Eloon makes a good point in my comment box below
The coverage we give to celebrities in this country is obscene.I am very much in agreement.
I will accept that it is the way of the world that people take an interest in celebrity. It may not be logical, or understandable, but it happens. Somehow, the Press creation and fulfilment of the publics need to know more about the actor pop star whatever, has turned into a vile mutation of itself.
The biography of Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire made clear what a celebrity she was. Perhaps, in the 18th Century it was understandable. People were taught to look up to their social betters and, no doubt, aspired to their lifestyles.
Its partly due to economics. An insight into the private lives of showbiz people makes us know them better and perhaps more likely to buy their products As long as we understand the relationship, thats fine.
Where the trouble begins is where people live their life vicariously through celebrities. To start with it can even be a good thing. My teenage crushes on footballers and pop stars may have saved me from ill-judged unprotected sexual activity. To be inspired by a famous person is a good thing David Blunkett (blind), Evelyn Glennie (deaf) and Steve Redgrave (diabetes and ulcerative colitis) act as an encouragement to young people similarly affected. Those people, and many in similar positions, act or have acted as an inspiration to aspiring politicians, percussionists and rowers, disability aside.
The cult of Princess Diana had its uses in enabling more open discussion about eating disorders and the causes she championed, especially AIDS and landmines. But the Diana cult, especially after her death, was an example of danger. The public ululation for her was boggling. I was annoyed at an end-of-audit meal in Diana Week, when the Hello-reading classes were onning and onning about her. I pointed out that our manager Steves father had died a few weeks previously, and I was the only person who actually allowed Steve the time and space to talk about how he felt. On the TV people talked of how their life had no meaning now that Diana had died. I shouted at them to go out and give their time to one of her good causes, or another cause, and give their lives meaning.
When the celebrities are people who just do a job fairly well, I find the fascination worrying. Does it matter what was worn by whom? I like clothes, but when I buy them, I buy clothes that make me look good, or feel comfortable, not what some celebrity is wearing. I like to take inspiration for my home; if that happens to be from a celebrity home (unlikely, but
) that is merely incidental.
I find it frustrating when I discover people entirely ignorant of the political process or political issues, but full of trivia about which minor soap star is screwing which has-been pop singer. Politics is not that interesting to people, but when something happens that affects them, they often the lack the ability to influence the decisions. Locally, we have an ongoing planning saga. The number of people who expressed the view that the council were obviously corrupt because the application had been accepted. If they had bothered their gossip-filled heads with things that matter they would have known that everybody has the right to a fair hearing.
If you are a celebrity watcher, you can always invoke the defence of fun. And who am I to criticise? I do fun things. Moderate celebrity worship combined with activities is probably little harm. What does concern me is the standard and values that are portrayed.
I am sure that the constant parade of material consumption causes a great deal of unhappiness amongst people who aspire to be like their idols. The fact that somebody can be glorified by the simple act of turning up to a party, or by sitting on a sofa rabbitting, cannot help the self-esteem of people doing boring, low profile jobs. How many small children aspire to be singers, boxers, or footballers? At what point do they learn they may be happier as a plumber or an environmental health officer, systems administrator or marine biologist, hairdresser or barstaff?
I wonder to what extent does this cult of celebrity lead us to define success and happiness in terms only of material wealth or newspaper coverage, and how it blinds us to the world around us?
