15 Minutes of Fame

We are a nation obsessed with getting our 15 minutes of fame. These days, wherever you turn, you see someone trying claim theirs, everywhere from a legitimate talent search like "American Idol", singles’ desperate attempt to find true love in front of millions of people in "the Bachelor", or even on a YouTube, where anyone with access to a computer and a webcam can publicize themselves to be watched by individuals with voyeuristic propensities.

And nowhere is this obsession more evident than Nadya Denise Suleman, better known as the Octomom by the media. Suleman gained notoriety after giving birth to octuplets on January 26, 2009. It is known that the babies were conceived via in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with the participation of a male friend who provided the donor sperm.

Much of the publics outrage and criticism lies in the fact that the 33-year old Suleman is not only unmarried, unemployed and on public assistance programs, hence, has no means of financially supporting her eight children, but also that she has had six older children prior to conceiving the octuplets, who she could barely care for.

Nevertheless, since the birth of her eight children, there hasn’t been a shortage of coverage in the media or offers that propagate Suleman’s claim to fame, from appearance on Dr. Phil, personal interview on NBC to the notorious $1 million offer to appear in a porn.

With all the media frenzy surrounding Suleman, is it any wonder the length to which people in this country are willing to go and the things that they’re willing to do for a bit of notoriety.