REFLECTION
A “SELFIE” WITH A CELEBRITY
Dolors Puértolas
I’d like to begin this reflection considering two
words that we today use often (and maybe together in the same sentence): “selfie” (a picture taken of yourself with
your mobile phone) and a celebrity.
The sociologist Neil Postman[1] says, recollecting
something often noted, that our current culture is a culture of the image (or
television), as opposed to the previous culture that was of the book and
reading (or printing). And certainly, the image dominates in this century well
above the written text. A long list of authors have mentioned this paradigm
shift.
Some time ago it was autographs that proved that we
had met someone, but now it is the "selfie" we can show from our
phone, share on Facebook, whatsapp or by other means. And it seems that a lot
of people are interested in having "selfies" with celebrities. The
passion for "selfies" may denote an emphasis on the importance of one’s
self-image rather than one’s values, insight or
thought. It can also suggest some self-centeredness. In the case of "selfies
" with celebrities, it seems that we are talking about getting some kind
of trophy to show off to others.
A few days ago I considered taking a "selfie"
with someone who has been in a certain way a celebrity for me in this past year.
This is someone that I value as important and is significant for me. In August
we learned of the need of a young woman, 27 years old, of an urgent heart
surgery. We contacted friends and some people who had met Altagracia and knew
of her disease. Thanks to the response of many, she was able to have her
surgical procedure done successfully in October, recovered and is in good
health.
When I went to visit her, I wanted a
"selfie" with Altagracia. And
I took it. I considered that a woman of
her age, married, who lost their first baby by complications in the pregnancy, and
is at this later age studying to have a degree due to lack of financial resources,
who is struggling to support a family, and she had to face not only a surgery
of life and death but also the challenge of not having resources and be forced
to seek funds anywhere… That is for me a well-rounded celebrity!
And also she is a celebrity because it was around
her person and her need that a number of people felt touched and responded
generously to the call. So doubly important.
If we stop to remember from this past year an
important person with whom we would take a picture, perhaps what will come to
mind is a different kind of celebrity: a fighter for human rights, a person with
good values , a person who has suffered ... Each of us will have our
own “important” person, whether it be a relative, an acquaintance or even (why
not), many anonymous people, who may have abandoned a country fleeing from
hunger, to escape war or searching for a better future for their children.
Those we can think of would be so many that would not fit into a single
"selfie." Let us look back for a moment on the past year and imagine which
celebrity we’d like to make a selfie with.
PS: (I never published the “selfie,” it didn’t turn
out, but it is well guarded in my heart).
