The rules of the fame game, it would appear, apply equally to all celebrities, whether or not they’re of the human variety.
For weeks now, a baby pygmy hippo in Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand, has been the darling of the internet. Inspiring a deluge of fan art and memes, photos and videos of Moo Deng have achieved a virality that, arguably, rivals those of pop singers and film actors.
The rules of the fame game, it would appear, apply equally to all celebrities, whether or not they’re of the human variety. Take, for example, the fact that people are now drawing make-up inspiration from Moo Deng: From beauty influencers to a global cosmetics chain, there is a range of advice on how to use blush to achieve the exact peachy-pink tint of the baby hippo’s chubby cheeks. Her home, the zoo, has of course planned a range of merchandise to capitalise on her fame, but her mug has already appeared on fan-created products all over the globe, leading the zoo to trademark her name and image. The craze for the celebrity selfie, too, has not left Moo Deng untouched: The surging crowds around her enclosure have led to her meet-and-greet window being cut to a mere five minutes.
But if fame can be intense and unrelenting, it is also, almost universally, fleeting. By the next season, there will be a new flavour and the scrutiny of adoring fans, online and offline, will shift to another adorable animal. Already, there is a new kid on the block in the shape of a baby king penguin named Pesto in Melbourne Zoo who, with his hefty 22-kg frame and fluffy down, is on his way to viral social media fame. For Moo Deng, a future of chewing grass in obscurity could be a blessing.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 25-09-2024 at 03:40 IST
