Why are we so interested in Celebrities???

[Rue]

I like to keep up with what's what - but I'm not big into Celebrity news...mostly because I don't care, and partly because I don't understand the draw...

But as I was catching up on this morning's news, I read some headlines:

Michael J. Fox's younger 'brother' from Family Ties has just been arrested for assault. Not the first time. He's scary looking. Wonder why he turned out the way he did?

Jon Gosselin is in trouble again for partying with bikini-clad women. I'm so glad I'm NOT one of his 8 kids...I'd be so embarrassed.

The Duggar's just had premature baby 19. Maybe they need birth control for Christmas. Why have THAT many kids? You can't even raise that many by yourself.

One of the actors from CSI Miami was just arrested for assaulting his girlfriend. Why are so many actors such poop-heads?

Tila Tequila (and I only know about her because my daughter watched one season of her show. OMG is that EVER bad TV! *gag*) was just given a used, fake diamond, engagement ring...

...and I'm sure everyone is just dying to know what Tiger Woods is really up too...:14:

I honestly DON'T understand the draw! Aren't we supposed to try and improve ourselves? Why are we drawn into the gutter by these stories? And why are these people profitting from their transgressions???

Stay tuned for more dirt from 'As the Entertainment World Turns'...:hmm3grin2orange:

[Lady Hobbs]

I'm not and hate the news sticking it in our faces 20 times a day.

They still talk about Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt and they've been divorced forever. And today it's on the news that Ellen and her "wife" are not getting along.

Who in heck cares?

[Lab_Rat]

I'm not and hate the news sticking it in our faces 20 times a day.

They still talk about Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt and they've been divorced forever. And today it's on the news that Ellen and her "wife" are not getting along.

Who in heck cares?

Me too, I can't understand why people care so much. Makes me glad I'm not a celebrity, I would not want people scrutinizing my every move.

[Rue]

LOL...I can't get away from it...even though I've nixed the entertainment news from my news page...it still makes its way there somehow...:hmm3grin2orange:

[BirdOfPray]

This is why I seldom read the online news sites... at least with a physical newspaper, I can throw out the entertainment section and read the rest. I also have a weekly news magazine I like that mostly avoids the celebrity stuff -- it only comes up sometimes in the editorials because *gasp* they know it's not real news.

[Northernguy]

lol Because people are nosy!
They must be so bored with their own life that they have to know about others.
Drama! Who knows.
Celebs make the news for the most stupid reasons.
Ellen and her wife probably couldn't decide what wine to drink and someone probably picked up on it.

[rich311k]

You should live in NY the front cover of the "Daily News" has had Tiger on it for two weeks. You would think that something more important must have happened at least once in the world.

[Northernguy]

You should live in NY the front cover of the "Daily News" has had Tiger on it for two weeks. You would think that something more important must have happened at least once in the world.
He has been on the front page of everything!lol
How many GFs now 20!lol He still has all his video game sponsors.I think only two left.I know this because it was printed in a large bold headline daily.

[mommy1]

personally i could care less about celebrity lives. i don't watch much tv. i don't even know who most of those people you listed are, much less what is going on in their lives.
i deliver newspapers, and when i found out that the reason tiger woods was on the front page of my paper for the last two weeks was because of his infidelity i was truely amazed. i don't even care about his professional life. why would i care about his private life.

[Wild Turkey]

I agree, personally I couldnt be less interested.

[Sarkazmo]

The only way I could care less about celebs is if I was dead. It's all so shallow. I respect some actors, singers, writers, and the like for their talent but that's as far as it goes. Same with sports. Couldn't care less. In fact I find it disgusting that athletes get millions of dollars to play a game.

Sark

[Aeonflame]

I also wonder why people are so hung up on what celebrities do. I cant help but roll my eyes whenever they are on the news for some crap or the other. Whats that you say? Tom cruise bought a pair of BLUE SOCKS?? Oh my god! wait till the office hears about this!!

