Who Is More Powerful?

Some of my classmates think that entertainment stars are more popular than than politicians and entrepreneurs because stars are famous since they were rather young.

Ask: "Zhang, it is absurd to think those entrepreneurs and political leaders are more powerful than stars. Stars are genius! They can get famous when they're kids or teens. However, even the most powerful CEO and politicians can't be famous until they're in their forties. The remarks from a pop star my influence many people and most even know little about the CEO of Boeing. We know you respect those entrepreneurs and politicians a lot, but don't you think they're really too stupid to be popular among the public?"

Most of the time, we don't response to talk it with some of my classmates. I think it a stupid question. I've written in previous passages that fame is not a index of power of control, and age of success matters nothing with talent. Here I response part of their request: What is power?

Madonna is famous, perhaps in fans' mind, such as my classmates, she's really powerful. She's words of saying can influence some record companies or the trend of pop songs. However, what if all record companies and brokerages block her together? Some people may laugh at it as they think it is hard to converge all companies together to make it. But we can't rule out that those companies are under the mercy of a single capital giant? Since a monopoly giant, Murdoch for example, can govern 80% of transfer of images and text in the world, it is likely some giants control entertainment industry. I heard that a Hollywood star once had argument with Redstone, another media monopoly. And his result was that he was kept on disappearance from the vision of public until he found chance to restore his career from Redstone. Stars, for industry giants, are just tools for profit. In this perspective, who is more powerful?

Pop stars contribute a lot to our entertainment activities. They're influential to our screens and CD players. But it is not related to the word "powerful", a word with intensive connotation. Whether an actor can be a star depends on the choice of the bosses. The ability to decide who can be famous is power, which is also unrelated to fame or genius. Though Michael Jackson is super star, after he passed away, media controllers can still select another shining star to earn money for them. But those who're not super stars is the substantial forces to push the world going on. There is no doubt that if the CEO of Boeing changed the price of his product, countless airline companies have to find methods to deal with the new situation, and those transportation organizations are bound to adjust their price to carry articles. Later, because of the adjustment of charges, most of commercial activities can be influenced deeply, which means an economic wave can be surged. Most of the public don't know who's the CEO of Boeing, and we have no interest to know him neither. But he's really powerful. His counterparts like the leads of Siemens, GE, GM and Shell etc are all in this type. I was taught when I was a kid: Those who can't be seen on the stage are director. The law has never changed. 

To be powerful cost far more than to be famous. That's why entrepreneurs and politicians are older than those pop stars. It is unfair to laugh at them based on their ages. Governors have to spend considerable time to confirm his authority. No one can be the president of PRC at the age of 20, neither no one can be the chief executive of a corporation like Mobil as a teenager. Because these positions are in need of philosophy of management to balance the interest among people. They are powerful at an old age because they use their youth to compile power and then use the resources they master to change the rules of game as they want. But stars can't. Media can refresh their figures because they need stars to make money. Talent of singing and dancing can be seen obviously on screen. And we learn that USA entertainment firms sometimes can make a common singer just like a super star. Nevertheless, the talent of management is hard to be recognized in a short period of observation. It is an issue about human's activity. Thus, entrepreneurs and politicians are old. And this fact just indicate that they have more subtle talent than pop stars.

I'm not aimed at diminishing pop stars. After all, they've done a lot to our iPod and cinemas. However, if somebody thinks that those young stars are the dynamic of the world and looks down upon the real governor, he's stupid enough!