The Fiction of Talent

Riverpineapple

I have read and heard a lot in the media about how important it is to have talent and that it's terrible that people on these reality shows don't have talent.

The impression I get is that the people who say this think you are a better person because you have a talent. Do they not realise that talent is just as superficial as good looks. Some people are just lucky to be born with it. Also these people who go on about talent seem to pick and choose which talents are important. They give out about people on big brother having no talent, but they could have lots of talents they don't know about, such as being great at scrabble or pac man. The talent isn't really their issue, what their issue is, is other people are getting attention instead of them and they think these "talentless" celebrities are beneath them. So they try and cut them down with vague "talentless" accusations.

Basically I think some people value talent or say they value talent so highly because it's easier for their ego to rationalize and twist information about it than say looks. If your number one value is looks and you are not good looking then you are going to feel pretty bad, it's quite hard to rationalize yourself into being better looking than most people when you are ugly. So some people decide to value talent instead of other values. It's pretty easy to judge people in your own subjective way on what talent is. You can be amazing in your own mind.

So to sum up, talent is as superficial as looks. People aren't really bothered by "talentless" people in the media, they are bothered by people who are in their eyes beneath them getting media attention. They are bothered by people "beneath" them being treated in a seemingly more important way, that's the real issue these people have.

Look forward to your comments.

nyarlothothep

I think as a society we're overly concerned about all being millionaires or famous for being talented at something. Ultimately the people who get to the top do so because of insane dedication and pure luck, there are many extremely talented and dedicated people who never get recognition because they're just unlucky, statistically. But it just puts an insane pressure on people to measure up to others based on what they can do or can't do. While talent can enhance the lives of many, the talented person can produce great works of fiction/music/art which bring joy to millions, a persons character should also be as important. Something that doesn't sit well with me is that if someone contributes to humanity in a greater way then that person has more worth in some respect, for example a junkie rockstar is more important than a junkie who never did anything with his/her life. I guess people should live their lives as best they can and if they fail to reach the top they have as much worth in a qualitative sense as a millionaire or film director etc.

Joey the lips

Talent comes in many types IMO. For example Jordans talent is stairing her in the face. But without her ability to play the media we would not know this. So she equally has a talent to play the media!

I have never heard simon cowel sing but he knows what the public want and how to play the media! Another talent!

The press dont publish good news and bad news they publish news that helps them sell papers! If this were not the case we would all be buying the cheapest peper with the most pages as it would contain more for the price! Another talent!

Some people are born with talent eg: Megan fox is not admired for her acting but her looks! another type of talent. Stephen hawkins is not admired for his looks but his brain!

Some people earn talent! Tiger woods is a great golfer!

Some people will never have talent but money can help there. Manchester united for example Only kidding! Not




=== Just realised the same thread is posted in afterhours Hummmmm ===========

irish_bob

looks are superficial and one is simply luck to be born that way , talent however must be nourtured , im sure thier have been many a soccer player as talented as wayne rooney or even pele , they just didnt develop it to the same degree so NO , i disagree with the OP

Babooshka

Riverpineapple wrote: »

I have read and heard a lot in the media about how important it is to have talent and that it's terrible that people on these reality shows don't have talent.

The impression I get is that the people who say this think you are a better person because you have a talent. Do they not realise that talent is just as superficial as good looks. Some people are just lucky to be born with it. Also these people who go on about talent seem to pick and choose which talents are important. They give out about people on big brother having no talent, but they could have lots of talents they don't know about, such as being great at scrabble or pac man. The talent isn't really their issue, what their issue is, is other people are getting attention instead of them and they think these "talentless" celebrities are beneath them. So they try and cut them down with vague "talentless" accusations.

Basically I think some people value talent or say they value talent so highly because it's easier for their ego to rationalize and twist information about it than say looks. If your number one value is looks and you are not good looking then you are going to feel pretty bad, it's quite hard to rationalize yourself into being better looking than most people when you are ugly. So some people decide to value talent instead of other values. It's pretty easy to judge people in your own subjective way on what talent is. You can be amazing in your own mind.

So to sum up, talent is as superficial as looks. People aren't really bothered by "talentless" people in the media, they are bothered by people who are in their eyes beneath them getting media attention. They are bothered by people "beneath" them being treated in a seemingly more important way, that's the real issue these people have.

Look forward to your comments.

Well to me a talent is a gift that others benefit from as well. So being good at playing pacman or scrabble, while it has its merits on a personal level I suppose, is not exactly a shining beacon which will benefit mankind.

It's the kind of talent that Da Vinci and Beethoven had that warrants fame and respect. That is not to demean people with less obvious talents. Everyone has talents, some just less obvious and less beneficial to the greater population. I suppose that's why so many people get irritated having to read about the life of some girl who apeared on a reality TV show and turn on their TV and see their faces looking back at them, because why are they on TV, really? What have they given to enhance the lives of others apart from offer a few weeks of their life to satiate the voyeur in so many, for cash and more attention? That's my view on it anyway.


Talent is not fiction. TV does that.

Dades

Having a talent is not something to be admired - taking advantage of that talent and doing something of worth with it, is. People used to earn fame because they could act, sing, play sport, write, paint etc. They earned respect, as well as celebrity.

Now people become 'famous' by simply placing themselves in the spotlight, and acting in an idiotic or eccentric manner. The public inevitably compare the new age of celebrities to those of yesterday to their detriment.

But real talent will always shine through. There's just a lot more chaff to wheat than there used to be. Turning off the TV and reading a book is a good start!

Sleepy

I've always wondered how much of talent is actually something you're born with...

Every single 'talented' person I know or have met has spent vast amounts of time working on the thing they're talented at...

In that sense I can see why people have more respect for those celebrated for being 'talented' at a specific skill than for taking their clothes off and playing the media well; appearing on a reality television show etc.

dvpower

Why do we 'celebrate' talent? Or, more to the point, why do we celebrate only certain talents like acting or singing?
I must admit i loved (that) Jade (was) on celebrity big brother. Talentwise, she was on a par with her celeb counterparts.

Greyfox

dvpower wrote: »

Why do we 'celebrate' talent? Or, more to the point, why do we celebrate only certain talents like acting or singing?
I must admit i loved (that) Jade (was) on celebrity big brother. Talentwise, she was on a par with her celeb counterparts.

What talent did Jade have? Absolutely none whatsoever, just like Jordan and Paris Hilton etc they don't deserve the media attention they get!

We should all celebrate real talent because as Babooska says they have made other peoples lives richer, although it's also true that it's thoose that work hard on their talent that deserve our respect

Tell me, what's superficial about the talent of the likes of JK Rowling, Steven Spieldberg, Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher, Lioni Messi etc.. absolutely nothing...these are genuinely special people that if you ever meet them in life you'll count yourself very lucky!

Some talented people really do deserve to be on the pedastil we put them on!