Pitfalls of Having a Persona and Reasons behind it

Pitfalls of having a persona
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Part1
1 What is your favorite thing to do?
My favorite thing to do in life is photography. It may only be a hobby, but I am confident I will be doing it forever. Saving and preserving photographs and videos of people is unquestionably vital because once they pass away, those will be the only visuals you have of them. I adore photography; I say that word loosely, taking pictures. The freedom, expression, energy, sensuality, and individuality of different subjects are what I enjoy about it. Street photography, event shoots, fashion editorial, portraits, among other photographic aspects, are all amazing in their own way and serve different purposes.
2 What makes you laugh?
My bar is low, especially with my close ones. Funny conversations with family and friends, narrating funny stories from the past all make me laugh.
3 What things do you find yourself always doing without even thinking about them?
I like to cross my legs while sitting, like anywhere. And I overthink a lot. I often get overwhelmed by thoughts about various life aspects without realizing it besides sitting with my legs crossed.
4 If you had to bring 10 records/or songs to a desert island, what would they be and why?
I have never been to a desert island, but it sounds like it is melting hot and relaxing. I do not really have a genre that I stick to, and I usually listen to the rhythm in the first place, then the lyrics. My preference would be hip-hop, r&b, soft rock, any song with steady beats.
Part2
I have known Jordan for seven years. He has demonstrated a strong interest in hip-hop music since high school and got to make it a career. It is nice to work with people with such uplifting energy and talent. We got to work on many photography projects, and he provided me with an insight into the creative process of song making. I have conducted interviews with him, which is helpful for my research on the pitfalls of having a persona.
1 Do you tend to brand yourself on social media? If so, do you avoid posting things from your personal life? What are the boundaries?
In the early stages of my career, I like to share everything that's going on in my life, more like show people what I am up to. But now, as I gain more fame, I would instead maintain a low profile; it is better to have some private space.
2 Do you get hurt by the criticism you receive and make adjustments to your music based on that?
Yes, when I first started, it was more about pride and proving myself to others. Now I am trying to find a balance between what I want to do and commercial work.
3 Would you be bothered if fans asked you to take pictures and autographs during your personal time?
I am okay with taking pictures and signing. But I would prefer to do it when I am not busy, like maybe when I finish my meal, and not in the middle of something.
4 Do you think it's fair to be reviewed on a higher standard as a public figure? And so, how would you react to that? ( For example, throwing cigarette ends on the floor and you got on the headlines)
I would be very pissed by this double standard thing. At the same time, I feel like you need to take certain responsibilities on that as a public figure. Therefore, I would still apologize.
5 Would you prefer to keep it low profile in your daily dress practices? If so, what do you casually wear?
Dress practice is not always on my mind. I usually wear a pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt. Not necessarily to keep it low profile but to save my time and energy on thinking about what to put together.
6 Do you think it is essential to let people recognize you as a rapper immediately during social events?
I wouldn't be too overdressed during social events; I'd like to keep it simple, usually in black and white. Many of my friends dress fancy; to me, those are just the surface. There is no need to do so if you have a talent. Another critical point is to be reliable and real, which is the essence of hip-hop, and I prefer to dress in the way I want.
7 Is functional wear a plus for you?
For sure, as you can tell from my previous answers, I am a lazy person; putting things together is exhausting. I own many pants with huge pockets, so I do not need to carry a bag with me.
8 What's your thought on artists collaborating with brands? Would you like to have your brand someday? If so, what are the core values?
I think it is a brilliant idea. Renowned hip-hop artists like Kanye West and Dr. Jay have brought elements in hip-hop into the fashion trend and spread the hip-hop culture widely. It is also a grand marketing scheme. They are earning a lot not just from their works but their brands.
If someday I get an opportunity to give my brand, it will be functional wear. I want to combine streetwear aesthetics and maybe some elements from my hometown (Dajia, Waipu) since I did not grow up in the city.
9. What advice would you give to your stylist?
I want to draw people's attention to the details rather than the whole look. I am more into jewelry pieces than garments, and a delicate chain/ring would be ideal.
1 Name three brands you'd wear during the performance.
I do not have any particular brands that I wear on performances, but I prefer to keep it minimal. If I named one, I would say Rick Owens. I like how the color palette is very minimal, yet the designer plays a lot with the silhouette, layering, and asymmetrical elements.
Usually, I like to wear a jacket to create layers.
2 If you got an option, would you prefer to have your performance garments customized or bought?
I prefer to purchase them instead of customization because if the designs were all about me as an individual, it would be harder to make the whole setting (stage design/ visual effects) cohesive.
3 Do you think fame equals power?
This is a deep question. Fame got us recognized more by the public, but it does not mean that we got the power to decide. It is more like we are being hired to entertain; we listen to our bosses (the ones with power ) and do what they demand. Still being famous we got to earn a lot of money, but I think it's two different paths.
Part3
My research mainly focuses on celebrities having a stage persona and the impacts on contemporary society. Traditionally, we have come to understand fame as a weapon wielded by influential people to manipulate abuse and silence others. However, in our current understanding, fame is power, but are fame and power the same thing? Or is there ever a point where being famous becomes a weapon wielded by the public as a means of abusing the famous? This, to me, raised the question of what happens when someone has fame but no power?
Yes, fame comes along with endless privileges, but once it reaches a certain level, is it something that we as human beings are capable of? Maybe there is a point where fame itself becomes a form of abuse. To unpack this, we have to consider this idea of "celebrity." Chris Rojek, the pioneer of contemporary celebrity studies, defines celebrities as the "attribution of glamorous or notorious status within the public sphere." He said that celebrity is a split between the public and private self. Of course, we all present a version of ourselves in people different from at home. But the celebrity self is given to a much larger public than regular.
Our current society almost revolves around celebrity culture, and we have been doing this for most of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The contradiction of feeding the public interest and being abused by it is a product of a dynamic that scholars call the "parasocial relationship." First coined by sociologists Horton and Wohl in 1956, the parasocial relationship is an illusional but...