Why are we so obsessed with celebrities? Is it because of the insecurities they make us see within ourselves? Or is it because watching their downfalls and chaotic lifestyles essentially makes us feel better about our own lives? Or maybe it’s because we like to see their insecurities because it makes us feel better about our own. But have you ever thought that it’s our obsession with celebrities that essentially creates the insecurities within ourselves? They SEEM like they have it all, the fame, the money, the beauty, the confidence, and the list goes on. But I have to think that watching these celebrities and constantly admiring them, has to have an effect on us subconsciously and even consciously.
We all sat back and watched Britney crumble under the pressure. Somewhere along the way her mistakes became our entertainment. But the real question is: Does being entertained by these things/people make us shallow individuals? With all the other issues going on in the world today, why do we care about the lives of celebrities? Why do I have to have the E! Entertainment News app on my phone along with the CNN app? Why do we care so much!?
On the flip side most celebrities seek out the fame, they WANT it, and then can’t handle it when it comes. They are attention seekers and they are addicted to seeking that constant approval. I never would want to live in the public eye for the world to critique, criticize and judge everything that I do. But I think that’s why we are so obsessed with celebrity culture because we are all voyeurs in our own way. We love to look at others lives without being an active participant, hence the popularity of reality TV. We love to be judgmental of others, although we don’t like to admit it. Celebrities allow us to be judgmental without feeling bad, because they are people that we don’t really know. But we do know almost everything about them!
Focusing our constant attention on the lives of celebrities gives them a power over us. It gives them an influential power of course. The media knows how influenced we are by celebrities, as they are the ones that are constantly pushing them in our faces…why do you think this is? Well for one they are walking advertisements! And they also keep us distracted from the real issues that are going on in the world (but that’s another blog post). They influence what we wear, where we go, what we eat, etc.
To me celebrities are like the “popular kids” in high school, except they are the “popular kids” of the WORLD. They have everything that you want and wish you could have. Everybody wants to be them or be like them. So we strive our hardest to be similar to them, and we look down on those of us who have broken from the mold and walk to the beat of their own drum…Every day I face the constant battle of trying to break free of the influential hold that celebs have over me. I try to be different, but some days I fall short of that task. Sometimes it’s so much easier to just be like them…So I pose this challenge to you and myself. Let’s DARE TO BE DIFFERENT and break free from the influential hold that celebrities have on us. Let’s open up about our personal insecurities with each other. I think we will find that most people share the same insecurities. Let’s stop passing judgment over people we don’t even know, it’s truly a waste of time when there are more pressing issues at hand!
Thoughts, questions, answers.....????
2 comments:
NICE POST! I accept your challenge to be different...after I check out a gossip column real fast...which you actually put me on to...LOL! I like what you said about remembering they are human just like us. When I do that I feel kind of foolish for being so stalkerish. What if the shoe was on the other foot?
No, but I personally am sucked into the "black hole of stardom" because of, just like you mentioned, the MEDIA! I'll admit, I'm kind of obsessed. Society has deemed these celebs with this coveted title which makes everything we see on tv from commercial advertisements to programming, read in magazines and hear on the radio a lifestyle that legitimately is unattainable to more than half of America. Perfect example, about 4 million individuals are obese, not even including those that are overweight. Question: What do we observe most everywhere? Answer: An extreme, sickening obsession with diet/exercise, weight loss quickies and overall skinniness. Exercise is good but why can't we just shoot for a healthier lifestyle and cut all these dieting schemes? But I guess it's true, we want what we can't have............sometimes, okay most times.
Very interesting post. I think our obsession with celebrities stems from a number of different things, mainly our own insecurities and the need to escape from the real world.
Society has always been intrigued with Hollywood and fame, therefore we somewhat vicariously live through celebrties. Yes, it can come off as shallow, but isn't it all a form of entertainment? I'll admit, it's pretty sad that I'll read theybf.com before cnn.com each day, but I do it b/c I don't think of it as real life. I hate reading bad news and hearing about the pain this world is dealing with. I'd rather read the latest gossip about a celebrity than read about another attack in Iran.
We are an insecure society and it's evident when I read people's comments on celebrity gossip sites. It's like a love/hate relationship with "celebrities". We love to read about them and we analyze them from head-to-toe. Yet, we call them everything but a child of God and have nothing good to say about them. Is it Hate? Jealousy? I think it's plain old insecurity.
After "following" certain celebrities on Twitter, I realize they are human just like you and I. Reading what they have to say everyday totally eliminates the celebrity quality and humanizes them. It's all entertainment. Nobody is better than anyone else, so maybe it's time for these "celebrities" to come off of our mental pedastals.
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