How social media is demystifying the ‘Nigerian’ pop star, others
The term ‘Twitter Fingers’ is one of the symptoms of a social media addict. The addiction doesn’t discriminate. It affects the young and old, rich and poor, famous and anonymous.
While social media has helped in the dissemination of information it has sadly shredded the mystique of greatness celebrities we have.
Kanye West, a rapper/producer once touted as Hip-Hop’s most creative genius, thanks to his fingers has been dwarfed him into a mad man playing with music instruments into the studio.
Bringing it home, the 34-year-old pop star Peter Okoye who has always paraded himself as one of the alpha males of the Nigerian entertainment industry with his chiseled frame and good looks has reduced his stature thanks to his bad case of Twitter fingers.
Last week Peter Okoye couldn’t control his thumbs as he vomited his emotions and thoughts about wanting his brother Jude Okoye to stop managing the group Psquare. It was a two-day affair that dealt a huge blow to Peter Okoye’s public persona.
One reason we adore celebrities is because we don’t expect them to be like us. We expect them to be super humans, better versions of ourselves. We don’t expect them to have our faults or flaws. We expect them to be better.
We can fight with our partners and rant about it on Twitter, but when Toyin Aimakhu or Freeze do it, it’s kind of disappointing. Truth be told it is entertaining at first. It’s just human nature. We see these demi-gods that we have worshipped for a while trip and fall, and we laugh at them. When it gets too much though it becomes worrisome to find out that the celebrity we have worshipped is just like us. The aura of mystique is on. When that happens the celebrity is no longer celebrated. He or she becomes a common commodity.
READ ALSO:- ‘Peter Okoye’ Blames ‘Jude Okoye’ for P-Square Recent Inactivity
As Peter Okoye ranted about Psquare and the management woes he lost control of his personal brand and devalued his celebrity currency. Celebrities are meant to be in control, it’s a hard job but they signed up for it.
A natural and certain aura should cloak a celebrity. Rants, tantrums, and emotional breakdowns on social media are a no-no. It is bad for business and bad for your brand.
Before the rants Peter Okoye was the ‘fine boy’ of the industry, with a mysterious bad streak about him. When he started ranting it felt kinda childish. It wasn’t something a bad boy (an image which he has always projected) would do.
He isn’t the only one to have killed the aura around him. Sean Tizzle once seen as maybe the next golden child of Nigerian pop music after Davido and Wizkid has fallen from grace to grass by his own hands literally. A few months ago he started tweeting some really weird crap and in a short time he was no longer seen as the golden boy.
Chocolate City Rapper Ice Prince has diminished the aura and mystique around him. He recklessly went online to defend the honour of his girlfriend. Defending her is not the problem, the manner in which he did is. He came online and had a very emotional rant that Drake wouldn’t have been proud of. With that situation Ice Prince might have lost a few fans.
Peter Okoye is a major culprit of this. From the dizzy heights of continental superstardom, the pop twin has reduced himself to a common person who tweets whatever is in his head. Celebrities are meant to be in control. Once you lose that control, you lose your cool factor and mysterious persona.
This does not only affect people who go on rants. Celebrities who are on social media every single day, and posting unnecessary stuff project the image that they have nothing better to do. And when they reduce themselves to that level people take free shots at them. There are many examples of this.
In an attempt to get closer to their fans (and not pay for P.R) they have become too familiar with their fans and have reduced their celebrity status. Peter Okoye once a titan now walks amongst us.
CREDIT:- Pulse.ng
