One of the most important issues in today's public sphere is the public fascination with celebrities. There are shows like TMZ or E! News that are dedicated to showing people what celebrities are doing. What are they eating? Who are they dating? Important issues like State Budget Cuts and poverty can be forgotten when people watch these shows making them an escape from reality. But the question that comes to my mind is: Does the public sphere help make celebrities who are irresponsible and down right stupid role models for kids and teens?
I think celebrities for the most part are poor role models. But people are still interested in them more than politics. As McKee wrote, "Consumers are more interested in unimportant news about celebrities, diets, and sex tips than really important political issues (2)." Paris Hilton is a name that everyone is familiar with. But what exactly is she famous for? If she wasn't rich and didn't have her Barbie like looks or a sex tape would we know her name? I don't think so. She is known to go to night clubs, dress kind of slutty, and party. But little girls want to look like her. She was even arrested for a DUI and said it was 'nothing'. I don't think most parents would want their daughter to grow up like her.
Children and teens for the most part are really interested in celebrities and wanting to look like them for that is what society places as the standard of what women should look like. I once had a friend who wanted to be just like Paris Hilton and have fancy name brand clothes and purses. And to be thin just like her. She would have done anything to meet her. But I can not help but to think what for? I mean its not the same as meeting someone who is successful from their own efforts like Oprah Winfrey or Ronald Regan, who died a few years ago.
I have to admit I find celebrities interesting but I do not want to model myself to look like one or act like one. It seems they are rewarded for stupid behavior. Like when Paris Hilton got out of jail a few years ago she was able to continue her life as usual. Which if someone from a middle class background had gotten the same DUI it may be harder for them to continue life and find a job again. I find the public sphere makes a big deal of irresponsible celebrities due to their looks . Perhaps the public sphere should not focus on looks but on people making a difference by working hard to succeed.
Much of what you said comes from celebrities being huge cash cows. Everyone wants to know about the personal lives of celebrities, so the media puts those details out there for us to consume. As another poster said, we do it as a distraction, a form of entertainment that can be an escape from our often busy and stressed lives. There is nothing wrong with entertainment news. I start to have a problem with it when it is pervasive and there is no way to get away from it.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is nothing wrong with entertainment news. But I think when people who are not good role models and don't really do anything productive that made them famous is when their is a problem.
ReplyDeleteI think it's so funny that you used Paris Hilton for your blog. I was watching something on tv about a week ago and they were talking about people that are famous for nothing. Paris was one of those people and they found that she was famous for being a rich party girl. I completely agree with you,she shouldn't be a "role model". I think parents are partially to blame for this,if they didn't allow their children to use celebrities as role models,nobody would care about Miley Cyrus dancing on a stripper pole with daisy dukes on.
ReplyDeleteParis Hilton isn't the only celebrity famous for nothing. So your question raises another good point-the media makes realilty tv starts into celebs. We now have people like "Snookie" and "the Situation" from "Jersey Shore" being treated like celebrities. For what? I'm still trying to figure that one out.
I think when people in the public sphere are searching for role models, they are not choosing people by the content of their character, but by their popularity at the time. I remember when Kobe Bryant was accused of rape many people who did not watch basketball or really know of Bryant started wearing his jersey. They were all jumping on the bandwagon of popularity. I also agree with you that it might be entertaining to watch from afar, but I myself would never want to be that much in the spotlight like celebrities are now a days.
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