Celebrity Culture

[ed111]

As you are all probably aware, over recent years, 'the media' has become obsessed by celebrating indivuals (normally actors or musicians). People are less interested in politics, science, culture etc.

A recent poll conducted by a french tv station, showed that the majority (57%) of UK citizans were not interested in the US presidential election.

Yesterday, a UK celebrity (Kerry Katona) appeared on a day-time T.V. show (called This Morning). Her voice was slurred and she was not particularly coherent or astute. There were multiple videos of the interview on YouTube (YouTube - Kerry Katona on This Morning: Full Interview). They have received in total 100s of thousand of views and generated 50000+ comments! This is quite amazing since the interview only occurred yesterday!

What on Earth is going on? The explanation that the general public are morons cannot be sufficient, surely?

 

[nolla]

What on Earth is going on? The explanation that the general public are morons cannot be sufficient, surely?

General public is bored and interested in watching people getting humiliated. It's basically like an approved form of voyeurism.

 

[Virtual ghost]

As you are all probably aware, over recent years, 'the media' has become obsessed by celebrating indivuals (normally actors or musicians). People are less interested in politics, science, culture etc.

A recent poll conducted by a french tv station, showed that the majority (57%) of UK citizans were not interested in the US presidential election.

Yesterday, a UK celebrity (Kerry Katona) appeared on a day-time T.V. show (called This Morning). Her voice was slurred and she was not particularly coherent or astute. There were multiple videos of the interview on YouTube (YouTube - Kerry Katona on This Morning: Full Interview). They have received in total 100s of thousand of views and generated 50000+ comments! This is quite amazing since the interview only occurred yesterday!

What on Earth is going on? The explanation that the general public are morons cannot be sufficient, surely?

I was thinking about opening this topic since it is more then important one.


The fact that you can't do anything with people if you don't have a celebrity to be your spokesman is quite dangerous if you ask me.

I think that the world is more and more turing into a place where people don't want to live. So they search for an easy exit or a dream world. On the other hand people that are incharge in societs understand that this is very good and simple way to calm down general public.


Long ago I have come across an article that entire celebrity culture is so successful because people don't feel so close to each other in modern societys. So they need someone to relate to. In tribal societys the amout of connection and conversation(anything social) was much higher.


After all majority of people on this forum are in search for happiness.

 

[kiddykat]

My take on this topic is that since the media constantly bombards people with celebrity news (depending on where you live of course, me- U.S.). It's been conditioned so people automatically program themselves into thinking- "hey, this is news, this is something I should care about," sorta as a way to compensate excitement in their own lives because they've become so numb? It's a slow process of a dumb-down affect that people have blindly come to surrender or accept, because other than the internet, there aren't very many options I guess- (since global market-media monopoly offers limited viewing selection- it's biased). It's also a great mechanism to cover up on more important key issues that effect our daily lives- such as laws that are being passed that we're unaware of as a way to keep things on a D.L.

I mean, it's bad enough that celebrities are considered 'idols,' people we look up to (instead of those who do actually make an impact in history/cultural movements), we now even have gas stations with TVs showing "the latest news in Access Hollywood" like it's *that* important. Not to mention, more DVD screens people place on their dashboards and car seats. Isn't having a TV set at home enough? Now we even have it on our refrigerators, at malls, grocery stores/check-out stands.. it's crazy..

 

[Anja]

I was the only person I knew who didn't have a clue who Paris Hilton was until a couple of months ago.

Just can't do it.

And I ask myself the same question the OP poses.

My husband answers, "You've gotta remember, Anja, that half of us are below average."

 

[Wade Wilson]

I admit I enjoy some of this celebrity obsession. I enjoy watching celebrities when they're teetering on the brink of total meltdown. I especially love it when an A-Lister topples down the ladder of stardom into relative obscurity.

The majority of people that get the most coverage are, at best, B-D listers unless it's total over-the-top chaos involving a huge star.

I find it disturbing that their antics more often than not improve their image in the public eye however (or worse, when their actions suddenly spark a trend). I thought the world would join me in laughing at them but most of the time I find I'm laughing by myself.

