I can't get enough of Bukowski... so here's another one from the book "Betting On The Muse"

the shape of the star by Charles Bukowski

well, you know, he started out as a
comedian
and then it was decided to make
him into a serious
actor,
the public always like that.
and then we decided to make him
politically aware,
we got him to pitch
all the right causes.
then Publicity sent out a story:
how he pulled a woman from a
wrecked car,
how he contributed large sums
to various charities while asking
that his name not be
revealed,
how he was going to give this
Benefit or that Benefit,
donating his time and
talent,
how he saved a child from
drowning,
how he did this and that.
we worked our asses black
and blue to create his
Public Image,
we were just starting to reap
a profit,
then, what happens?
the son of a bitch gets
drugged,
runs his Mercedes off a
cliff near Malibu
and kills himself.

we couldn't do much with
that one.
we claimed some communists
who disliked some of his
causes
had messed with his
brake cables.

that took pretty well
but all in all
we finally had to write him
off
as a dead loss.

we got a new one now,
found some boy
working behind a fish
counter.
Tom is perfect:
totally bland features,
even a few
freckles,
large empty eyes
and a dog-like
grin.
he's a bit addled,
but the clay's all there,
we'll shape him into
what they think they
need.

only with this one
we're going to use a
new twist, we are going to
start him as a serious
actor
and then turn him into
a comedian.

we're thinking all the time
here,
that's what makes
Hollywood
what it
is.

~ Bukowski

( I like to think that if you replaced the word "communists" with "rappers" the story would still be current.)