I am continually amazed at the level of celebrity worship we have here in the United States. I don’t pay much attention to what’s going on with Paris Hilton, or any other celebrity, but in the last month you would have almost had to be completely disconnected from the media without knowing that Ms. Hilton was having a little problem in her life called ” go to jail”. Last night I briefly lit the tube and found myself watching her triumphant release as she and her getaway vehicle were surrounded by photographers and paparazzi.
Why are we so culturally obsessed with celebrities? And why are we even more intrigued when something bad happens to them? For example: Why was the tragic death of Anna Nicole Smith more important in the eyes of the media than her life, and why did people pay attention to it? And even if you don’t try to follow any celebrity information in the media, you still face the magazine headlines at the grocery store checkout. She may be almost Hollywood illiterate so I’m not sure why Lindsay Lohan is a celebrity, but looking at magazine covers while in line at the grocery store, I know she has a problem with alcohol and eating disorders. . I think it’s strange that he really knows that.
Some experts suggest that the root of this massive celebrity obsession is hardwired into our DNA. Stuart Fischoff, Ph.D., emeritus professor of media psychology at California State University, Los Angeles, states that “what’s in our DNA, as a social animal, is the interest in observing alpha males and females; that they are important in the pack “, and that we are prepared to” follow the leader. ” (Watch A new era of celebrity worship, CBS News 3/3/06.) But who would rank most of these celebrities, especially the ones who seem to attract the most attention, as leaders? What the hell are they leaders of?
Another psychologist cited in the same article, Abby Aronowitz, Ph.D., claims that the media is at least partially to blame for creating people who are extreme celebrity worshipers. “The entire Hollywood twist machine works together to create images that are impossible for any of us to fulfill. They purposely groomed us to admire and even covet something we can never have … Fortunes are made by turning fans into victims , and it all starts by creating that frenzy known as the cult of celebrities. “
For me, both the DNA and the explanations of blaming the media reeks of victim mentality. We can’t help it, it’s in our DNA. However, the media forced us to do so. Sure, we may be genetically programmed to follow the leader of the pack, but I ask again: why would our culture consider a celebrity to be a leader? And as for the media, it seems to be a question of the chicken and the egg. Which came first, media coverage of celebrities or our social search for more celebrity information?
I think a much better explanation for our fascination with celebrity lives comes from a more spiritual psychological approach. Many people have a deep, unconscious, and unmet need in their lives, a need to feel better about themselves, a need in some way to feel superior, and celebrities help them respond to that need.
Eckhart Tolle points to this idea in his book On New Earth when he affirms: “The absurd overvaluation of fame is only one of the many manifestations of egoic insanity in our world.”
People’s unconscious egos thrive when they feel superior. How does celebrity worship allow you to feel superior?
* When celebrities and their PR machines are at their best, celebrities look better than the rest of us, they sound better than the rest of us, and we believe they live far more glamorous and fulfilling lives than the rest of us. Just by knowing them, we can try to imitate them and feel that we are also superior humans. For example: when I saw Mrs. Hilton get out of jail last night, I knew that now that she is free from her cell, she will be working very hard to launch her new perfume. Maybe if I buy your perfume, I can smell like Paris Hilton, and I’ll be a much better person than the rest of you poor idiots. My ego is delighted with the possibility!
* When we closely follow celebrities, we can feel superior by having more information than our friends and neighbors. Our ego feels satisfied and superior when we have more knowledge about something than any other man, even if that knowledge is virtually useless.
* We can also inflate our egos by separating celebrities. Again, I’m always curious about the buzz around Hollywood award ceremonies like the Oscars. Why do people spend hours watching celebrities parade in their seats, receive little statues, and then give uninspired thank you speeches? Could it be because our egos get satisfaction from knowing what celebrities looked like and criticizing clothing choices we don’t like, as well as knowing who got the award (information)? Can you catch a hint of my own ego feeling superior when I suggest they make uninspired thank you speeches? I mean, really, I could do a better job than them!
* Finally, we can feel superior when we see celebrities fall from grace. With all they have, all their opportunities, all their wealth and all their beauty, many celebrities can’t seem to join their lives together. And our egos love to see them crumble because then our lives seem so much better, so much more in control.
In a society where we seem to be increasingly disconnected from our true inner spirit and increasingly impressed by the accomplishments of the outside world, increasing celebrity worship makes perfect sense. Until people start to live more consciously and really question why they feel the need to idolize the images of celebrities, the media will continue to help us satisfy our egos by giving us all the good, bad, and ugly that it can. find for the rich and the rich. famous. And we will continue to absorb it like the spiritually dry sponges that we have become.