcerted,'This is a 67 million dollar time slot that will be aired nationally. Why don't you want to do it?'
'Because there is nothing that I do from my show that I am offering to the commercial.'
She quickly cuts in, 'What do you want to be famous for–What do you do?'
'I am a comedy juggler.'
'Then why don't you want to do it?'
Silence.
'Will you do it?'
'No.'
She stormed away faster than I could see.
From her perspective I am insane because if I am juggling on the street with a huge crowd then why on earth would I turn down juggling for millions.
From my perspective she is insane because if CBS will spend millions of dollars on a commercial and they aren't going to offer me anything to do it then why would I do it.
I can see how she might think street performing is doing something for nothing. But by the same token if I am worth nothing by their standards then why should I think I'll be worth any more by doing the commercial on their terms. Does TV make people famous? Or do famous people appear on TV? In other words doesn't one create success by letting the world know they are worth something? They wanted a juggler and the public would have seen a juggler. Someone, somwhere might say, 'Oh, look at the juggler on TV.' But if CBS wanted me with a capital M, Me, then they would have thought we'll need to pay Him so He will be on TV. If I did part of my show then I would create the reason for someone who saw me to form a more important opinion of me like, 'Oh, that was cool, I like him, Who is he? where is he?' But I think that's a stretch. CBS knows as well as I that if I am offering something of value to me that they will need to pay for it. At least then without the "fame" she referred to I would have something to invest in my future. But she was asking me to do a job for her for nothing, that is, to think of myself as worth nothing.
When she left I was insulted. I don't watch the Early Show and I don't just juggle. I have a lot to offer that I give to audiences in person every day in an atmosphere I find fulfilling. Had she added the shallow sum of 250,000 dollars to her shallow request I would have done it. But she didn't and I said 'No' And I feel good about it. Already I have gained more than she had to offer.
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