Quest for relevance by female celebs is like walking a tightrope

A false step can be of their own making

Thango Ntwasa Lifestyle Digital Editor

It was not unheard of to see fans fall over and nearly die in the presence of Michael Jackson. It was also not too uncommon for fans of Whitney Houston to cross the line between adoration and obsession. Celebrities who go from potential stars to household names are often manipulated and used in a manner that is damaging. And this is a world that many of today’s game changers, local and international, come from.

Take R&B icon Beyoncé, who has amassed fans of all ages, genders and races. In the beginning of her career in the 2000s, the industry was littered with female artists who were often chewed up by the industry and spat out just as quickly. Whether it was Janet Jackson or Britney Spears, even Brenda Fassie on the local front, they all came under immense pressure to adapt to impossible standards...

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