9.25.2007

Celebrity Culture: Back to Basics

As an unofficial celebrity analyst, I am constantly perusing the blogosphere in search of new and pertinent events that could eventually make their way into a post. However, as I pondered a topic for this week I decided to go basic: what is celebrity culture anyway? While researching this question I stumbled across an interesting forum which contained an assortment of blog posts concerning various aspects of celebrity culture, all tied in to Princess Diana (pictured at left) in honor of the 10-year anniversary of her death.

The first of these was entitled “Diana and the Celebrity Culture We Enjoy” by Graeme Turner, a professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Queensland, Australia, and the author of the book Understanding Celebrity. Turner discussed the idea of parasocial relationships and the feelings of connection people feel toward celebrities, even if in reality there is no tangible relationship. His interesting ideas offered a basic understanding and reasoning behind the fascination the general public has with famous individuals.

The second blog was called “Diana, Versace, and the Celebrity Epidemic” by Maureen Orth, a longtime correspondent for Vanity Fair, and author of the book The Importance of Being Famous. Orth argued that people all over the world are connected through a collective infatuation with celebrities, and that this obsession is perpetuated by the media force-feeding celebrity news down our throats. Orth compares the media’s overindulgence of celebrity gossip with the obesity epidemic and the overindulgence of junk food.

Here are my responses:

Post #1: Response to “Diana and the Celebrity Culture We Enjoy”

A ‘celebrity culture’ unquestionably exists, even if many in the world of academia hate to acknowledge it. The Diana phenomenon proved to any in doubt that regular people have strong, vested interests in the lives of celebrities, or ‘parasocial relationships,’ as you call them. I found this idea very accurate and interesting. Cultural consumers are not content watching celebrities only at public events such as premieres, but feel the urge to know intimate details of their lives, making the relationship that much more real to them.

I was also interested in the “life work” argument that some academics make. While this idea may be somewhat true, I definitely do not think the majority of consumers are examining their own lives as a result of following those of celebrities. While modern-day celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, U2 front man Bono, and Leonardo DiCaprio are deeply involved in global causes (and anyone who follows celebrity news is well aware of this), I doubt it has caused a major revision in the lives of average individuals. I rather believe that celebrity watching usually does not have any socially or culturally redeeming values, but exists for pure entertainment. The most recent example would be Britney Spears, the world’s favorite train wreck. Ms. Spears should be a role model to no one, but her photo is still splashed across the covers of gossip magazines every week.

Your post is well-constructed and offers some interesting points. The idea of parasocial relationships is especially fresh and I would love to read more about it.

Post #2: Response to “Diana, Versace, and the Celebrity Epidemic”

There is no doubt that the world is obsessed with celebrities. People around the world are kept up to date on celebrity gossip by countless TV shows, gossip blogs, and magazines 24 hours a day. This communal infatuation and the media presence it requires has indeed created a global connection, made utterly apparent when Diana died. The intense reaction to her death demonstrated how everyday people felt connected to her, just as they do to celebrities today.

However, while I completely agree with your statement that “today we are all one besotted planet feeling the connection of celebrity,” and also with the idea that the way we cater to celebrities has perpetuated their out-of-control and sometimes diva-like behavior (example: the Lindsay Lohan incident), I do not believe that celebrity gossip is force-fed to us by the media. Yes, the media closely follows famous people’s every move and reports back to us using photos as proof, but we as a public demand such scrutiny, thus creating an ugly cycle between media and consumer.

I also believe that the infatuation with famous people is not new, nor has it exploded in recent years. People have always been interested in one another, but the technology which allows global celebrity gossip has only been made available fairly recently, creating the illusion that this is a new phenomenon.

Overall, your post is very interesting and thoughtful, and I love the comparison between the comics of yesterday and the celebrity air-heads of today as entertainment.

9.18.2007

Celebrity Breakdowns: Who is to Blame?

Britney Spears’ disastrous performance at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA’s) on September 9th was simply the latest blunder added to her ever-lengthening list of shame. The lackluster show opener—already made infamous by video parodies, mean-spirited comic strips, and ruthless reviews—was a perfect illustration of just how far Spears has fallen from the height of fame. Her bouts of bizarre behavior and multiple attempts at rehab since her split from ex-husband Kevin Federline last November have left no doubt in many people’s minds that Britney is having a breakdown.

But Britney is not the only one. Celebrity breakdowns are nothing new. Mariah Carey, Mel Gibson, Johnny Cash, Anna Nicole Smith, and Courtney Love are only a handful of celebrities who have hit rock bottom.

In reality, the term “nervous breakdown” has no medical basis, but is used by the public to encompass a wide range of mental disorders. The phrase is generally used to describe an emotionally distraught individual who is unable to function normally. Symptoms may include uncontrollable crying, erratic behavior, and indecision, among others. Some breakdown triggers are stress and drug and alcohol use.

Stress and substance abuse are probably the two most frequently cited explanations for celebrity breakdowns. The first obvious question is why breakdowns are so common in Hollywood. While under constant pressure to perform, look perfect, and sell product, stars are perpetually provided with and have easy access to drugs and alcohol. This environment creates a Russian roulette-type of situation where something is eventually bound to go wrong. When it does, paparazzi cameras are standing by waiting to snap a high-priced photograph of a fallen star.

The most recent celebrity tabloid fodder is Lindsay Lohan(pictured below), the starlet more known for her wild partying and revolving door stints in rehab than for her acting ability. Lohan has been recovering in a Utah rehab center and has not been seen in public since she was arrested on July 24th on suspicion of DUI and cocaine possession in Los Angeles. The troubled star has experienced breakdowns in the past, and may be the perfect—if not extreme—example of the way tremendous pressure and opportunity for substance abuse can lead to a nervous breakdown.

If these breakdowns are so common amongst celebrities because of their high-intensity environments, the next logical question would ponder the environments themselves. If consumers did not scrutinize famous people with such fervor, would the entertainment industry place such a high value on celebrities’ images, which in turn places the celebrities themselves under unhealthy amounts of stress? The answer can only be speculative.

The public’s thirst for all things celebrity has led the mass media to address the demand for such information through magazines, blogs such as perez-hilton.com, and television shows. This has created a cycle in which the more we see, the more we want. The more we want, the more they give. Simply, the public places pressure on the media which places pressure on the industry which finally places pressure on the people (celebrities). If celebrity escapades were not so highlighted, would society truly care about whether or not Nicole Ritchie (at left) ate lunch today? More importantly, would Nicole care?

The idea that we the public perpetuate the cycle of celebrity exposure and infatuation, placing pressure on the famous and possibly (however indirectly) leading to a future breakdown is an uncomfortable thought for most. Instead of acknowledging the fact that without an eager consumer market, the very institutions which place celebrities under pressure would cease to exist, the general public ignorantly places all blame on the media. However, if we as a public would like to see the amount of celebrity breakdowns reduced, we need to stop caring so much in the first place.

Britney Spears’ life is in chaos. The VMA performance proves that. But instead of harpooning the media—or worse, laughing at her—we must stand by the fallen pop star and realize that our adoration is what eventually put her there.
 
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