Question

Do you agree with this media-driven view as to how a few performers become “Top superstars”? Are consumers of entertainment just led around like mindless sheep? Surely you can conceive of alternative factors that can fatten up a performer’s Marginal Revenue Product.

Answer 1

Yes, it is true that a few performers become “Top superstars” which is the media-driven view. You see, there are many talented artists who don't even get the change to be exposed on-screen to the public to get attention and become famous. While some small talented artists are lucky to find someone influential to cast them on-screen for the public to see, most of the artists don't. Then again, what happens is, even if they are lucky, sometimes their first performance goes not go well with the audience and they are not given the second chance to give a better shot. This leads, some performers who are just marginally better in their first performance and somewhat liked by the audience to have a second chance and become more famous.

Yes, consumers of entertainment are led around like mindless sheep. This is because consumers of entertainment believes that the ones who have become famous are the only ones who are going to perform well and the other ones would not. Say for example, if a famous band goes on a live concert, there would be thousands of people turning up to see it, even purchasing the concert tickets at very high prices. But, if a less famous but very talented band goes on a live concert, in the same region, hardly a few or a few hundreds would somehow reluctantly turn up to see them.

If a performer needs to fatten up his Marginal Revenue product it would only be by getting liked by the audience. Only when the audience likes them and are willing to pay more to see them would the performer get paid more and increase his or her Marginal Revenue. One alternative would only be for the performer to practice more so that he or she can get better and also perform more in different places even if is a small place so that many people gets to know about that performer and is willing to pay more to see them next time.