Admit it, at least in one point of your life you wanted to be famous. We have all longed to live the rich and glamorous lifestyle of a celebrity. Everyone knows your name and everyone wants to be your friend. You get to live in a multi-million dollar mansion, wear the most beautiful clothes and date the most beautiful people. Sounds perfect, right? However, thanks to numerous tabloids, we know that celebrities are normal people just like the rest of us. They have their struggles, fears, insecurities, and failures just like everyone else. To make it worse, they deal with the problems we have to deal with while being scrutinized under the public eye. Their seemingly perfect lifestyle is not as great as it appears and those who live this lifestyle aren't that much happier or better off than we are. Then what is with all this hoopla about celebrities? Why do we crave fame?You could blame the media for this widespread fascination. However, In Carlina Flora's article, "Seeing by Starlight: Celebrity Obsession", Flora explains that our minds are responsible for our obsession with celebrities. She says that "Celebrities tap into powerful motivational systems designed to foster romantic love and to urge us to find a mate. Stars summon our most human yearnings: to love, admire, copy and, of course, to gossip and to jeer. It's only natural that we get pulled into their gravitational field."
Flora also suggests that our love and idolization for celebrities is a modern form of ritualized idol worship and that celebrity culture is taking the place of religion. Psychologist James Houran speculates that "nonreligious people tend to be more interested in celebrity culture" because celebrities fill "some of the same roles the church fills for believers, like the desire to admire the powerful and the drive to fit into a community of people with shared values." In the secular society we live into, our longing for ritualized idol worship can be placed onto stars.
Flora also suggests that we adore celebrities because they give us the inspiration to tackle our own problems. Anthropologist Helen Fisher explains that "celebrities motivate us to make it". We are inspired by Demi Lovato who made it through her breakdown and bipolar disorder and Oprah Winfrey who made it through poverty, sexual abuse and racial discrimination to become wealthy and successful stars. If they can make it through their struggles with success, why can't the rest of us?So do you agree with Flora? Do you think that celebrity culture could take the place of religion? Do you find comfort in engaging in the lives of the rich and famous? What do you think is behind all the hoopla about celebrities?
I think that everyone has a favorite celebrity. Someone they look up to, who they probably wished to be at one point in their life. The reality is most people aren't celebrities. I think that is where the fascination comes from. We, as 'normal' people, don't understand the life of a celebrity so we want that. Humans want what they can't have, whether its someone else's grades or someone else's life there will always be moments we wish for something.
ReplyDeleteI think the problems occur when people become so obsessed with celebrities that it becomes like a religion. We even talk about celebrities like we know them sometimes. Its nice to have people to look up to but when it becomes worship-like, people need to rethink things.
Celebrity obsessions are common these days it seems. How often do we hear about the psychotic "fangirls" of various celebrities such as One Direction? If anyone has a Tumblr, they'd know exactly when I'm talking about when I say that there are full blogs dedicated to certain celebrities, created and run by fans. Celebrity life consumes the media - how many times have you stood on line at the grocery store flipping through magazines that are basically designed to invade the lives of celebrities? Everyone has done it. There are people who want to grow up not only to be a celebrity, but to be exactly like a specific celebrity that already exists. Impersonators of famous celebrities such as Britney Spears or Ozzy Osbourne are not uncommon to see. People dress like, talk like, and act like their favorite celebrities all the time! Lana Del Rey shops at H&M? I will too, then. My concern comes into play in situations like those where people start to lose their identities and replace them with that of a celebrity. The question then becomes, why try and change who you are, only to become exactly like a celebrity who, in fact, is a normal person. I don't think that people realize that the only thing different about celebrities is the attention and spotlight that they live in. Personally speaking, I believe that there is more talent in some of the girls in our school than there is in some of the celebrities out there. Could you imagine singing on stage next to Ke$ha and performing better than she does? If you can sing, chances are, that really isn't an impossible idea. Why then do people look up to her if there is no talent there to look up to? She's different, she grabbed the media's attention before someone with pure talent could.
ReplyDeleteLike Katyln said, humans want what they can't have. Humans all want to live in the spotlight whereas, most celebrities are usually dying to be treated "like a normal person." We all want certain things but once we get them, we tend to like them much less than we thought we would. For example, we could all get into our dream colleges and we could go there and end up realizing that it really isn't for us. It's easy to say you want something or that you'd thrive in a celebrity environment until you get there. People often live out their greatest dreams and desires through celebrities, I feel.
