I absolutely HATE celebrity gossip! That’s why I try hard to avoid any “news” article that is just updating me on someone’s relationship, or party habits. Even when it’s a sports mega-star like Brett Favre. However, I came across this article on Yahoo Sports yesterday, and it immediately caught my attention.
Apparently, Favre is being accused of sexually harassing a woman in 2008 when he played for the Jets.
Favre could possibly be suspended by the NFL for this, and that would severely damage his image. If that happens, his chances to make money in “retirement” from endorsements, working as a TV analyst, and speaking engagements will be greatly hindered!
The author of the article (Patrick Rishe of Forbes.com) goes on to estimate that Favre can make at least $10 million each year over the next 10 years – or $100 million!
***warning: what follows is a bit of a rant***
So, my amazement isn’t over the charges – I honestly don’t know any of the details of this case (nor do I want to) – but I’m amazed that a guy who retires from playing a game can still earn $10 million a year for doing next to nothing!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of these guys who doesn’t think that people should take advantage of these types of opportunities! If someone thinks he is worth $10 million because he used to be able to throw a football around, then he should take it!
But, where are we at as a nation when that is the thing we place the most value on? Entertainment seems to be the thing that drives this country. Commercials have gone from giving you information about a product, to mini sitcoms that get you to buy with comedy instead of facts! We’ve gotten to the point where people can be “famous for being famous”, and paid tens of thousands of dollars just to show up at an event! What’s really bad is that we have people who are struggling to get out of debt, now paying the salary of these entertainers!
The most respected and influential people in this nation are entertainers, and that’s who we tell our children to look up to as role models!
Why is this the case?
Obviously, this couldn’t happen unless our dollars chased these things! If the various sports leagues, record companies, movie studios, and cable companies didn’t earn billions of dollars from the public (and advertisers), then this wouldn’t be possible.
Also, the fact that we buy everything in sight because of a funny commercial, and a general lack of self-control, allows companies to pay billions in advertising to further perpetuate this problem.
Like I said, I have no problem with someone creating demand for a product (whether it be entertainment or a helpful service), and then profiting from that demand.
My problem is with that demand! We crave entertainment so much, that it pushes people to make unwise financial decisions that they pay for many years after!
Now, I’m not against entertainment, or the need to relax once in a while; but that’s become our goal in life. We (in a general sense) have become allergic to hard work! Maybe that’s why we are so enamored with entertainers and reality show “stars” – we see them making tons of money but seemingly not working hard for it!
An absence of hard work?
In the past, the American dream has been achieved by hard work and ingenuity, and if someone wasn’t willing to work hard, they were (usually) satisfied with “just getting by”. But now we want both! We desire a life filled with fun, entertainment and ease, and we envision a life of wealth and luxury, where we can obtain anything that we want no matter the cost!
Between frivolous entertainment, and massive consumerism in general, we have become extremely short-sighted in regards to our finances. If we want something and can’t afford it, we won’t work harder, we’ll just borrow from someone else. Then we get upset when we don’t pay them back and they want to take our stuff (or they call us after 7pm), and we ask the government to step in and give us a bailout, or at least make the creditor play nice.
We are now at a point where the price of most things is quoted in terms of monthly payments, instead of the true price! We are so comfortable with borrowing and living above our means that we can’t envision our lives without debt.
So far we’ve seen that many Americans…
- Are not inclined to work hard
- Desire wealth as if it’s the source of happiness
- Want all the luxuries that hard work allows us to afford – without the effort
- And want the government to save them from their own mistakes
On top of all of that, once these mistakes are made, we are not wise enough to learn from them and make intelligent decisions!
Think about the sad fact that a cable bill is the last thing that people will neglect when their life is falling apart. They will let their car, house, debt, and even insurance payments lapse before cutting off cable! How insane is that?!?!
I have known people to have a huge cellphone bill due to having a smart-phone and data plan (usually unnecessary), and a huge cable bill, but are behind on rent/mortgage payments, ducking phone calls from creditors, and hiding their car from the repo man!
