by Temitope Shittu-Alamu

We all deserve to be celebrated. And I mean ALL including those mallams who polish shoes for a living. 

Earlier today, I thought about the word “celebrity”, from the root word celebrate. Now to celebrate is to observe a notable occasion publicly or otherwise with festivities and or appropriate rites and routine. To be a celebrity then means that you are observed and publicly praised (or not) with appropriate encores showered on you for what you have and have not done. 

Having established that in my head I went further to think about why the word celebrity is accorded to a certain few. I mean, I get that some people will definitely be more popular than others. For instance both Oprah and Fadeeza are television show hosts, but we all know who the popular one is; it doesn’t change the fact that they are both hosts. One may have more money and a better-equipped studio but it doesn’t make the activities of the less popular one minute or insignificant—they are both worth celebrating. Talent aside, the major difference between David Beckham and the guy that plays good football by the corner of my street is time and chance. 

People like Kim Kardashian who are basically just famous for being famous are now specially put in the celebrity category. I am not in any way demeaning the achievements of Kim (if there are any), but since she’s now being called celebrity for being able to feature in a pre-rehearsed supposed reality show alongside her family on E!, we might as well all be called celebrities. We are over ten in my house so you can bet our show would be quite intriguing if we decided to start one. We all deserve to be celebrated. And I mean ALL including those mallams who polish shoes for a living. 

Nobody can polish shoes like those fellas. 

 I only sing in my bathroom, but I’ll give Beyoncé a run for her money if I were to ever enter a singing contest. Believe me, I kid ye not. But that I am not on TV singing doesn’t make her any better than me, regardless of the fact that I am perhaps wasting raw talent in the bathroom. 

These days programmes on TV don’t make it easy. There’s ‘celebrity’ everything. Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Apprentice, Celebrity Idols. The list is endless. We all wanna be like them, forgetting that what we carry on the inside is enough to make an impact and change our world.

Perhaps we should coin another word for those who are famous and are in the spotlight for doing what they do since we can’t all be in the spotlight. But let’s not forget that we all deserve to be celebrated whether or not we make it to TV.  

So tonight, while I wait to get on TV, I’ll take a photo of myself and use it as my DP, then head out to buy new shoes, and later have a few drinks with friends .  

Ynaija.com just posted my article. That is worth celebrating.  

#drumrolls please.

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About the author: Shittu-Alamu, is a writer, an eclectic public speaker and master of ceremonies with a degree in History and International Relations. Passionate about the media and of a strong believe that “it is my platform to building the Nigeria of my dreams”. She hosts a yearly Christmas show on television. 

I love God, I love people. 

Did I mention that I love Garri. Wow it keeps me going. BLOG; http://eclectictope.wordpress.com/

 Editor’s note: Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.