I think that it is normal for us to look up to celebrities and movie stars and to some extent it is healthy. As humans we are imperfect beings that striving to achieve this impossible vision of perfection and through the media celebrities lives are portrayed living the ideal lives. I agree with Katlyn that we don’t understand their lives and are fascinated and because of this we are curious and always want to know what they are doing. As Stephanie said, although it may look like they are living life to the fullest in many ways their lives are equally as complicated and flawed as our own. I also think we have such a strong tendency to idolize celebrities is because we have such a skewed vision of what their lives are really like. For example, we see pictures of them in the magazines that have been retouched and reshaped distorting what these people really look like. Most of the time, we idolize this person who in reality does not exist. This tendency for us to want what we can’t have is natural but I do not think that for the majority of people do not substitute this idolization of celebrities for religion. I think that the problem lies in the handful of people that become obsessed with a certain celebrity. However, even in this case these people usually out grow this stage and realize that these celebrities are essentially no different than us. In some way I think this interest in celebrities’ lives is comparable to the gossiping everyone does about people they know. Most of the information we read in the magazines about them is not completely true and like gossip falsely portrays people. Humans are interested in what other people doing regardless of whether they are famous or not.
ReplyDeleteI believe that everyone idolizes over at least one celebrity weather you are religious or not. For example, my grandmother is very religious and goes to Church every weekend and is involved within her Parish. Although she is very religious, she still looks up to Oprah. She respects and appreciate all of the obstacles Oprah has overcome and how she always seems to help people. Oprah sees the good in everyone and manages to help donate money to many organizations. My grandmother sees her as a leader for most people and celebrities. Like my grandmother, I believe that some people get the chance to be a little bit luckier in their plan from God in regards to materialistic things and those people need to help others that aren't quite as lucky.
ReplyDeleteI think that we look up to people who we strive to be. Humans are imperfect and are always striving to appear better than they are. Like Grace said, many people idolize celebrities that are not as perfect as they seem. I think that the big hoopla behind wanting to be a celebrity is that people want to appear as perfect. Being a celebrity allows to have the finer things in life and eventually hide your imperfections. For example, if a celebrity has a huge zit, they can easily hide this by seeing the best cosmetic and get the best ointment that most people cannot afford.
While I do agree with Flora I don't think that celebrity culture could possibly replace religion altogether. I do think that for some people celebrities can act as someone to worship, instead of religion. I think it makes sense that nonreligious people need another outlet to satisfy them, though. I personally feel intimidated by the lives of celebrities. I feel that famous people must be at least a little superficial and caught up in their own image. Even though I'm sure nice famous people do exist I think I would have a hard time forming a friendship with anybody of considerable fame. I think part of the reason people find an obsession in celebrity gossip is that they are simply so pretty to look at. With their flawless hair, expensive clothes, genetically perfect boyfriends, and professionally trained bodies, it's natural to want to compare ourselves to them and expect us to achieve the same level of perfection. While I think slightly having an interest in celebrity gossip is harmless, people who devote themselves to tabloids must be very insecure and feel empty inside. The problem is that readers don't realize that celebrities are not real life and therefore we should not be trying to imitate them 24/7. I think celebrities are fun to look at and they give great fashion advice but if I spend over 30 minutes reading something unrelated to politics on the online news, I make it a point to logoff and appreciate the level of normalcy I have in my own life. Not many people could survive very long living under a microscope and I'm certainly one of them.
ReplyDeleteI think that the public's obsession with celebrities digs deeper than having someone to aspire to be, while this aspect is certainly a starting point for why people idolize stars. Once you become a "fan girl" of a athlete, actor, or musician, like Justin Bieber, for example, this becomes part of your identity. The "Beliebers" who have taken over Facebook and Twitter call themselves a community, a family. Being obsessed with a celebrity has come a long way, since fans can now basically see where their celebrity is, who he/she is with, and where they'll be headed at ALL times. This whole new level of fan-girling has made the entire concept actually quite freaky... Some girls dedicate their entire life to getting a "follow" from One Direction or from even getting a single "retweet" from Ariana Grande. While I'm guilty for tweeting my favorites like Hunter Hayes and Carrie Underwood, I know there's certainly a limit for how far one should appreciate their favorite celebrity. Once you cross the line, it seems extremely tough to reign oneself back into reality.
ReplyDeleteI am the very first one to admit that I have celebrity obsessions; my desktop background since freshman year has been Prince Harry. So I definitely agree with this article that ‘fan-girling’ and idolizing provides an escape outlet. With ordinary and stressful lives, we all can’t help but scroll through perezhilton.com. This is the Mecca for celebrity enthusiasts, some, eagerly tracking the lives of their idols. However, seeing endless pictures of Kate Hudson walking out of Starbucks puts things in perspective; our lives and celebrity lives aren't much different. Sure, they’re glamorous, have money, and have influence in the world. However, the only thing that celebrities have that we lack is publicity. Therefore, I don’t believe that celebrity worship should become a religion, but should serve as an inspiration and a tool of motivation.
ReplyDeleteI definitely do not think that celebrity culture could ever take the place of religion. While people idolize some celebrities, they are still aware of the fact that celebrities are normal people just like everyone else. They know that if they ever need help or need protection, they can't pray to celebrities and hope that they will help them.