Watching people get crushed under the weight of their own success will never stop being amusing (to me, anyway)

 

[animenagai]

It is completely bullshit. Celebrity culture is by definition a problem created by society. It is caused by the ever-present 'follow the leader' culture. Things have become 'cool' simply because everyone else thinks it's 'cool'. We live in the age of television and the internet. There are a million things brainwashing society, and they do it by making people think that it's fun.

Media coverage is wider than ever. Everyone has a TV, everyone has a computer, everyone has a car and a car radio. Everyone is looking out for the new trend, the new thing for them to imitate through these commodities. This in turn breeds a hunger for the commodities itself and the whole cycle just continues spinning.

People have become supremely shallow through this perpetual brainwashing. We used to have the poor looking after their basic wellbeing first and the rich pursuing the intellectual pursuits. Both being worthy causes. Now we have the entire world being washed up by magazines and celebrity gossip, simply because it is everywhere. People want to buy that new cell phone even if they don't use half the functions. They want new sneakers even if they only wear them for a week. They don't want to be left behind in this ever moving tsunami of social expectations.

It makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[Jack Flak]

Chris Martin of Coldplay was interested enough in foreign politics to say "Barack Obama!" on SNL tonight. F'n a-hole.

 

[ajblaise]

31% of people don't even know who the vice president is in the US. I'm surprised outlets like MSNBC, FOX, and CNN don't show more celebrity news.

 

[Simplexity]

People have become supremely shallow through this perpetual brainwashing. We used to have the poor looking after their basic wellbeing first and the rich pursuing the intellectual pursuits. Both being worthy causes. Now we have the entire world being washed up by magazines and celebrity gossip, simply because it is everywhere. People want to buy that new cell phone even if they don't use half the functions. They want new sneakers even if they only wear them for a week. They don't want to be left behind in this ever moving tsunami of social expectations.

It makes me sick to my stomach.

Haha, just the other day I probably had the gayest most shallow exchange of conversations I've had in a while with another guy. My friend, basically for the last 6 months at least has been ridiculously shallow and socially driven but at the same time with his personality( ESxJ) has had a need to sort of assert his intelligence and independence.

To cut to the point he's basically one of those abercrombie bitches who is in fact not particularly socially adept, or outright intelligent at least not notably so. I was drinking with him the other night and he wouldn't stop bitching and unleashed the ultimate mean girls comeback about how one of his female coworkers "actually bought her clothes at *gasp* jc penny."

That wasn't even the worst of it, this kid seriously has some homosexual tendencies( fine if you roll that way by the way), he legitimately got into a beauty competition with me. He really went on for like 5 min just analyzing and comparing traits, I was just standing there drunk like wow, are you really serious right now? The sad part is he really took time to come to his conclusions. I was kinda freaked out by the fact that it really seemed like thats the type of shit that is on his mind, fuck he was conceding too, thats the part that really got me. It was like it was the source of his little frequent projectinish comments towards me.

Not too really labor on my apparently gay friend( not really but a little concerning), but honestly that is the way a lot of people are about social standards, looks, celebrities and what not. Even pseudo-intellectuals like him. The sad thing is he isn't even nearly the worst when it comes to intellectually inclined individuals, I go to a community college and sometimes I wanna just not even bother starting any conversations with fellow students. The funny thing is once the conversation hits up the celebrity or party realm people will have long winded "intelligent" responses, even from a general knowledge perspective people are sorely lacking and that really hurts reasoning ability to the point where talking about real life application is a struggle. Even your cell phone analogy, in my business org and management class we had a discussion on the industry and people could only mention pricing plans and the latest phones and not much else.

 

[Thursday]

General public is bored and interested in watching people getting humiliated. It's basically like an approved form of voyeurism.

And the pageantry of suffering therein
Rivals television
Tv is, after all, the modern day roman coliseum
Human devastation as mass entertainment
And now millions sit jeering
Collectively cheering
The bloodthirsty hierarchy of the patriarchal arrangement

Ani Difranco - Tamburitza Lingua

 

[Mole]

We live in the Attention Economy.