It’s one thing to fall into this trap and make these bad decisions, but it’s something totally different to keep repeating them!
***rant over***
Thank you for indulging me for the last few minutes! I’d like to hear your thoughts:
- Why do you think there is such a focus on entertainment?
- Do you think that a good number of Americans hate hard work?
- Do you mind that entertainers and people who play games make more in a week than a teacher will make in 10 years?
- Why is it that when people ruin their finances chasing after luxuries (or even from not being prepared for life), they continue to make the same mistakes?
Photo by cliff1066™
I think that at some point in time every great society places an extreme emphasis on entertainment (reality shows, sporting events, celebrity news). The neglect academic and cultural pursuits in a chase for pleasure. This is dangerous because a society will lose its motivation to innovate, create, and build which are the things that made it great. Entertainment get ways too much attention in this country. We have become the instant gratification generation.
I think we are definitely at that point now. We loathe hard work, and we chase after pleasure without restraint!
I see where you’re going with this, and I don’t necessarily disagree. I do think that teachers, as an example, are a part of a more noble profession than an athlete like Favre. Of course, who’s to say that any given teacher is a better person or role model than him? He’s looking like a dirty older guy now, but you never know what any gien teacher might be like outstide the classroom. Like any walk of life, there are probably good and bad apples in teaching. Same with sports, banking, medicine, etc.
Anyway, as far as these entertainers making money…well, it’s the free market at work. There’s demand, so they’ll make it. I don’t begrudge them for taking advantage of it, and don’t get worked up over these people making tons of money. They have something that many people are clearly interested in, as evidenced by spending patterns. It’s not something I’m fond of, as I think there’s a bit too much entertainment focus in our society, and people use this as an escape from their own lives.
But it is what it is for now. The key, in my view, is for each of us to live our own life according to our own values. If someone else wants to go worship Favre (or some other athlete entertainer) and buy every product he pitches, that’s their loss. I’ll try my best not to do it.
To the question about people not working hard – yes, I do agree that there are far too many people who don’t work hard but want luxuries, and are addicted to money’s ability to provide such things. It’s unfortunate, I agree with you. I too try to blog about practical strategies for handling money as well as its role in our lives.
Circling back to Favre once more: he’s a great football player, and is a role model for how to play on the field, and how to be physically and mentally tough. That doesn’t make him – or any entertainer – a role model. Hopefully, we can all steer our kids to look at parents, elder family members, and other high-character people as personal role models, instead of athletes.
I definitely agree about it being a free market. That’s why I can’t be upset about his salary or other deals. If those opportunities are out there, he should take them!
You make an excellent point about true role models! it should be about character and wisdom, not talent!
Thanks for the great comment!
Oh, and while I was talking about entertainment I forgot to mention this is one of the most entertaining articles I’ve read all week. Great job Khaleef!
Thanks – I was hoping that I didn’t start to ramble!!
I agree with a lot of what you said, but I don’t think any of it is necessarily bad. The focus on entertainment is simple: people like to be entertained. No matter what message you want to convey, people will listen as long as it’s entertaining. That’s why I try to make my blog entertaining first and informative second; because you can’t have the second until you have the first.
I’ve also made a little vlog about teacher vs. athlete pay that sums up my opinion on that topic pretty well: http://bit.ly/cZbtCW
Yeah, I love entertainment as well, but after a certain point I need some substance. It’s pretty sad when getting information about a product is not as effective as seeing a funny commercial that tells you nothing about what you are buying!
I have always been puzzled as to why entertainers make so much money. I love even more when already overpaid sitcom stars leave the show because 100,000 dollars an episode isn’t enough (or whatever), and they then go flop in the movie industry.
On the surface, much of America appears superficial. Spend on what you want whether you can afford it or not, overvalue celebrities, etc. However, there is a huge core of people that are very financially responsible, but they don’t get the headlines like mass of people that spent irresponsibly and are now getting bailed out.
