You’re engaged in the fallacy of category error. The subject of the thread is a person who plies his craft before the public and is appreciated by that public.
You asked why someone (who I assume are people who ply their craft in private) weren’t also publicly appreciated.
The answer is a simple, they’re not in the same category (public vs. private).
Propaganda has no connection. Propaganda is targeted to the public but it doesn’t mean the public appreciates it.
I think that artificial public / private divide you speak of is exactly what I am talking about. Regardless of where or how a person applies their trade, why do people around them not still praise those people in places that reach lots of other people, such as websites? Or more importantly, do it more often?
I say the answer is propaganda. These tools through history whether it is the town cryer, the bully pulpit, radio, television or the internet, cause people to focus more of their attention elsewhere and it allows small groups of humans to seed the societal discussion. It is this socialogical phenomenon that has existed throughout human history and is something I wonder about.
Again...that is why we hear more about Michael Caine than about people’s aunts and I find that reality unfortunate.