Comedian Tim Minchin has begged parents to stop encouraging their children to idolize and chase fame.
The internationally acclaimed actor further said Jess Rowe’s big talk showthe idea of becoming a celebrity has become very attractive to younger generations.
“I really don’t think any of us should raise our children with the myth that if you work hard you can become president of the United States,” he said.
‘It’s unfortunately woven into the dark side of ‘all you have to do is work hard and dedicate yourself to a dream and you will get there’.
‘That sounds positive, but the dark side of that same coin is, and if you don’t get there… If you’re poor or struggling with your mental health, or if you can’t get the raise or the role , then that’s your business. debt.
‘Because you didn’t dream big enough. You haven’t worked hard enough.
“So that’s the bad side of this ‘have a dream’ coin and I think it does a lot more damage than good. Because usually your name is not in the spotlight.’
The Matilda the Musical composer also said the only happy people he knows aren’t rich or famous.
“You will almost certainly work very hard and not become famous and not get rich,” he said.
Comedian Tim Minchin has begged parents to stop encouraging their children to idolize and chase fame
Minchin continued: Statistically, if you want to be an artist, you will work very hard and ultimately teach.
“I know this sounds absurdly simple and obvious, but it is deeply and profoundly true that the happy people I know and admire are not rich and famous.”
The subject of parental advice, and dispensing advice in general, is a theme that runs through his new book, You Don’t Have to Have a Dream.
Minchin and his wife Sarah, whom he married in 2001, have two teenage children, Violet and Caspar.
He cited the famous Morning Consult survey that found that 57 percent of Gen Z Americans (people born between 1997 and 2012) said they want to be influencers.
A 2022 Australian survey had similar results: 56 percent of women aged 15 to 25 said they would leave their career or education to become an influencer if they could, compared to 39 percent of millennial women.
“So that’s the bad side of this ‘have a dream’ coin and I think it does a lot more damage than good. Because most of the time, you’re not going to end up with your name in the light,” he said
‘I don’t know how many times I have to say this to young people. Because when you ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Apparently 50 percent or more say ‘famous’.”
The word authenticity gets thrown around a lot, Rowe said, as the pair discussed whether its meaning has been distorted by the influencer industry.
“And we as a society need to stop elevating assholes like me and start elevating teachers and nurses,” Minchin said.
He explained to Rowe that he owes his own success to privilege, luck and doing what he enjoyed.
“It’s absurd that I ended up where I ended up,” he added.
‘I’m kind, gentle and quite generous. My ego is weird and I think I’m important, but overall I’m a nice guy.’
Minchin also said that the happy people he knows and admires are not rich or famous
‘I don’t think this is my merit. That’s luck, right? I have beautiful parents and beautiful grandparents. I was surrounded by love and given boundaries. I got this brain and these fingers that go really fast,” Minchin continued.
“I got everything and someone who kills someone in a park got bad things.”
Minchin joked about the fact that he can’t read or write music, but “messed around” with the piano in high school long enough that if he ever ended up at a party where one was available, he could impress a girl. .
“All I did was do the best I could with what was in front of me. “I never thought I would end up on Broadway,” he said.
‘I was so focused on doing what I was good at that I ended up here. That’s what I’m trying to convey.’
Minchin is known for his acting in Californication (2007) and the award-winning Australian drama Upright (2019), which he wrote and starred in alongside House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock.