The Age-Old Obsession

In a mindless while-cooking-dinner conversation the other day, the topic of celebrities came up, specifically male celebrities. A girlfriend of mine said, “I don’t just like Brad because he’s good looking; he’s such a good guy, you know?” At which point I chuckled, nodded, and initially thought nothing of the comment.

But post-dinner in my subdued food coma state, I got to thinking about the strangeness in my friend’s remark, that is, the feeling of closeness to and knowledge about famous people that many of us fall victim to. And when you look around, this is knowledge-teetering-on-addiction is everywhere; magazines in the checkout stands, entertainment blogs, entire books with titles like Brangelina Exposed. America has an unhealthy obsession with celebrity fame that is getting worse every day.

Attraction to celebrity is not a new phenomenon. From the times of ancient Greek gods and on through the centuries and millennia, people have been captivated by famous figures. Celebrities embody larger-than-life qualities that the majority of people lack, and these unattainable and fantastical features continue to add to the allure.

While this is not a new human experience, it certainly seems to have reached new levels in our society today. Since the early 20th century, Hollywood has tightened its grip on our culture, raising actors and actresses to the status of some of our most worshipped members of society. Now, with a constant stream of media injected into our everyday lives, the worship of celebrity has never been more accessible and engrained.

With this media-age celebrity addiction, there is the potential to overdo the famous people intake, especially in places like Los Angeles. It’s always slightly embarrassing to see people actually buying Brangelina Exposed, or viewing celebrity blogs hours a day in place of human interaction, or literally running after celebrities around town. For some, these unattainable figures have become an intense fixation, a source toward which to devote more time and energy than seems healthy.

Amid the shameless aggressiveness of today’s media, it’s a good idea to maintain the upper hand, to recognize the glorification of famous members of society, and, as in any large-scale trend, to remain grounded in individual thought and present reality.

Indulging in some mild, everyday celebrity gossip is age-old, harmless, and at times unavoidable. Therefore, I cut myself some slack when I have moments like the other day, when I found myself talking dreamily about Leonardo DiCaprio for longer than I’d care to mention. But hey, everyone has weaknesses, and I’m happy to say I maintain my mild obsessions with a level of personal conviction and [reluctant] acceptance of reality.

Corinna Ace