I have no idea why teachers are so underpaid relative to celebrities and such. The only thing I can think of is that sports figures have a very limited career, and they are risking their bodies for their profession. Also, celebrities generate money, teachers do not. Companies everywhere value the revenue generators much more than the ‘liabilities’.
Kris,
I think this goes to your post today. It’s not the individual celebrity as much as our idea of them that’s so important. We place value on the thin Angelina Jolie being able to kick the mess out of guys 3 times her size with superhuman strength, gorgeous looks, and enough intensity to make even the toughest wince. It’s all about perceived value, and since it’s there in our heads, it exists in their wallets.
It’s funny, every time I think that this society is changing and beginning to honor those who make wise decisions, someone like Lady Gaga becomes the most talked about person in America!
My only problem with all of this, is the fact that these people can generate so much income! Why do these things hold such a high value for us? We treasure things of no lasting value and that really troubles me!
“I came across this article on Yahoo Sports yesterday, and it immediately caught my attention.”
Well, that’s what a controversial and fanciful headline is supposed to do.
The Forbes columnist’s estimate of Brett Favre’s future earnings is comically generous, unless Favre plans on making multiple daily public appearances every day of his retirement, which kind of defeats the purpose of retirement.
The worst thing that will happen to Favre will likely be an out-of-court settlement, and even that’s a stretch. The NFL’s commissioner is overzealous sometimes, but not to the point where he’s going to end the most enduring consecutive-game streak in sports history by decree.
A headline about “The $220,000 text” isn’t going to get as many page views as one about “The $100 million text”.
Now, onto your question, specifically:
“Do you mind that entertainers and people who play games make more in a week than a teacher will make in 10 years?”
Of course not. Why should I? Brett Favre’s contract is between him and Zygi Wilf. My business relationship with Brett Favre is that I watch him on TV every few weeks. It costs me nothing. One of the biggest logical brain dumps in recent history is that a third party has any business having an opinion on a contract between two private parties. Whatever Favre makes, you can bet he’s making even more for the Vikings (and Wrangler, and whichever electronics retailer he pimps, I think it’s Sears.)
Only one person in the history of the universe has the combination of athletic prowess and longevity to throw 500 touchdown passes. But there are tens of millions who can teach. More applicants for teacher positions = lower salaries. Whether you think being able to throw 500 touchdowns is important or not is irrelevant, because lots of other people not only think it is important, they’re willing to spend money to watch the one guy who can do it, do it.
I actually don’t think the author was that off base with his estimates. Apparently, Favre earned $7 million last year from endorsements alone, so I’m sure he can come close to that number.
Honestly, I have nothing against the athletes and entertainers who are able to earn such massive salaries. If there is a demand for your skills, then go for it!
My only issue is with a society that values sports and entertainment over things that are of more substance.
Entertainment is an escape for most people. If one can imagine that they are Tony Soprano and be a “wise guy” for and hour, wow what power! The point is I think most people are stressed out by the direction this country is going and its easy to be hypnotized by the boob tube to forget your problems. I do think a good number of “younger” Americans hate hard work because they are spoiled by their parents and brainwashed by the Hollywood. My generation doesn’t mind hard work. Jocks and entertainers are definitely overpaid but the public is the enabler. As long as the idiots continue to buy tickets then guess what? It makes me sick to see for intance a quaterback in the NFL sign a 5 year contract for 60 million with 48 million gauranteed. So he can screw up totally and still get 48 mil. Something is wrong with that. People continue to make the same mistakes because they are insane. What more can I say about that? This country is totally backwards. We need to get back to good old family values if we expect to survive. I really think it is too late.
“I do think a good number of “younger” Americans hate hard work because they are spoiled by their parents and brainwashed by the Hollywood.” – I love the way you describe it!
I also agree the it’s really the public’s fault that athletes are paid so much money! I can’t stand the guaranteed contracts either – just speaking as a fan!
I also think it’s too late and this country will never return to it’s old values!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your view!