[MCHRKiller]

Sure I have my favorite actors or musicians, and If there is a headline about them on my homepage Ill read it...but I dont understand the draw of buying into all of this in-debth coverage. Im sure most of them want to be left the hell alone, but then you have to realize that alot of general people out there idolize and practically worship these people, so its a good money maker. People may grow tired of Tiger Woods BS, but chances are most of them will still buy media with him on it just to see what he's up to now.

[Deleted User]

I'm soooooooooo not into celebrities. The only "well known" people I'd even want to meet would be people I admire intellectually and/or politically.

[Lady Hobbs]

Doesn't it just make you wonder why all of Tigers "women" just happen to all appear at once? Never a word about him since he was 5 years old when he started playing golf now here they come crawling out of the woodwork.

Tells me something about the women, too. Why would any woman want to be on TV and all over in the newspapers telling all she had an affair with a married man? Five minutes of fame makes them look like a pig forever. :)

Oh ya, Jill. We all know politicans never mess around! sheesh

[Deleted User]

No, I didn't mean to imply politicians don't mess around. There are a small number of big name politicians I wouldn't mind meeting because I like to follow politics. There are some individuals I admire. I wouldn't mind the chance to shake their hand and say "thank you".

Simply, the only "celebrity status" people I'd cross the street to meet would be those I admire intellectually and/or politically. That's all...

[Kazenouta]

I'm just sort of disillusioned with the media in general. I'm sick of fearmongering about the Swine flu which is little worse than the same old flu we've dealt with for however long it's been and I'm sick of raising up people like Lady Gaga and Tiger Woods who clearly have no concept of what human connection is or perhaps they simply don't care. That's my rant haha, sorry

[Rue]

...you know what else is odd? We've 'cheapened' the entire idea of being faithful to one partner...all our TV shows and what-not center around recreational sex and the drama of who's sleeping with who...

BUT - the rich and famous have always been sleeping around...

So on the one hand we glorify infidelity - but then we slam people for infidelity...

What I'd like to see is a return to FIDELTY - both on TV and in real life...if that's possible...:sconfused:

Now...having said that...does Tiger Wood's infidelities make him less of a golfer? And are we interested in him because of his golf...or what he does in the bedroom?

The hyprocrisy of it all boggles my mind...

[Red]

Leave them alone, let them do there job. Maybe we wont have them killing themsleves or going into rehab 24/7.

[Kazenouta]

What I'd like to see is a return to FIDELTY - both on TV and in real life...if that's possible...:sconfused:


I am with you here. Fidelity and non-recreational sex isn't exactly popular within my age group and at times it's made me unpopular because I am not a fan of promiscuity. Oh, well; can't please everyone.

[Lady Hobbs]

These people put their pants on the same way you and I do. People seem to think that because they are a celeb that they are above and beyond normal man anymore. They are just people with their own faults, problems, hang-ups and vices. Some slap women around, some women slap men around, some are druggies and some are drunks. Just like normal Joe-Blows out there in the world. We're the ones who seem to think they are different, on a higher plane, above all sins and disgrace and then are stunned to find out they are just normal people doing what half the population is already doing.

Why was it so interesting to hear 100 times that some star got a DUI? Or another star is eating a hamburger when he's drunk or another star shop-lifted? By the time the media is finished with them, they may as well have been a mass murderer.

WOW. That just made me think of OJ? How many people do you know of that had a 9 month trial? Most murder trials are 2 weeks long.

[BirdOfPray]

I'm just sort of disillusioned with the media in general. I'm sick of fearmongering about the Swine flu which is little worse than the same old flu we've dealt with for however long it's been and I'm sick of raising up people like Lady Gaga and Tiger Woods who clearly have no concept of what human connection is or perhaps they simply don't care. That's my rant haha, sorry

My standard disclaimer, having worked in media for several years: if it didn't sell, it wouldn't be in the papers or on TV or whatever. I don't know who does read all this stuff, but there's enough of a market that it's sustainable and actually very profitable. Yes, the media could try to take the high road and let it go, but in reality it comes down to what sells and this stuff, unfortunately, sells.

