If the current pop culture trend is any sign, mentorship is synonymous with success.
Mentorship seems to be surreptitiously making its way into popular culture. As reality programming continues to hold strong in prime time slots, more competitions are introducing mentors to their contestants. To the savvy mediaphile, this might seem like a ploy to introduce more celebrity faces to attract a bigger audience. While this may be an effective marketing strategy, mentorship has been a crucial component to several different aspects of popular culture for many years:
1) American Idol: Although the music producers have always guided contestants on their journey, in season 5, they introduced celebrity mentors to the contestants. This allowed budding stars to not only be intimately exposed to different kinds of music but also get personal advice from successful recording artists. Previously, celebrity mentors included: Miley Cyrus, Shania Twain, Harry Connick, Jr, and Jamie Foxx.
2) The Ultimate Fighter: When Spike TV launched this show in 2005, contestants were placed on a two team led by a professional MMA fighter. Obviously, this dynamic was beneficial to the development of their careers, but also to the show’s loyal fan base who tuned in not only for intense mixed martial arts action, but to watch their favorite fighters grow as students of their sport.
3) So You Think You Can Dance: Season #7 changed the structure of the competition drastically, allowing only half as many contestants to advance as before in order to revive previous show favorites as mentors, (in addition to the critiques offered by the judges). Their job was not only to partner with the top 11, but also to help them understand the intricacies of the competition itself.
4) The Next Food Network Star: one of the most marketed aspects of the current season 6 is the addition of a mentor, who not only helps to judge the contestant’s food and camera appeal but also aids them in understanding how celebrity chef-dom translates into cross-promotions and product endorsements. Giada De Laurentiis can certainly do all of that.
5) Death Row/Aftermath/Shady Records: one of the longest-running business mentorship programs of recent popular culture is responsible for Death Row Records, the label formed by Suge Knight and Dr. Dre (when he wanted to leave N.W.A.). Together they released Dre’s highly-anticipated solo album “The Chronic.” With its success, he began to mentor Snoop Dogg and produced other albums, starting his own label—Aftermath Records— in the following years. Ironically, the biggest star to represent the Aftermath label was Eminem who then turned his success into his own label, Shady Records, where he launched 50 Cent’s career (among others). 50 went on to be the fastest person ever to have business in every form of media including movies, music, video games, apparel, and even food (a 10% stake in Glaceau, the company that makes Vitamin Water).
(BONUS): Justin Bieber was discovered on YouTube and consequently hooked up with Usher, whom he outwardly attests is his mentor.
If mentorship is important to all of these people for all of these reasons, then it should be obvious how it can benefit any organization. Even John Maxwell, the world’s leading Leadership guru, attests that he would not be who he is today without legendary basketball coach John Wooden.
