How much would you pay for an idol?
Today I received an e-mail with a very tempting offer: a chance to meet Ozzy Osbourne. I have always been a big fan of him and he’s someone I’d love to see in person. But of course the offer was not a miracle: it is in fact a product someone is trying to sell me. And, such as every product in the market, it has a price. Which is also pretty high: Ozzy’s “meet and greet” costs £ 250. Yes, you read that right!
This offer is avaiable for the Black Sabbath concert in British Summer Festival. The event will take place in Hyde Park, London, 4th of july. If you buy the “meet and greet” package, you get to know Ozzy before the gig starts, is allowed to take a picture with him and gets a special T-shirt of the event plus a signed gift. But the price does not include an entrance to the concert itself. To see Ozzy in action, you also have to pay for the festival ticket. The cheapest ticket costs £ 69 – plus the convenience fee!
After receiving this e-mail I spend a long time thinking about how it is a little sad to pay for meeting an idol. The ones who are really huge fans and can afford it should really do it? Does it really worth it? Chances are the person might get really disappointed with his idol. I remembered about the brazilian fans of Avril Lavigne, that payed as much as 200 pounds to meet the singer and, during the meet and greet, weren’t allowed to touch her or even get closer to take the so desired picture with their idol. The results? All the pictures of the event shows a huge gap between the fans and Avril, their faces show embarassement and a crooked smile. So sad. And so ridiculous that it has even turned out to be an internet meme.
On the other hand, some artists make it look like the price is worth it. Pop divas Katy Perry and Rihanna, for example, are always holding the fans tight in the pictures and seem to be really considerate and nice to them. But, still, is it righ to sell this kind of thing? is it ethical?
Some might say it is ok, and that if an artist would do it for free it would be impossible to supply the demand. I agree. Just imagine the size of the queue if someone as famous as Paul McCartney (or even Ozzy) tried to attend all the fans after a concert. But I think that, if an artist decides to charge of a fan for a meeting, the least he has to do is being really nice, considerate and approachable – even more considering the high prices required.
And to think I had the chance to meet so many artists I admire whithout spending a single penny…including talking, hugs, signatures and sometimes even little gifts, like guitar picks from MC5. Plus, all of them were really nice to me. Maybe my “idols” are not so famous. Or maybe I’m lucky for admiring humble and approachable people.
What do you think about paying for meeting an idol?