We pay in Attention.

And we pay Attention to Paris Hilton.

Paris is Attention rich, while we are Attention poor.

If we pay Attention to one another, we enrich each other.

And we impoverish each other by competing for Attention, while Paris is the new robber baron of Attention - Paris wins, we lose.

We can learn to pay Attention to one another by practising Active Listening.

Active Listening will enrich us in the new Attention Economy. But we need to change our orientation - we need to change our desires - and this requires disciplined practice.

So rather than whinging and whining, we can be rich and accomplished.

We only need to do two things - one, to change our minds - and two, to practise, practise, practise.

 

[wolfy]

We live in the Attention Economy.

We pay in Attention.

And we pay Attention to Paris Hilton.

Paris is Attention rich, while we are Attention poor.

If we pay Attention to one another, we enrich each other.

And we impoverish each other by competing for Attention, while Paris is the new robber baron of Attention - Paris wins, we lose.

We can learn to pay Attention to one another by practising Active Listening.

Active Listening will enrich us in the new Attention Economy. But we need to change our orientation - we need to change our desires - and this requires disciplined practice.

So rather than whinging and whining, we can be rich and accomplished.

We only need to do two things - one, to change our minds - and two, to practise, practise, practise.

The Attention Economy. Haven't read about that for a while. Thomas Davenport has some good stuff about that if I remember rightly.

You are right that is the key to changing it.

Most people don't really like to think.
If you make them think they're thinking they'll love you.
If you really make them think they'll hate you.

Everybody loves a well presented illusion.

 

[Night]

Offers a form of escapism.

One of the reasons why the Coliseum was so popular. Or why Shakespeare is remembered.


People need heroes to loathe.

 

[swordpath]

Celebrity culture and America's fascination, fixation and obsession on it really gets to my nerves. Recognize talent, no problem, but to worship frivolous drama of names that shouldn't be of any significance, no thank you.

"Brittany Spear's little sister: PREGNANT AGAIN!!!" <--- who gives a damn? Why do people give a damn?

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

It is completely bullshit. Celebrity culture is by definition a problem created by society. It is caused by the ever-present 'follow the leader' culture. Things have become 'cool' simply because everyone else thinks it's 'cool'. We live in the age of television and the internet. There are a million things brainwashing society, and they do it by making people think that it's fun.

Actually, I disagree. I think of our obsession with celebrities as obsessions with the dominant males and females of the hierarchy. The gossip, such as in the OP's video, and tabloids in general, are a way for subordinates in the hierarchy to (1) stay informed about what's going on and (2) to try topple the dominant figures in order to elevate their own status. I think this is nothing new at all, it's just that technology has improved and social norms relating to privacy and decency have become more relaxed.

 

[Edgar]

I think that the world is more and more turing into a place where people don't want to live. So they search for an easy exit or a dream world.

It's always been like that. The masses need their coliseum games, their church chants, and their celebrity gossip.

Did you know that sense deprivation can kill a person within 24 hours?
Boredom is sirius bidness.
srsly

 

[Anja]

Here's a question, then, if boredom is the problem:

Why are people "bored?" We've got things to entertain ourselves at every elbow.

It is something other than being bored I think.

Boredom can mask a number of other existential problems.

 

[swordpath]

Did you know that sense deprivation can kill a person within 24 hours?

Can you go into a little more detail on this?

 

[Edgar]

Can you go into a little more detail on this?

An experiment was conducted (forget exactly who did this, but I think it was the Soviet experiments related to the space program) into this. Basically a person undressed, laid down into a giant water bed looking thing. He was then blindfolded and placed in a room where there was no sound. To make a long story short, his vital signs were monitored and the scientists came to conclusion that person ordinarily would not survive very long under sense deprivation.

There are S&M people who are into this stuff. A person gets tied up in a leather cocoon that prevents him from moving, hearing or seeing. Apparently after 4 hours or so, the body starts to react in a weird way, the person starts hallucinating etc. Sessions are closely monitored and timed to prevent serious consequences.