Why do we love reading about celebrities?
We see them on our movie and television screens, read about them in newspapers and magazines, see updates about their lives in twitter and all over the internet. Celebrities are light years away in the worlds they live but our accessibility to them and their lives makes us feel that we know them intimately.
We discuss them as though they’re our friends. Does Jennifer Aniston have commitment issues or has she just been unlucky in love? Should Madonna be allowed to adopt another child from Malawi? Do Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal make a good couple?
Of course we know many of their public personas aren’t real. We’ve heard how they tip off paparazzi when they’re trying to get publicity for their latest movie and I really hope we all know that the way they’re portrayed in magazines is extremely altered thanks to the wonders of photoshop.
We even know that many of them don’t want the attention. As Evangeline Lilly from Lost recently told Women’s Health magazine, we don’t know her so why should we care what’s she’s doing and who she’s dating? The intensely private star admires Angelina Jolie for her illusiveness: “No one knows that woman; she’s a complete ice queen, which is perfect… Why should she be any more? She doesn’t owe us anything.”
Not only that but some of them are pretty vocal about their dislike. We’ve seen celebrities like Julia Roberts yell at the paparazzi when they tried to photograph her dropping her children off at school and of course we all remember what happened to poor Diana.
But does any of that stop us from buying trashy magazines and discussing whether that photo of Miley Cyrus and her Dad was just a little bit creepy? No, of course not. Why?
In my opinion, we love the unreality of it! It’s like a grown up fantasy version of princess stories we heard growing up. These people lead these wealthy lives looking perfect in gorgeous clothes on a shiny red carpet. And we can go along for the ride by reading about them online or in twitter. It’s the ideal escape.
Why do you think we love reading about celebrities?
Caitlin
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thats a really good question. okay, the way you put it makes us sound like sticky beaks; but i think its probably because we all want to know what the celebrities get up to, and even though we probably do something similar to them, it is more interesting when a celeb does it.
also, i think we like being sticky beaks…oh well.
but thats a really good question, and that was only my opinion.
Beause we’re stupid.
Because some people do not have anything better to do.
Because people have nothing better to do.
Pschologists refer to as “Identification” – one of the mind’s defence mechanisms. Someting in us feel that there but for the grace of God goes I. Gives us an excuse or satisfaction that “that’s” me!
It’s a fantasy within a fantasy. Don’t you just love it when mommy reading you a Cinderella story when you are little? Then you dress up like Cinderella complete with plastic shoes and inside your mind you are going to a ball to meet your prince. Even when we grow up, we still dream of meeting our prince and all hardship somehow will be gone. That’s why Pretty Woman is so popular. A hooker meets a handsome and young billionaire, Edward. I don’t even remember the name of that hooker. I remember the actress’ name though, Julia Roberts. It’s addictive and heartbreaking especially if all your life, you are surrounded by frogs and each time you kiss them and wish them to turn into a prince, they are still frogs only croaking louder. Oh, I have migraine!
i have no time for most of them,just remember they are only actors,not that important.
I’m not sure about this. I couldn’t care less what a celebrity is up to. I prefer to know what the people around me are up to. In fact, I can’t stand seeing celebrities splashed over everything, it really irritates me. Paying someone millions for saying a few lines seems very strange to me, hardly worth praising the person. Quite bizzarre what people look uo to really.
I have no time for celebrities. who cares what they are doing. The media worships them no one else
We love gossip especially about the celebrities. It takes us to another world of fame and fortune.
Our own little world is ordinary compared to theirs. It shows how empty our lives really are. We are not truly happy and content with what we have, so we covet what they have. thinking how wonderful life would be if we had their money, their fame. Isnt that what the world teaches us! Living for self and having the best things in life. Greed is our motivater, hence the world economy. This all sounds depressing, but its how it really is.These are the values our kids are learning. Self is more important, happiness is within yourself. This is what happens when we forget God and reject his gift of salvation, Jesus.
I’m as interested in celebrities’ lives as they would be in mine!! They have more money but are still only human like the rest of us !!
I think we are so much interested in Celbs. because they show us the dreamworld on big screen which is out of our imaginations. They make more dreams for us and hence we start looking up to them or start being interest to read about them or get news about them thinking on the basis of what they proform on the big screens.
It’s a fantasy alright. For some reason we believe that we know these people and feel that we have a right to intrude into their lives. There is something very wrong with this notion. The fact is that we DON’T have any idea what they’re like and we’re told a load of hog swill by the newspapers etc. I know this, but it seems there are so many people in the world who live for crap….I’m happy not to be one of them.
Huh? At the risk of sounding sexist, shouldn’t this read “Why do women love reading about celebrities?” I realise it’s not *entirely* a gender-based thing but it seems to me that there is a large difference between the interests of men and of women in this regard.
I’m interested in celebs if they are dealing with issues we normal people are dealing with. Issues like depression and how they deal with it, autism like Jenny McCarthy’s son.
I have no interest in Brangelina and their multiple kids from around the world, not Madonna and her life, nor the hook ups and break ups.
Paris Hilton gets on my last nerve, wish I could see her doing something….ANYTHING for charity for a change, instead of just posing and going shopping
The same reason that we want to know what our neighbours are up to-because humans are curious by nature and many of us are just plain nosy.
I really don’t know why we do. I hate people sticking their beeks into my life and yet I am always wanting to know about people in the public. But it is usually the celebrities I like.
Good question, but a hard one to answer.
Celebrities are real people with real lives — but this almost never has anything to do with their role in the capitalist spectacle. First of all, they are *commodities*. Their faces and “personalities” are sold like any other product; their appeal is based on some sublimated desire for what these “stars” represent — sex, adventure, popularity, humour, elegance, confidence — their uniqueness is not so important to those that manufacture these “celebs” as the fact that they have a market to exploit. Second, they serve as examples of social “success.” They are abstracted versions of the old capitalist illusion; that we can ALL swim in wealth and adoration, live in luxurious mansions, consume enormous portions of the social wealth. It’s necessary for those at the top of the social pyramid to have “believers” at the bottom … Third, these “stars” fill holes in people’s hearts; those lacking romance, courage, “action,” etc. live vicariously through manufactured idols. Of course they deserve these things for real, but to unhappy people with few prospects, escapism and adulation are attractive and easy — like religion, or narcotics …
Nate
I never read about celebrities as I can’t be bothered and most what is written is made up anyway. Sensational stories sell magazines nothing more. So anyone who is fascinated with other people’s lives, don’t have a life of their own.
Read, “The Mirror Effect” by Dr. Drew Pensky
I don’t. I get annoyed when Yahoo! “news” splashes items about these non-entities on it’s front page. Some of them I have never heard of and certainly do not wish to know more about them.
Get rid of the celebrity items. Put them in some folder where I don’t have to see them.
Well,
I think they are our greatest idlos..
And we wanna be like them..
and some of them are good looking
=D
lol
who told you that dribble? im sick of hearing about pointless celebrities… i have my own life
We don’t its just that we have too watch all the rubbish the TV stations and magazines keep putting in front of us about this one and that one. Who cares how many times Brad Pitt has shown his bum in public or Madonna has another under aged lover. Give us some thing of interest to watch and read no one is really into the stuff thrust upon us. Though some may be brain dead after the 24 hour mashings we continually receive.
a percentage of the human inhabitants, probably only first-world types, third-world has enough on it´s plate… are so pissed-off with their own life that they would rather enter the fantasy world of Hollywood, or international sport, or hero worship. LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY..WE DON¨T need any more heroes.