Sometimes a phrase originated by a person becomes part of the lexicon of the language. One of those is “fifteen minutes of fame”. Most attribute these words to the artist, Andy Warhol, at an exhibit of his work in Stockholm, Sweden. It refers to the sometimes ephemeral nature of fame, which can be here one minute and gone the next.
One reference to this phrase is found in a Marilyn Manson song, which talks about drug use, and uses the words, “our fifteen minutes of shame”.
There are many recorded instances of a person having a very short blip on the fame radar screen. One-hit wonders in the world of music, where a group or individual cannot replicate their success and is quickly forgotten, fit into this category. Sometimes it is a person who accomplishes a feat first, and is not heard from again. Roger Bannister comes to mind. How many of you reading this remember that he was the first to break the four-minute barrier in track? He quit that endeavor and became a successful doctor, but for a short period of time, he was on top of the racing world. Or, being a baseball fan, do you recall the name of Bobo Holloman? A pitcher for the old St. Louis Browns, he threw a no-hitter in his first start in the majors in May of 1951, and was out of the big leagues by July.
It seems there is no shortage of people who want their fifteen minutes of fame. By doing things great, not so great or even odious, today’s characters don’t seem to mind if they are praised or panned, as long as they have their time in the limelight.
This entry will be heavily weighted to those who have been so eager to catch that fame that, in reality, they have snagged their “fifteen minutes of shame”.
First up is the D-list comedienne, Kathy Griffin. (Actually, if there was a list below D, she would have slumped down to it.) She managed to get a lot of air time when she showed up with a lifelike head of Donald Trump, bloody and looking like a victim of a vicious beheading. Griffin seemed to be channeling her “inner” ISIS, as that was one of their trademark methods of executing people, especially Christians. Griffin was roundly criticized by left and right, by foe and friend. Her somewhat apology was mitigated by her eventual claim that such a display was not so bad. However, she did get a lot of “fame” for her stunt, or should we say her fifteen minutes of shame.
Next in our lineup of fame seekers is Colin Kaepernick, erstwhile quarterback of the San Francisco 49s pro football team. This washed up performer (he had lost his job leading a losing team) decided to not honor his country by refusing to stand during the national anthem because his race is being oppressed in this country. By the time his “movement” reached its peak this season, the NFL had dropped to last in popularity compared to the other two major sports (NBA and MLB), fans had burned tickets and team jerseys, empty seats were showing up in stadiums and some advertisers had pulled their financial support. Good job, Colin. Your minutes of fame were well received!
We cannot forget the Mad Hatter of South Florida, Democratic Representative Frederica Wilson. For some reason I have yet to ascertain, she was listening in to a very solemn phone call from President Trump to the wife of a soldier killed in Niger, West Africa. Misinterpreting, either deliberately or inadvertently, what the President said to the wife of Sgt. La David Johnson, Wilson went on a rampage against Trump. Now she has been seen on every TV set in the nation, wearing the ridiculous cowboy hats she seems to like. Fifteen minutes of fame? No, not really, of shame.
One person seems to want her periodic fifteen minutes. This is Maxine Waters (D-LaLa Land). From the time candidate Trump was elected Waters has promised to impeach him. It has gotten so bad that if you were to greet her on the street with a pleasant “how are you”, the first words you would hear are “impeach him!” No matter how trivial a policy is that is being discussed, for her, impeachment becomes the solution. Although anyone who follows politics knows this, she still gets air time to bellow her mantra.
Another Congressman, Al Green (D-Texas) has already written up articles of impeachment against the President. Any casual observer would realize this stunt is an effort to get his visage and voice out there to the public, and I imagine he feels he has an adoring audience. But, how many of us have ever heard of this wingnut before he began his campaign? He becomes the poster boy for those who try to get their fifteen minutes of fame (or shame) in today’s hyper political atmosphere.
Some get their time in the limelight without even trying. James Comey, former director of the FBI, is one such character. He first came to air time when President Trump fired him in May. Democrats, who wanted his scalp after he supposedly tilted the election away from the queen in waiting, Hillary Clinton, jumped to his defense when he was canned. But his face has surfaced recently when it was disclosed that he was composing his exoneration of Clinton six weeks before the FBI had finished its investigation into her alleged crimes. Can anyone say collusion? Perhaps he will again make his appearance in the future, seeking another fifteen minutes in the limelight.
