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Winning grins

They have a certain something in common, don't they! Sir Richard Branson's winning grin is, so far as I can see, a major foundation of his celebrity status. Bruce MacKenzie, the mayor and longtime councillor of Port Stephens, happened to have his winning grin peering at us from the Herald page opposite the photo of Richard Branson in Newcastle this week and the similarity was striking.

So why does the Hunter's media scramble to record Richard Branson's chopper visit to Newcastle this week to check out his rebuilt yacht and not Bruce MacKenzie's occasional visit to clean out the bookies? Yes, Sir Richard Branson is filthy rich, although according to the report in The Herald yesterday Bruce MacKenzie is not far off it. His private firm has just won State Government approval for a deal with Worimi Aboriginal Land Council to sell sand from Stockton Bight for up to $1.5 billion!

There's much more entertainment value in Bruce MacKenzie than the slick Richard Branson, and in talking up his deal in this paper a few weeks ago while it waited for government approval he didn't let us down. Talking about plans to sell sand to China and other countries, Cr MacKenzie said "if there's a quid in it for the Aboriginal land council we'll send it anywhere - I can't emphasise enough how the indigenous people of this area are going to benefit". Exquisite.

You'd be doing yourself a disservice not to read what Bruce MacKenzie has to say when he's in the paper, and you get the winning grin as a bonus, but with Richard Branson you get just the winning grin. And I'd walk much further to have a chat with Bruce MacKenzie than I would with Richard Branson.

It raises in my mind at least the puzzle of celebrity. What is it? Who creates it and why? Is celebrity more than fame? And is it hollow?

Posted By: Jeff Corbett on 29/09/2009 6:19:00 PM | Comments (29)

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They feel good and want to show it. Thats nice for them and what they have. But its only a test for us . If we are at all effected by anything than wishing them good luck for legitimate endevour then we are not focused on an important aspect of life. That is not be be a vassel to greed and envy. So good luck to endevour and the good feelings that it evokes for those that are sucessfull. The charity and benevolence of the sucessfull ones towards those unable or incapable is what realy counts. That is a smile coming from their soul that no camera can capture and no words or recognition are needed for its good effects to the reciever and the giver. It blesses those that giveth and those that taketh with the reality of living well and having real enterprise of true benefits.

Posted by narcissis, 30/09/2009 10:08:52 AM

I reckon there's much more than the charismatic grin behind these blokes. I admire them both, and they have a lot in common, viz : an elegant disregard for what other people think of them (but not a disregard for other people's opinions), the guts to get off their backsides and DO something (as Churchill famously ordered : 'Action this day"), and strong self belief (self efficacy, for the psychology students). These blokes don't blame the wind that blows ~ they learn how to set a better sail, and then : set sail. The same attributes are seen in Kerry Packer, Hilton Grugeon, Jeff McCloy, Malcolm Turnbull, Ron Brierley....the list goes on. Like 'em or hate 'em, these are the people who provide jobs and economic opportunity for many, many Australians. I reckon they hate to see opportunity go begging, and they are driven to avoid mediocrity. These are the blokes that would give you a list of 10 reasons why something CAN happen, rather than a list of reasons why not. And they would have already done the first 9 things. Most sit on the sidelines and wonder how these people live extraordinary lives, and do great things, and seem larger than life. As they say in the SAS " who dares wins.

Posted by Abundance, 30/09/2009 10:31:59 AM

....and to answer Jeff's questions, celebrity in itself is superficial and worthless. Who wants to be known as a 'celebrity', or worse : a 'personality'? We all see the Bransons and (to a lesser extent)MacKenzies as celebrities because we celebrate their panache, success, bravado, guts, risk taking. We (the great unwashed) create it ourselves, for the same reasons we watch Neighbours or Eastenders : we want to escape our humdrum existence for a moment or two, and do so vicariously. Who would you rather be : Richard Branson or......

Posted by Abundance, 30/09/2009 10:39:29 AM

Bryl creme is holding Bruce back. If he only used some mousse and a hair stylest like Richard, he might be getting more press. Add an earring and a soul patch on his chin and he might really get some celebrity.

Posted by Alittledabldoya, 30/09/2009 10:43:25 AM

abu~nce! there is great merit in what you say . Except for one thing -do not ever, ever stand in the way or even be percieved to be in the way of some of these achievers (not all maybe) . If you do so you will find the results will be extremely disproportionate to what your percieved threat to their money may be. I totally disagree with your take on reasons why things should happen. The actual should read "for them to make money and have their importance boosted" as that defines making things happen to them. There are others on this planet that place those reasons for acting as the lowest of all motives. They are important parts of enterprise but i suggest when they become the only then the lines get blurred. I saw the way that Stalin and croneys treated churchill in "behind closed doors" and have since changed my view on how he was able to "be real" with the whirlpool he was trying to swim against. The little lies he told to get the poles and chezcks to fight for him and so on to the double deal on israel. ( oh also the cossacks) Who remembers that fine group of business people that got together on TV in the "dragons lair" . All of them agreeing wholeheartily with your views?

Posted by capitalist pig, 30/09/2009 10:52:32 AM

my new robes are wonderfull but my physician tells me a little malady of my skin and eyes means i cannot feel or see them as i used to. The cloth is so fine as a $250,000 scarf for mrs obama that only the most wise and celebrated can see or feel them . Oh i can feel them now and yes i can see the cloth. Its wonderfull being so important that I am blessed with such robes. I am now a true celebrity. Everyone will be green with envy when i parade around in public.

Posted by emporer, 30/09/2009 10:58:21 AM

Has there been any input as to whether the Stockton sand could be utilised by the Land Council to make sand and cement Nevilles? (all proceeds going back into the Land Council of course, less of course a small commission to the NCC). I am out of a job at the moment and could do with another $10,000.00 focus group report.

Posted by NCC Consultant, 30/09/2009 11:37:08 AM

Cap Pig ~ understand all that. I have to admit, I'm no expert on modern history, so I can't really comment on Churchill's more ignominious actions. Personally, I think determination (persistence, not letting people stand in your way) is a worthwhile attribute in every calling, business or other. Most people throw in the towel way too early, and then moan about how tough life is. And maybe these blokes do have massive egos. I don't really care. Kevin Rudd has a massive ego, but he's a waste of space ~ at least these guys do something worthwhile. Poor people can't really help poor people (unless you are Mother Teresa).

Posted by Abundance, 30/09/2009 11:39:56 AM

NCC Consultant . i will put a stop to that -noway can newcastle progress ~ on sand from the bight. I lost a thong there in the 60's and untill its found - i want my royalties as well because my thong has cultural value to me.

Posted by NcleProgress, 30/09/2009 11:54:02 AM

Abundance - whats in this for you ? usually the only ones pandering to the egos of such people are paid well for their skills, words, spin and hyperbole? Of course strong work ethic is important for everyone. Getting people out of your way that you percieve are in your way for what you want -ooh that opens up a can of worms that takes us into another dimension altogether. Funny that you should immediately focus on the people barrier aspect rather than aspects of good governace, complienace, planning, good interaction, cooperative goals, broad based beneficieries, best practice environmental outcomes . None of these matter ? Its a person in the way that has to be ~ neuralised? The rest falls into place when a person is "out of the way" because they want a good proper process? Winston ~ besides planning and perservering with gallipoli was an interesting personality to say the least. Bipolar, alcoholic and prone to lying when it suited he was in fact what may have been needed to counter a mental despot in the publics eyes. But they didnt think that for too long after. Stalin and cronys though he was a joke and laughed to his face in summit negotiations.

Posted by capitalist pig, 30/09/2009 12:14:58 PM

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