10 THINGS YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

The Entertainment Industry is most often viewed as a magical ground, where all dreams come true, with lots of money and fun to go round. But the truth is, besides the glitz and glamour associated with this industry, there is a lot going on behind the scenes, which quite frankly are dark – and oh, so not entertaining. Of course, this goes without saying, the almost desperate need this industry has to keep everything under wraps and continually portray the glitz and glamour it is known for.

But hey, if you’ve ever wondered about what this industry is really all about – apart from the magical appearance it exudes; if you’ve sometimes caught yourself pondering on what makes this industry more famous than any other industry; or if you harbour a particular liking for this industry and wish to divert, then we recommend you read on to find out 10 things you did not know and which could possibly change your mind about this industry.

#1- There is an existing gender gap in this industry –

With all the obvious successes of female actresses, artists, writers, models, film directors and producers, it is easy to think that all is well with regards to gender equality in this industry. However, contrary to this assumption, there is still a major gender gap, which is thoroughly prominent with regards to gender pay. Established facts show that female actors are a whole lot underpaid by a few “significant” zeroes when compared to their make counterparts. The worst part is that this is not expected to change anytime soon.

#2- They are above the law, even in the face of crime –

The entertainment industry is one industry that is above the law. In fact, it would not be too far-fetched to conclude that they are the law themselves, even in the face of their own crimes. They have one of the highest rates of perpetuated crimes, ranging from drug abuse to child abuse, to cyber fraud and to direct violence, drunk-driving, battery, assault and even murder. The most disheartening aspect of this is their tendencies to cover up for offenders, which leaves the perpetrators scot-free of every crime. While this is still being swallowed, recent researches concludes that youths’ exposure to mass media entertainment is behind the increment of crime rate in our contemporary society.

#3- Any kind of attention is welcomed, even if it is bad –

The entertainment industry is a big sucker for attention. They so thrive on publicity stunt that they are willing to go to any length to have one, even if it means creating a hoax. Of course, when you think about it, you realize that this industry would not have gained as much popularity nor would it be this entertaining without these stunts. Some of the popular cheap stunts in this industry include; faking one’s death, faking hacked accounts, breaking up or starting new relationships, flying nude pictures of celebrities, rumored or true divorces, tour or vacation gone wrong, gay call-outs, public fights, battery and assault as well as a million other publicity stunts. The funny part of this is that no particular country or continent in the entertainment industry is exempted from these publicity stunts. From U.K to America down to Nigeria, all manage to successfully pull off their publicity stunts.

#4- Pressure is the commonest word –

The entertainment industry is most probably the highest industry that exerts overwhelming pressure on its workers. Everything – from physical stature, weight, age, fashion sense and lifestyle – is analyzed down to the minutest detail. The triggering factors or individuals that exert this pressure on entertainers range from fans to the general public, to even managers, agents, directors and producers. The desperate need to look beautiful, slim, busty, perky, or curvy – as the case may be, has pushed a lot of entertainers to doom (health and medically speaking). This need influences most of their actions, from their choice of clothing, down to what they eat and their method of keeping fit. Some of them take it up a notch higher by altering their body parts in one way or another in order to suit their image as an entertainer. What more, research shows that most entertainers have eating disorders which were developed in a bid to lose pounds of flesh in unhealthy ways.

#5- Sweet sixteen is the new age –

In this industry, everyone is young and in prime youth. Age fabrication is a major norm with entertainers. The reason for this is not farfetched. The entertainment industry is one industry fraught with ageism, to such extent that entertainers are pushed to reduce their age by a few years or more. There has been cases where an obviously older looking entertainer claimed an age a decade lesser than her actual age. However, the outcome is hilarious especially when the age-fabrication act backfires; a funny scandal erupts that most often plays out with the entertainer threatening or actually suing the person or organization who revealed his/her real age. 

#6- Cheating is as rampant as it ever gets –

A typical entertainer’s life, while being fun and carefree, is most often spent on set at various shooting locations. This invariably translates that they spend most of their lives away from their partners, spouses or lovers, especially if their partners are non-entertainers. It is therefore commonplace for them to establish love relationships with their fellow entertainers while on set, and cheat on their partners, be it secretly or openly. The result is that the entertainment industry has the highest rate of divorce when compared to other industries.

#7- Some awards are bought, not deserved –

The entertainment industry boosts of uncountable awards which could be won by various entertainers. These awards are most times classified specifically according to the section of the entertainment industry – whether writing, movie, music or modelling industry. However, what people do not know is that some of these awards flaunted by entertainers were in actual fact, bought from the awarding organization, rather than awarded because the recipient has been found deserving. In a few other cases, it is more of your connections (based on who you know or who speaks for you in high places) that determine whether an entertainer gets a particular award or not.

#8- Child abuse is a commonplace scenario –

The entertainment industry, with all its magical appearance, is not a chil-friendly industry. With paedophiles, homosexuals and heterosexuals lurking around everywhere in that industry, it is no surprise that most child-entertainers find this industry downright hostile. Apart from sexual abuse, child-entertainers find that they are most often exploited in terms of resources and every other way by their managers, agents, or even directors. The saving grace could come only if the child-entertainer has a strong and trustworthy legal representation.

#9- Fixers clean their messes –

Scandals are rampant in this industry, and therefore, fixers abound too. Of course, some of these scandals could be orchestrated by the entertainers themselves for publicity, in which case, there is no need for fixers. But some other times, there are unplanned scandals that could be detrimental to an entertainer’s career. In such cases, it becomes the job of the fixers to remove every evidence of such scandals from the public eye. It would amaze you to know that these fixers are most times willing to go to any length at all to remove these evidences.

#10- Most rumors have an iota of truth in them –

The entertainment industry is an industry fraught with daily rumors, to such extent that one can hardly differentiate the truth from the lies. Because if this, it is most often the inclination for non-entertainers to dismiss these rumors as baseless and untrue. However, researches delving deeper into this industry revealed that there are usually more truths to these rumors than people are wont to believe.

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