I am not a fan of “American Idol” or “Dancing With the
Stars,” but these shows are examples of one form of upward mobility that our
economy still permits: Thanks to the reach of the mass media, talented people can
become superstars. Over time, people in an expanding range of occupations—not just
singers and dancers—will achieve superstardom.
This phenomenon was described as long ago as 1981, when the
economist Sherwin Rosen published “The Economics of Superstars” in The American
Economic Review
(PDF). As examples of fields ruled by superstars, Rosen cited comedy, classical
music, and elementary economics textbooks. In all three cases, a large market
existed for the service or good, but each market was (and still is) dominated
by a small number of very-highly-paid providers.
Rosen noted, “Motion pictures, radio, television, phono
reproduction equipment, and other changes in communication have decreased the
real price of entertainment services, but
have also increased the scope of each performer’s audience.” Nor is there
any reason this phenomenon must be limited to performers. “Undoubtedly, secular
changes in communications and transportation have expanded the potential market
for all kinds of professional and information services, and allowed many of the
top practitioners to operate at a national or even international scale.”
It used to be that a chef could serve only a few dozen people
per night and therefore could aspire to only a middle-class lifestyle at best. Ever
since Julia Child, however, several chefs with the ability to communicate
effectively through the mass media have grown rich from television appearances,
cookbook sales, and ownership of restaurant chains. Some highly telegenic clergy
have also achieved great wealth and touched many lives by using their media
savvy to reach beyond church walls.
One newly emerging group of superstars is teachers.
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. This is an occupation in which the work is
essentially a performance. We all can remember teachers with outstanding performance
styles, the teachers who kept us attentive and who succeeded in making the
lessons memorable. Now the mass media are allowing teachers to take their
skills to much bigger audiences than could fit into any classroom. In Germany,
a self-taught Photoshop expert with a flamboyant teaching style has built an
empire of DVDs, live online webinars, and downloadable courses for those who
want to learn how to manipulate bitmapped images. This superstar instructor,
who goes under the pseudonym Calvin Hollywood, says he earns as much as $16,000 per month.
Another superstar teacher is Salman Khan, a former hedge
fund analyst who launched a teaching career by posting YouTube videos (such as this one) that explain how to do elementary math problems. Wealthy
philanthropists noticed these videos and helped Khan establish the Khan Academy, an expanding collection of free online videos about math, several
sciences, information technology, economics, and several humanities subjects.
One kind of teacher—fitness instructor—has a long history of
media superstars, such as Jack LaLanne, Richard Simmons, and Jane Fonda (not to mention the granddaddy
of them all, Charles Atlas).
Television news and talk shows are routes to stardom for a
few professions. For example, every TV news operation spotlights a physician, such
as Dr. Sanjay Gupta, to explain medical developments and issues. Among lawyers,
think of Nancy Grace. Talk shows have elevated the visibility of counselors of
various sorts, turning them into self-help gurus who publish best-selling
books.
But these media-leveraging workers, like the exercise workout
leaders, are functioning essentially as teachers. The TV doctors, lawyers, and
psychobabblers are not following the model of TV-chefs-turned-restaurateurs by opening
HMOs, chains of legal practices, or storefront therapy centers—at least, not
yet.
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