Depends

 We have all heard it said, " in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes" and that is attributed to Andy Warhol. Thing is, he never actually said that. But it has been repeated so many times by so many that it is taken as a fact. There is no evidence to support that. Ironic too, that a portion of his fame comes from that. The sentiment is simply that we will all share some degree of fame or notoriety in our lifetime. Andy Warhol passed away in 1987 and so would have no idea about the Internet, social media and going viral. I do think we all have our moments when at least in our own mind we have a moment of fame, those times when the focus is solely on us. It's more a feeling of importance or acknowledgement than fame, however. High school graduation, scoring the winning goal, retiring from your job, moments like that. That is the fame being spoken of. Who said it? No one has the answer to that, but Andy still gets the credit.

 It seems to me that far more people are seeking notoriety rather than fame. Notoriety is fame though, just fame for doing something bad. All of that has to be viewed in the context of time and place. The whole concept of what is good and what is bad. Notoriety is far easier to achieve, no doubt about that. Notoriety, especially in today's world, can be gained in an instant! Going viral, as they say, can happen in a matter of hours. And the news outlets rush to report anything scandalous, outrageous, egregious or just outright shocking! That is their stock in trade. 

 The funny part about that is the more of it that is reported, the closer it all comes to being "normal" or "mainstream." Those behaviors that in the past would have been considered a bad thing, are now becoming the normal thing. As a result, ever more outrageous and controversial actions are being taken to gain that notoriety. It takes more to stand out from the crowd. Often all of that is labeled as progress in the years that follow. All manner of behaviors that were once considered wrong, aberrant and/or morally reprehensible are celebrated today. That's progress. Even hinting that perhaps it isn't progress will get you labeled with all sorts of vile names and showered with accusations. In fact, you may become notorious! Depending upon the time and place you may become famous too, all depends. Jane Doe was both! Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Martin Luther, Abraham Lincoln, Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, or indeed any number of statues and product branding for that matter. Aunt Jemina and Uncle Ben come to mind. All were famous or infamous depending. A certain degree of notoriety associated with each one as well as being famous. Juluis and Ethel Rosenberg, Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack the Ripper, Jesse James, Pretty Boy Floyd, Al Capone, the Boston bomber. Famous or notorious? All got their fifteen minutes and more. 

 If there is a good side to this, it is that today the majority will only receive those fifteen minutes. Names and deeds are forgotten as quickly as they are reported these days. Whatever "facts" the news outlet care to report will be talked about, outrage will ensue for a few days, and then the crowd moves on to the next big controversary. Literally hundreds are being shot in the streets of major cities in this country. 

 It's reported, between the headlines and the weather report somewhere. But, it's the normal thing, that's why we just keep talking about it, attempting to place blame on inanimate objects, to shift the responsibility from the individual to the government. Assault rifles are notorious for killing people! The Winchester Rifle, model of 1873, famous as the gun that won the west. The Colt 45 pistol made every man equal. Technically not a semi-automatic it could still fire fifteen rounds as fast as you could cock the lever before reloading, the rifle that is. The pistol limited you to six shots unless you carried two or more. No one blamed the guns for killing the Indians or robbing the banks. Guess we're making progress on that. 

 With all that is going on today we have to ask the question: fame or notoriety? Which is it? Depends doesn't it? For me a bunch of what is being proposed is, well I'll put it this way, you need depends! It's a bunch of.