Sometimes these fame seekers seem to try too hard to get on the evening news. On 18 October, Senator Al Franken (D-Frozen Lakes) got into a very heated argument with Attorney General Jeff Sessions over the latter’s record on LGBT issues. Once again, Franken got his fifteen minutes (and more) of notoriety. Actually looking at the video of the exchange, it seems that the former clown still acts like one.
Not everyone who gets his or her fifteen minutes is a Democrat, even if it looks like they dominate the field. Republican Congressman Tim Murphy, from Pennsylvania, a staunch social conservative who opposes abortion and is strongly pro-life, announced his resignation after it was revealed that Murphy, 65 and married, urged his mistress to get an abortion after he feared she was pregnant (she wasn’t). He got his share of good publicity when pushing for a ban on abortions after the 20th week, but probably did not want the exposure he received for his blatant hypocrisy. Fifteen minutes of shame, well-earned by the former lawmaker.
In a Senate hearing on President Trump’s nominees for a seat on the Seventh U. S. Court of Appeals, two Senators seemed to be in tandem in seeking their fifteen minutes in the spotlight. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) grilled Amy Corey Barrett on her religious beliefs, questioning her fitness for the judgeship based on her strong Catholic faith. Their actions received much more air time than deserved, for the Constitution expressly prohibits any religious test for federal office. These two have had times in the past where their visages were seen on newscasts, but this seemed to be a concerted effort to tag-team the poor Notre Dame law professor. Many were appalled at this breach of decorum, and would put this one in the “shame” category. Well done, Senators!
Becoming national security advisor to the President is a very prestigious position. Being one for only 24 days makes major news, and elevates that person to candidacy in our list of those who have their fifteen minutes of fame. Really, now, how many of us had know much about Michael Flynn before his short tenure in the Trump Administration? The President had named the former Army Lt. General as his national security advisor, and had the nomination confirmed by the Senate. However, it seems that the former soldier, who had a wealth of experience and education in the military lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russian counterparts. When this came to light, Flynn had to resign. For a short time, this somewhat obscure former officer had been elevated to front page news in America. This is another example of finding your fame because of your own missteps.
One person who has been in the news for thirty years or so seems bent on not letting people forget who she is. Hillary Clinton, loser of last year’s Presidential election, has chosen not to just fade into the background of those who are, in fact, losers. She was the odds on favorite to become the 45th Chief Executive, but through factors mostly of her own making, managed to lose an election to a foe who was eminently beatable. Now 70 years old, and proud to be a grandmother, she has wealth that puts her in the top one percent of Americans. Her fellow citizens would expect her to quietly slip into retirement and be forgotten, except for a footnote in the history books. (After all, if high school history books only allot a couple of pages, or even paragraphs, to JFK, how much would she rate in the future?) Not so. Hillary is not content to let the limelight shine on the one who vanquished her. Since the election, she has cranked out a book titled What Happened, recounting all those who denied her the crowning she was entitled to. That means that from time to time, her appearances on her book tour show up and we have to listen again to another fifteen minutes of Hillary. Come on, now. You should allow others to have their minutes of fame!
It would be refreshing to find the news outlets show us those who deserve fifteen minutes of our time. Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, leaving the residents without power, without basic necessities and in dire straits. Many news sources have reported endlessly about the Mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz, and her harsh criticism of President Trump and the response to the crisis. Claiming that the federal government had not done as much as had been done after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma hit the mainland, she accused the President of ignoring Puerto Rico because of the color most of the inhabitants, ignoring the logistical nightmare in getting relief to an island far off our shores. Yulin Cruz got her time of fame, some believe because she wants to run for governor of the island commonwealth.
Yet — how much air time has been given to individuals who, of their own volition, have traveled to help Puerto Ricans? One such person was Yadier Molina, all star catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Born in Puerto Rico, Molina and his wife have raised money and given of their own funds to help in the relief effort. He also went to deliver food, water and other needed items, according to one source, door to door. He did not seek the adulation of his fellow Americans for this effort, but it would be very refreshing if the news media would highlight those who, like Molina, deserve the accolades from their fellow citizens. Give a high five to Yadi!
Unfortunately, space does not allow me to shine the spotlight all those who have had their fifteen minutes of fame, or shame, if you will. Those in the public eye will always make blunders, will always manufacture issues, will manipulate the facts in order to heap praise on themselves. Warhol may have been partially right about all of us having fifteen minutes of fame. But if we make that list, let’s make sure we do so for the right reasons as we attempt to make our time here beneficial to our fellow human beings, our fellow children of a gracious God