Show of hands: who here had heard of Jussie Smollett two years ago? One year ago? Two months ago? Any takers? Okay. Who here has heard of Jussie Smollett within the last two weeks? Ah. So outside of the fans of Empire, virtually no one with a life and/or job knew who the heck Jussie Smollett was. A point, by the way, echoed by Trevor Noah, who, by my last check, was hardly rocking white, male, American privilege. Regardless, The Hollywood Reporter has suggested perhaps Jussie snapped under the harsh pressures of fame.

One question is whether the pressures and anxieties of modern fame played any role in Smollett's seemingly inexplicable behavior. "One of the darkest corners of fame is that it becomes addictive," says Donna Rockwell, a clinical psychologist who specializes in fame and celebrity, "and then you are so afraid of becoming a has-been or yesterday's news that you might do something desperate."

In order to become a "has been" one must first have been. In order to become yesterday's news, one needs to have been today's news. All of which Jussie Smollett was not even one month ago. So the "pressures of fame" argument kind of falls apart like a hoax crime paid with a check.

But with success came added expectations and pressure. His private life was no longer his own. Empire execs held meetings, sometimes without Smollett present, where his sexuality was discussed, according to media reports. The year Empire debuted, in 2015, Smollett went on Ellen.

Okay no, this doesn't fly. See, a lot of people are famous. A lot of people worry about staying famous. A lot of those people do crazy things in order to keep hold of that fame, I'll grant you. Few fake a hate crime in order to keep control of that fame and/or get a raise. Which, as already stated, Jussie's idea of his own fame is as inflated as a blow-up sex doll. Guy or gal.

Few knew or cared about who he was. We're not talking about Tom Cruise. We're not even talking about Ving Rhames who's starred alongside Tom Cruise about six times. We're talking about a supporting actor on a television utterly lacking the cult following of say, Game of Thrones. Jussie's audience reach isn't great enough to warrant "pressures of fame." In my opinion as a person who's relevance also doesn't warrant "pressures of fame."

Look it, I know some people who are famous in their own circles. Steven Crowder among them. I can tell you he does have some pressures of fame. But never once -- to my knowledge -- has Steven thought the best way to handle those pressures was to implicate a demographic for a fake crime due to his sexuality and race. And Steven is in a demographic which is being targeted by the left: white males who prefer taco to sausage.

So sorry, Hollywood Reporter. Maybe Jussie isn't suffering the pressures of fame. Maybe he's just suffering from being a woeful piece of shit. Occam's Razor.

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