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The Art Of Showing Off: How Celebrities With Low Self Image Ridicule Themselves Online
April 12, 2017 – The Art Of Showing Off: How Celebrities With Low Self Esteem Ridicule Themselves On The Social Media By Displaying Worldly Possessions
By Tony Ogunlowo
It’s the in-thing now: if you have it you must flaunt it – your wealth, status, possessions – in the most public way possible.
In this new age of online social media it’s not uncommon to see celebrities – and wannabes – flaunting their wealth on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other platforms much to the annoyance, and envy, of others.
Showing off has now become an art form with each mindless individual trying to outshine everybody else with their material possessions; whether they be Floyd Mayweather or an overpaid footballer showing off their exotic car collection, Davido bragging about spending a million dollars in three months on luxury goods or Kim Kardashian showing off her diamond rings (sic – and we all know what happened to her in Paris!).
Even bit-part Nollywood actresses, socialites and musicians are busy flaunting their designer handbags (- often fakes!), flashy expensive cars and homes. Some take showing off to a ridiculous new level – posing with huge wads of cash, washing their hands with champagne or wearing multi-million dollar watches!
All this showing off trying to say you’re better off than the next person just says one-thing about the individual – insecurity!
Many will argue that it’s the culture of our people to show off what they have but I disagree; any insecure person feels the need to be seen and known as they have no other way of ascertaining themselves. And the best way for them to announce to the world that they have ‘arrived’ is to show off all their materially possessions.
Not only is this stupid and childish it also attracts a lot of unwanted attention from those who don’t have making them susceptible to being robbed or kidnapped.
Most you show off your wealth?
If you have the good fortune to become successful and wealthy keep it to yourself! Showing off and rubbing peoples’ noses in it is not necessarily a good thing and can send out the wrong message to a lot of impressionable people out there who want to have what you’ve got without putting in the effort. Hence the reason why the crime rate is always high as people steal, kidnap and rob to get instant wealth they can show off. It’s strange that you’ll never see people like Bill Gates or Aliko Dangote showing off their wealth.
A quick peek at richkidsnaija on instagram will show you how ridiculous it’s become: people in houses with gold-plated furniture – even toilets! (- why do you need a gold-plated toilet?) people posing beside private planes and expensive cars whilst carrying shopping bags bearing well-known labels from Versace, Gucci, Hermes and Louis Vuitton, showing off expensive watches and jewellery (Why spend over a $100,000 on a watch that can only tell the time and do nothing else?). And that’s not forgetting the big high society ‘Owambe’ parties where the crème de la crème go to spray dollars, euros and pounds (- sorry naira holders keep your money in your pocket!).
Nobody needs to know how wealthy you are especially in a country where half of the population can’t afford a single square meal a day.
“..The greatest wealth is to live content with little, for there is never want where the mind is satisfied…” – Lucretius
But the most interesting group of exhibitionists are the wannabes who can’t even afford to show-off. In an attempt to show-off they deck themselves in fake designer clothes and shoes, clutching the latest iPhone and iPad pretending they are rich before slinking off to their nondescript boys’ quarters or rooms in the ghettos. Some even pose for pictures besides other people’s big cars pretending it belongs to them.
How many people wear expensive clothes and drive big cars but can’t afford to even feed their own children? All because they want to ‘pose’.
As a Yoruba man will say – “ we meet money in this world and in this world we shall leave it”.
Follow me on Twitter: @Archangel641 or visit https://www.archangel641.blogspot.co.uk

Kingsley Ogubor
April 12, 2017 at 7:35 AM
The writer said it all, most of them have identity issue
How many time do they see Bil lGates, Zuckerberg showing off acquisition online?
They are empty barrels making the loudest noise
froshie
April 12, 2017 at 9:26 AM
I wish they could be reading this now
Bench
April 12, 2017 at 2:41 PM
You have say it all. So no need to be talking again. No need bicos is a vanity upon vanity weyris in bible by king Solomon wey was marry 700 womens and 300 crall Cubans. I no know wetin be crall Cubans but it be like say girls wey from Cuba sabi to do pass away other girls weyris from another place. That it why they was not join them with other womens, but was just calling them crall Cubans bicos they are special. But upon all the womens and the crall Cubans, Solomon come say is a vanity upon a vanity.
EGBERRI MAMA 1
April 12, 2017 at 4:38 PM
NOW THERES TOO MUCH MONEY , ENEMY NO DEY OOOOO , INSTEAD OF GIVING ENOUGH TO THEIR CHILDREN , THAT THEY WILL NOT DO , WHEN MONEY FINISHES , ND CHILDREN ABANDON D IDIOTS , THEY ,LL SAY THEIR MOTHERS HV SPOILT THEIR CHILDREN OR ENEMIES ARE AFTER THEM !!!.IF U GET MONEY , SEW WELLA ON FERTIL GROUND .
iron bar
April 12, 2017 at 5:20 PM
EVEN MOST SINGERS.michael jackson,bob barley or his son reaping millions od dollars of fathers legendary music.tesla group owner single handedly surpassed GM in stock market earnings..only in africa will u see low level show of chicken change with nasty display of foolishness.let them growp and pull up their dirty sagging pants up
Ama
April 12, 2017 at 6:31 PM
The writer is right, most celebrities especially Africa, Ghana and Nigeria are showing everything on these social medias. If you know who you are and what you have, you will not keep changing your dresses, shoes, cars, etc. for people to see and know how you are keeping. Even if they have to go the washroom self, they go show off whatever they are wearing. It is sad they actually derive their self-esteem and confidence from what they have accumulated. You have worked hard which is good, but please just use your wealth to help people who are in need. If you cannot help outsiders take care of your family who needs a little change for school fees or hospital bills.
Thank you writer for baring everything.
fifelomo
April 12, 2017 at 11:21 PM
May God bless the writer. I hope the post will get to than. Mchew yeye children .