Staying informed on the daily lives of celebrities has never been easy, yet we still do it. From what Jennifer Aniston had to say about the Brangelina divorce to what Kanye gave Kim for her birthday, it looks like our society can never get enough of celebrities. James Houran, a psychologist with the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, says “"We as a society are becoming overly preoccupied with celebrities and the fantasy images it evokes." After surveying over 600 people, Houran’s team of researchers identified a psychiatric condition, which they have dubbed “Celebrity worship syndrome”. According to researchers, “It’s an unhealthy interest in the lives of the rich and famous”. But to be honest, being interested with the lives of celebrities is not a syndrome, its human nature.
So I think it’s time we talk about America’s fascination with celebrities-that indefinable class of super-humans, fueled by glamour, glitz and lots of cash. These mythical creatures are viewed not as humans but as a distinct species of their own. And the fact is, society can’t get enough of them! They want to know not only what these celebrities wore to the Oscars, but also what they wore as they walked their dog. Society also tends to get extremely interested when celebrities talk about their weight issues, what they look like without make-up and of course the nasty details about their latest break-up.
But the thing about fame, is that it truly is intangible. It’s not something that you can necessarily work towards. It’s technically a concept. It’s something that others decide for you.
Essentially, because other people are pinning celebrities with this concept, the amount of hate and scrutiny they get is twice as much. Secluded in their bubble of fortune and beauty, celebrities are certainly not one of us. From this "far away" distance, people joyfully point out their flaws: examining weight-gain, critiquing the bathing-suit pictures, disregarding the fact that they—the common American, peering in at this warped fictional land from their own normal lives—could never stand such endless scrutiny and pressure. As if the harsh criticism and body shaming may result in an illusion of satisfaction or superiority,
Now, I have to admit I also find myself gossiping about the famous lives of celebrities, but the reality is fame is nothing but a mere fictional concept. But why do we love or hate celebrities so much? Why do we care so much about them? Being obsessed with celebrity lives could be because of multiple reasons: wanting fame, feeling jealous or perhaps merely craving a bit of juicy gossip. There really isn’t a clear answer to that question. But the simple fact is that society’s interest in celebrity’s lives is instigated by the amount countless outlets out there advertising the lives of celebrities. Rather than engaging in personal interactions, we converse about the lives of famous people documented in the tabloids as if we truly know them.
Like I said, it really is human nature to be interested in the gossip occurring around celebrity lives. But its damaging our society. I think it’s time we start living our lives not as celebrities or nobodies, but as people.
