The amount of focus placed on celebrities has always been sort of a perplexing matter to me. No red carpets are rolled out for life-saving doctors or brilliant scientists who constantly work towards cures for diseases or ways to improve our lives. No magazines that grab the attention of the public are dedicated to the teachers and professor who educate the youth to become contributing members of society. Yet we go crazy for people able to appear in popular television and film or music, ignoring the millions of other talented people who aren't constantly showcased in the media.
I understand that the entertainment industry is multi-billion dollar deal, but the addiction of the public to celebrities and Hollywood glamour is a bit out of hand. Yes, there are talented men and women that help to make a television, film, and music enjoyable, but does that give us the right to pry into their personal lives? Why is society so intent upon following the lives of people we only know from the media? And why are factors like their height, weight, and looks so very crucial? The faces of celebrities are plastered all over tabloids, and tabloids often aim to discredit or humiliate celebrities.
The paparazzi exert themselves in their attempt to take compromising or humiliating pictures of celebrities, and we eat it up. We all want to see 'celebrities without make-up' or 'best and worst beach bodies.' Does it make people feel better to see a picture of a gorgeous celebrity looking less than par without make-up on or see cellulite on a celeb? Does it perhaps make them seem less god-like? Because they aren't godlike at all, they are normal people, who are glorified because society chooses to glorify them.
These celebrities that we obsess over are just people, they are like us, yet we idolize them for doing a job or utilizing a talent. I am a fan of movies and music and I appreciate a good artist, but that doesn't mean that I must obsess over someone whom I don't even personally know. This need to know every little irrelevant detail about celebrities is almost creepy to me. How magazines exploit celebrities, outing every embarrassing fact, spreading lies that the public buys into, publicizing personal and emotional events like divorce and eating disorders, is pathetic.
What's worse is when celebrities exploit themselves, and the inability of those who enter the excusive world of fame to handle stardom. I feel sorry for those who are so desperate for fame that they will do anything for it. I can't imagine a life like that to be very fulfilling or rewarding. Even more frustrating are those who gain fame without having absolutely any talent. Brainless reality shows that endorse binge-drinking and other ignorant antics have become mainstream entertainment, and the so-called stars of these shows gain unwarranted amounts of attention for their moronic behavior.
Those who earn fame from talent, and handle their celebrity-status with grace I can respect, because it's the public and the media that turn that world into a crazy and hectic place. Imagine if thousands of people didn't show up at an event where celebrities were going to be, just hoping to catch a glimpse of one. What if a celebrity stepped out of a limo onto the red carpet, and there were no screaming, crying fans? No continuous, blinding flashes of light? I realize I may be rambling here, but it's just ironic to me how much we glorify celebrities and their world when we are the ones who create it. If everyone didn't make such a big deal out of fame, it wouldn't actually be such a big deal.
I just feel like we put so much effort into hero-worshiping actors, actresses, and musicians that we highly under-appreciate important contributing members of society. It's no wonder so many chase after dreams of stardom and not enough strive to become doctors, teachers, scientists, nurses, and so many other professions that benefit and aim to improve society.
I'm in no way saying that we should shun celebrities or treat them with disrespect, but I do think it could be beneficial to use the energy we put into hounding celebrities elsewhere. Pick up a newspaper or a book instead of a tabloid magazine, maybe you'll find that expanding your knowledge is infinitely better than limiting yourself to the shallow celebrity banalities.