ReplyDeleteI think people tend to obsess over celebrities because of how they look or because they are intrigued by all the drama that goes on in their lives to make up for the lack of excitement in their every day life. I don't think people find comfort in engaging in the lives of famous people; I think people just want to stay informed in celebrities' lives mainly for entertainment. Celebrities tend to have more exciting lives than the average person because of their fame and wealth. For instance, Taylor Swift seems to have a new celebrity boyfriend every month. I definitely wouldn't say people obsess over celebrities so much that it could take place of a religion. I think people get bored with their lives and want to hear about the thrill of famous peoples' lives.
I think for most, celebrities give us an example of a "perfect" Hollywood lifestyle. They have the fortune, the fame, and the fans. They make more money in a single movie than most people make in a year. Everything seems incredible easy for them. To think any of our "little people" normal problems were shared by celebrities would be ludacris. That's why there are sections in magazines like, "Celebrities: They're Just Like Us" showing celebs doing things like getting a starbucks or pushing their babies in strollers. This section in magazines definitely exhibits how people view celebrities as larger than life--and for some, as a form of idolization, hitting close to religion.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not think it is acceptable, I would definitely say some people's obsession with celebrities is boderline idolization, and some for of religion to them. It's full of ritual: checking up on sites regularly to stalk every movement of the celebrity. The buy clothes to look like the celebrity, and change their behavior to act like the celebrity. I think the point at which this becomes concerning is past age 18, once a person starts to enter adulthood. But when it occurs in the pre-teen, or teenage years, I think it is a form of the person searching for their identity. They are trying to figure out their role in society, and they chose a celebrity as their role model. This shows an obvious problem with our society: teenagers are looking up to celebrities, and not doctors or firefighters or businessmen. They look up to those who have a twitter--and not those who are so busy and hard working at their career that they don't have time to tweet.
I agree with everyone that the idea that celebrity worship is replacing religion is dramatic and unlikely to ever happen. Most people grow out of their celebrity obsessions or at least keep them in check after maturing in highschool. When I was in fifth grade I had a locker dedicated to pictures of cole sprouse, and I wrote him a letter (yes, I found his address) saying that I was coming to California and was hoping to meet him. Being in the same state as him, to an eleven year-old, meeting him seemed realistic. Obviously now that I am 18, I have better things to do than waste my time idolizing celebrities. I actually only follow 3 on twitter.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am an exception to the rule, celebrity obsessions do seem to die out with age and experience. So long as people's perspectives and priorities are in check, celebrities will continue to be simply a source of entertainment and not worship.
While I don't believe that celebrities have taken the place of religious worship, I do think they have become an essential part of our everyday life. I admit, sometimes I find myself talking about celebrities like they're my best friends. I know I've said countless times things along the lines of "Oh, Snooki donated $1,000,000 to the Sandy relief, she's just so sweet" or "T-Swift's new single is awesome, I'm so proud of her." Yes, many would say that's a little strange, but I think it happens more often than we realize.
ReplyDeleteI think what it really comes down to is that we can identify ourselves with celebrities fairly easily. Whether it's boyfriend drama, family issues, or false rumors, celebrities suffer the same way we normal people do. "If they can do it, we can do it" is the general consensus which comforts us in these difficult times. While the obsession can sometimes be unhealthy, having guiding figures make mistakes can govern the way we handle hardships in our personal lives.
I disagree with Flora when she says that celebrities are taking the place of religion. Although it may sound terrible, some people may even be encouraged to participate in an organized religion because of celebrities. Many people wish to emulate celebrities and if they see someone going to church then they may think that they should attend church as well.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that stalking celebrities through PerezHilton.com and gossip magazines is a guilty pleasure of mine and that I do find comfort in engaging in their lives. I think that deep down, everyone wants their name to be known and to do something remarkable with their lives and when we see someone do that we want to know their story and find some way in which we relate. When reading through magazines, there is commonly a section named "Stars, they're just like us!" which only reinforces the idea that we want to relate to someone even in the most minute ways. Although it is unhealthy to worry more about celebrities lives then your own, I think that it is a way for people to learn about numerous things and possibly discover something about themselves or their relationships with others.
Jesus was fully human AND fully divine. Aside from celebrities really not, in my opinion, contributing anything truly beneficial to society, they are fallible. I think it's a mistake to idolize any human, let alone celebrities. I don't mean to sound like a hypocrite. Truthfully, I still dream about the day the Jonas Brothers are no longer famous so I can go and meet them and make Nick Jonas fall in love and happily ever after. I'm no better than the next teenage girl, but I know craziness when I see it. Worshiping a celebrity and making them your model for everyday life is a bit insane.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find even more ironic, is that we choose the people we know the least about to idolize the most. That should tell us something- we're not even idolizing them- we're idolizing the idea of them. We might as well dream about Prada, or Steve Madden shoes, or the new dress at Anthropologie. In reality, isn't that what we admire about them? Their stuff? Their looks?
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