[Kazenouta]

My standard disclaimer, having worked in media for several years: if it didn't sell, it wouldn't be in the papers or on TV or whatever. I don't know who does read all this stuff, but there's enough of a market that it's sustainable and actually very profitable. Yes, the media could try to take the high road and let it go, but in reality it comes down to what sells and this stuff, unfortunately, sells.

Yeah, just sort of the way it goes I guess. What sort of media work do you do?

[BirdOfPray]

None anymore, but my background is in print. Worked for my local paper in high school and college, in the editorial department (writer, photographer, layout, copy editing, was even editor for one of our editions for a while), then designing ads for a while after I graduated from college. Was also the photo editor of the school paper for a couple years in college, then worked as a student photographer in the school's PR department.

[Kazenouta]

None anymore, but my background is in print. Worked for my local paper in high school and college, in the editorial department (writer, photographer, layout, copy editing, was even editor for one of our editions for a while), then designing ads for a while after I graduated from college. Was also the photo editor of the school paper for a couple years in college, then worked as a student photographer in the school's PR department.

Sounds like you had some fun!

[Crispy]

I love seeing celebs fail... brings them down to my level. :hmm3grin2orange:

[terrapin24h]

These people put their pants on the same way you and I do. People seem to think that because they are a celeb that they are above and beyond normal man anymore. They are just people with their own faults, problems, hang-ups and vices. Some slap women around, some women slap men around, some are druggies and some are drunks. Just like normal Joe-Blows out there in the world. We're the ones who seem to think they are different, on a higher plane, above all sins and disgrace and then are stunned to find out they are just normal people doing what half the population is already doing.

Why was it so interesting to hear 100 times that some star got a DUI? Or another star is eating a hamburger when he's drunk or another star shop-lifted? By the time the media is finished with them, they may as well have been a mass murderer.

WOW. That just made me think of OJ? How many people do you know of that had a 9 month trial? Most murder trials are 2 weeks long.
Nail on the head, Hobbs.

I think all this comes from a societal desire to make ourselves feel better. We take these poor folks that are "better" than us and then put them on a pedestal yearning for them to fail. And when they do we swoop in like salivating jackals and shred their humanity to prop up our own. Ever wonder why reality tv shows(big brother, biggest loser, etc) do so well? Because they emphasize, condone, and promote the "ugly" side of the human condition. Not only that, they intentionally engineer the shows to DEVELOP that trait in the people on them. So that all those "normal" people sitting at home can look at themselves in the mirror and say "i'm not like that, and that makes me better than them" Where are the tv shows about the people working to cure cancer? Poverty? Where the hell is "judge not lest ye be judged"?

sigh.

In the end the proverbial mass media rule; "give the people what they want" does and always will apply. All we can do is hope what the people want changes from smut to enlightenment. I recently walked through the "newseum" in Washington DC, and what hit me hard(other than the fact that as a species humans seem programmed to destroy themselves) was that over the years civility(and hell, even truth) have taken a back seat to impact, circulation and "buzz" in the media. Some of the most impactful legislation of the next 100 years is being debated in congress RIGHT NOW and all the media talks about is what women some guy is cheating on his wife with? How about those 2 wars, how they doin? It all makes me sick, frankly. I'm gonna go lookit my fish now.

/soapbox

--chris

[BirdOfPray]

Sounds like you had some fun!

Definitely! Learned a lot, too. I never tried selling ads or working the press, but aside from those I could (probably still can) handle the entire process of creating a variety of types of publication, both in terms of content and structure. Not incredibly practical, but nice to know I suppose.

Aside from a little playing around or volunteer work, I'm glad to be out. It was fun when I was young and single, but it would be killer on a marriage and family. You're pretty much a slave to deadlines and breaking news. But I've done a lot of cool things, from photographing two presidents and a prime minister to riding along on a prostitution sting to hanging out on a country music singer's tour bus.

[Mith]

I lost my thirst for celeb news when I discovered that Gomer Pile was a fruit.....sigh