The thread title should be: "Is there a social impact from celebrity obsession?"

So much has been said recently about a certain scumbag that is about to go the slammer and another scumbag who was wasted after a party. Several months ago I read about a study of teens in the UK and most of them thought that being a celebrity was the best things in the world!

Seriously, when and how did it come to this? Does it have anything to do with the easy money that celebrities can earn? Also, is there any longer term social or economic consequence to kids being obsessed with these phony, lewd, talentless, sometimes barely literate celebrities?

I really don't know. I just think that celebrity factor is a heap of crap. So many of these celebs can't string a sentence together. Numerous athletes would be homeless, unemployed or in jail somewhere if not for their "talent", whatever that means.

Why do young people all want to be celebrities these day?

...put simply, it is all about getting attention.

Generation X and Y were raised in an era where we were told we could be anything we want to be. We live in a culture which worships youth, fame, and money. An entire social system has been cultivated around "positive reinforcement" and the encouragement of "self expression". Unfortunately, in Western culture, discipline and dedication are no longer as highly valued as instant gratification. Everyone wants to be the center of attention and believes it's their right to be "respected" -- to hell with earning respect. Everyone talks about their rights but often seem to disregard personal responsibility and the rights of others.



FAME WEALTH BEAUTY -- I WANT THE WORLD TO ADORE ME AS MUCH AS I ADORE MYSELF. I am incredible and amazing -- I'm so unique and interesting. I should be famous -- it's my destiny -- it's my right!

What about parents? Does this emphasis on instant gratification extend to them too? Even adults will happily buy a car, golf club or stereo system endorsed by their favourite adult celebrity.

Heck, I don't even find any of those three bimbos attractive. There's nothing unique about how each of them look. I've seen girls looking similar to that working at fastfood restaurants.

I just wonder what this worshipping will do to society when we look back on it. Does instant gratification correlate with soaring household debts in America? Is that one of the socioeconomic consequence?

I absolutely think so Ray.

Personally, I think it is indicative of the general decline of Western civilisation. We have become quite a disillusiuoned and empty culture.


Shopping malls, "the cathedrals of consumerism", where millions of people seek "enlightenment".

Respectable topic! Although I must ask, is this not something which can be said for everything else in the world? Let's face it ,you guys just slam dunked it in the last couple of posts. Our culture is always looking for instant gratification. Whether that be in the form of cell phones, cars, celebrities, television shows, clothing - it really makes no difference.

Anyhow, as for the original topic:

For me, it's odd to being on two sides of the fence. I most certainly agree with everything Ray and Rob have said, but as is obvious, I am "guilty" of celebrity obsession. So yeah..

Yet despite of that, I'd consider myself anything but part of a mindless generation obsessed with celebrities and instant gratification.

It's pretty difficult not to be well informed about the daily exploits of Paris, Lindsay, or (God help us all) Rossie Odonnel -- even the serious news channels report celebrity antics in their main bulletins.The lines between News and gossip seem to have become blurred; the Murdoch press has been one of the worst at dumbing down the Media, but they, by no means, have a monopoly on trash posing as journalism.

Of course I am as guilty of celebrity watching as most others -- but I don't think I could ever call myself obsessed with celebrities. I resent being turned into some kind of voyeur by a Media/culture who seems to think our own lives are so boring that we crave seeing an inebriated David Hasselhoff swearing at his daughter and eating Pizza off the floor -- go figure, Hasselhoff repulses me at the best of times.

That is indeed true. This garbage braces the 6:00 news nearly every night.

Really, who gives a flying **** whether Britney Spears shaves her head?

Who cares?

I don't think any of us can deny watching celebrities. As you said above, it's pretty damn hard not too and to be honest, why not watch them? Is there any real harm in watching them?

As for myself. I wouldn't I say I am obsessed with a majority of celebrites, because afterall, I think most of them are absolute garbage. Trash with no talent who get over exposed as God's - when they clearly shouldn't be. I should note that the few (very few) celebrities who I admire - I admire not because I think they are God's above all else, but because I would define them different from the "normal trash" in such a terrible profession.

Yes, same here. I'm no clone, never have been.

EDIT: Shame they aren't more answers for this topic..

There are a lot of thrash magazines that report solely on celebrity scoops, their latest cars, watches, girlfriends, boyfriends, sex video tapes and more. I can't understand why anybody would read them. They are all thrash and base their stories on gossips and scoops. Who cares if Britney has a new boyfriend. It's not like she didn't have one last week.

I can vouch that in my society, celebrity obsession is very minimal. Most of the obsessed teen girls here worship Japanese and Korean stars, but they don't go so far as to adopt their ways. Those who do, eventually stop as they grow older.

I did once read one of those magazines. I was very bored at work and needed something to read, and there was a celebrity magazine lying around. All I can say it what a waste of 15 minutes of my life. Big Brother was on at the time, and there were like 10 pages dedicated to it. The articles included who had the nicest tits in the house. Then there were all the 'celebrity' columns about other celebrities. I really don't know why people would want to know all this stuff. I assume women discuss it though.

The thing I hate about celebrities is most of them haven't done a proper days work in their lives. I don't understand why they should get paid so much money for doing nothing, and selling their stories to the papers. I would hate to be a celebrity, people taking pictures of you everywhere, people coming up to you in the street and if you did anything wrong, the next day it would be all on the news, and maybe it would ruin your career. I think some of these people should grow up, because young girls are reading up on them, and probably think that life is partying every night and drinking all the time. The celebrities should be responsible, because they are role models that the younger generation are following.

But if it wouldn't be this "religion" it would be another.

During and after WWI, the "religions" peopled turned after the great slaughter and economical difficulties were fascism/nazism and comunism.

It's a matter of choosing the lesser evil.