I’d like to think that we have entered the post-consumer era – a time when gross flaunting of wealth seems passé and we are more concerned with community and integrity than an 80s style dash for cash.
But when Simon Cowell of American Idol, and British artist Tracey Emin, agree on something, you had better listen. Both of them got famous by knowing which way the wind was blowing, and both these media luvvies have just proudly come out as greedy, loudmouth show-offs, infatuated with their own wealth.
At this month’s Frieze art fair in London, Emin permanently dents her artistic reputation by offering to create “personalised” neon artworks for 10 customers based upon their likes and dislikes. The decorations will cost $100,000 each.
Simultaneously Emin announced that she will likely leave Britain to protest against the new 50% rate of income tax for those earning over $250,000 a year. Cowell , meanwhile, splurged a reported $1.6m on his 50th birthday. He spent $100,000 on limos alone to ferry the usual array of names you see at these networking events – newspaper columnist Piers Morgan, Celebrity businessman Alan Sugar, David Hasselhof, the Osbourne family, food writer Michael Winner, model Kate Moss etc.
Cowell rented a stately home for the “ bathed in blue light for the occasion – with a giant image of Cowell projected on to its historic facade”.
Meanwhile, moving in the other direction, around the world yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur, announced she is abandoning yachting for environmental campaigning. She is building an off-grid home in the Isle of White and she told BBC Radio 4 she made the decision after spending three weeks off-grid on a remote island near Argentina.
10 Responses
Ahem… post-consumer? where? Weredja live hey?
Flaunting wealth passe’? Errr I don’t think so! Everywjhere I look I see some sad, squalid new ruse to make money out of Chavs’need for some hardcore flaunting every week!
Fake is the name of the game and only the brass face of the seller outshines the bling on the customers’ wrists, fingers and earlobes. That and their eagerness for a bit of glamour.
Sorry, love, vulgar rules these days, and I wish it weren’t so…
BTW, is writing a whole piece about ‘celebs’ supposed to represent your distaste for them? It rather strikes me as the opposite… If names were bombs, ‘ere you dropped more than the Lutwaffe dropped on London during the Blitz, lovie!
Seems to me you are positively ‘spellbound’ by them!
What a load of cobblers!
And I agree with
I agree with Tony Francis that Tracey is a bear with very little brain. She has her hand firmly in the honeypot and you would have to break it off at the wrist to prise it out. Her hideous prima donna behavior must be to do with her knowledge that she is somewhat devoid of artistic talent. But she does have one great talent – she is very mediagenic and quick to take up on the latest trends. TV, radio and print all love her for a rentaquotabiity. But I agree with Tony – she is not a very good artist and her continued prominence is due to the bankrupt arts media which values success and fame rather than truth or talent
The world will never be “green” so long as rap…ahem…artists show off their gaudy bling, ugly gold grills, and empty mansions on MTV (but they all have Scarface posters). You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear and these braindead “gangstas” are a classic example of everything that’s wrong in this world. Airhead blonde heiresses (i.e. Paris Hilton and all the wannabes) are by far no better and neither are the crooked rich politicians and the CEOs who urge the blue collar workers to conserve energy while they jet across the world spending our hard-earned money. “Green” will never be wide-spread enough to make a serious difference on this planet until those people who are a huge waste of oxygen and natural resources are put in check. Sadly, it’s just not going to happen….
Tracey Emin made her money ”by knowing which way the wind was blowing” WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH!!! Come on Nick!! She was lucky enough for Charles Sacchi to get out his massive cheque book and buy her work for loads of money thereby making her imediately famous, the artworld then (for some reason) thinking she has some kind of artistic tallent…do me a favour!!
Sorry Nick, love your book, wesite etc. but this article is badly shite!
what the hell is orlando cuddling up to that munter for
although it’s good to see she’s spent some cash on an improved cleavage
much better than any so-called art she’s produced
Len, it says at the beginning of the story what this has to do with off-grid – that we are all hoping for and working towards a post-consumer consciousness which is not all about me, me, me and shopping.
People in the story – especially the so-called artist, are obstacles to progress – enemies of progress really.
Yawn, so what? What does this have to do with off-grid?… more like off topic. People are only leaders if people follow them… I am responsible for me, you are responsible for you, they are responsible for themselves. This kind of article just encourages people like that.
I have to say that when I read that Tracey Emin was heading to France I thought ‘greedy cow’, but then I realised that I’ve done what I can within the legal framework to avoid paying tax. Are Emin and I any different? She’s famous, I’m not – she’s been honest enough to tell the world what she’s doing – I’m slightly embarassed, so keep quiet.
As far as Simon Cowell is concerned – the man is very very wealthy and he’s doing his bit to redistribute his wealth. As far as the huge image of himself is concerned – he’s taking the piss out of himself isn’t he? isn’t he?
I have to say that when I read that Tracey Emin was heading to France I thought ‘greedy cow’, but then I realised that I’ve done what I can within the legal framework to avoid paying tax. Are Emin and I any different? She’s famous, I’m not – she’s been honest enough to tell the world what she’s doing – I’m slightly embarassed, so keep quiet.
As far as Simon Cowell is concerned – the man is very very wealthy and he’s doing his bit to redistribute his wealth. As far as the huge image of himself is concerned – he’s taking the piss out of himself isn’t he? isn’t he?
Tracey Emin is a talentless charlatan who is more than welcome to f**k off to France if she likes it there so much. Not far enough away for me.