I want to be famous is the mantra of the Me Generation. Talent doesn’t come into the equation nor achievement but a moment on You Tube, Face Book updates or even getting onto TV and fabricating an eye witness account while a man lies shot is all it takes for your 15 minutes; it seems.

That was apparently the logical thought process of Claire Werbeloff – the Chk Chk Boom girl who thought it perfectly OK to thrust herself at a news camera and completely fabricate an eye witness account of a shooting outside a nightclub. It turned out that Chk Chk Boom made up the whole account just so she could get her mug on TV and get her 15 minutes of fame. She got the instant fame, for sure. Within hours there she was on You Tube, T-shirts were printed featuring her boganista profile, she had a publicist and she was to appear on A Current Affair. Why? She wanted to be on TV – duh!!!

Well, they say fame comes at a price and for her it was in the form of Facebook hate sites, blogs lamenting her shallow and pathetic stunt, and all of sudden poor old Claire had all the trappings of celebrity that she obviously craved. She had to lay low fearful of her safety, she had to read terrible things written about her and she was hounded by the press.

Not sure how sorry I feel for her given that she failed to have any compassion for the man lying in the street shot and bleeding whilst she made her grab for headlines. Sadly, the whole whoo ha over Claire over-shadowed the event that sparked it. A MAN WAS SHOT and all people talked about was this stupid, insipid and ignorant girl. Is this for real or a really horrifying reality TV show?

Sadly, it happened, it’s real and it begs the mind boggling question of why this generation is so obsessed with becoming famous.

YouTube co-founder Chad Harley said in an interview in Wired magazine: "Everyone, in the back of his mind, wants to be a star." Thanks to MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, fame is literally a mouse click away.

These popular internet sites are the Hollywood of today. Just as past aspirants flocked to Hollywood for their grab at fame and fortune, today’s hopefuls are heading online rather than the bright lights of LA LA land. Every wannabe hopeful can create a vid and post if on youtube and have a pop at being the next big thing.

There’s Chris Crocker of Leave Britney Alone fame. An openly gay and effiminate character who posted short monologues via Youtube from his grandparents house, suddenly shot to fame with his melodramatic post at the height of Britney Spears’ public meltdown. 4 million views in 2 days, appearances on TV, interviews and now a contract to appear in his own reality TV series.

Or what about the countless YouTube girls in their teens posting school girl fantasy posts from their pink and girly rooms clad in underwear and stroking fervent male fantasies. I’m talking about girls who look 14,15, decked out in lacy gear, lolling around their beds, gyrating and stripping down to skimpy g-strings revealing barely developed bodies. Or, countless YouTube posts of teen girls kissing one another. What is the story – is it fame for fame’s sake and why?????

The hottest celebrity it would seem is ….. YOU! A life lived online means that anyone has a pop at the fame game. You don’t need to have talent, brains or even money – all you need is a camera and a desire to do whatever it takes to get the fame that you so desire. It could be a semi-naked you teasing the world to come see you, farting to the tune of your favourite song, doing a stupid dance or sharing the doldrums of your everyday. Let’s face it fame has come down to the very basic denominator of public attention – eg Chk Chck Boom! Youtube has awards for its most popular cyber-lebrities and there’s even a website – www.iwannabefamous.com – where girls like Ashley have things like this to say:

I wanna be famous because… I’M AMAZINNGGGGGG !!! I feel in my mind I’m already famous. I have everything needed, just not the actual exposure!! This girl right here has got TALENT!! I’m going to keep sending pictures to this website until I am actually famous.

Than once I’m famous, I will have this lovely website to thank!!! I strive to be the best, and I’m always working on my acting and modelling skills. I’ve been in theatre class for four years and that’s why I’m so amazing at acting I’m constantly looking for casting calls or anything I can do towards my dream because I know it will happen for mee!!

I WILL BE FAMOUS!

I WANNA BE FAMOUS!!!!!!!!!!! =)

Chk Chk Boom to the fame game, I say!!! Seriously, fame for fame’s sake at whatever stake is so desperate and delusional. Strive for something worthwhile – being a better person, helping others, getting good grades, working toward a career and something you can be proud of. Reality Check for those fame seekers – gyrating on your bed in your knickers is not a career and I can guarantee you it won’t be something you will be proud of. Remember our mantra – Get Real!!!!