May 21 2008
Why We’re Still Fascinated With Celebrity News
Celebrities enjoy the lifestyles that many of us only dream about. They live in palatial estates, drive the most expensive automobiles, eat at the best restaurants, and date the most beautiful men and women in the world. Substantial incomes keep them from the worries of budgeting paycheck to paycheck, and their lives appear to be the substance of dreams Or so we think.
Celebrity news fascinates the general public. Whether it’s a high profile marriage or divorce, gossip journalists overload our senses with every detail of celebrity doings. Cameras chronicle jet-setters entering and exiting rehab, their stays in jail, and everything from partying in the trendiest night spots to walking the dog. Those of us living less exciting lives devour every news item, keeping gossipers in business with our insatiable appetites for more dirt.
Celebrity news takes us from the boring details of our everyday existence to a world many people never experience. Most of us do not mingle in the same circles as Brad and Angelina. We live our lives on the fringes of celebrity escapades, and ridicule when missteps are reported. We are challenged with the struggle to earn even the most modest living, yet we yearn to enjoy some of the basic luxuries that many celebrities take for granted.
We rush to spend hard earned money on products endorsed by our favorite stars. Somehow, it seems that wearing Michael Jordan sneakers or Elizabeth Taylor fragrances makes us less mundane, bringing us a little closer to their world. In reality, we only assist in creating greater wealth for them as our pockets get thinner.
We delight in watching a celebrity’s fall from grace. It’s not a coincidence that the better selling issues of entertainment magazines are the result of celebrity misfortunes. Ironically, it is then that the star demands respect for privacy, while the public craves every detail of their misfortune. We still talk about whether O.J. did it, the erratic behavior of Britney Spears, and the jailing of Paris Hilton. Entertainment news media fiercely competes for the most outrageous stories to satisfy our appetites for gossip, and mainstream society gobbles up every unsavory tidbit.
Many times, their efforts are intrusive. Celebrities are people just like the rest of us, and when they experience difficulties, the go through the same range of emotions. The celebrity mother fighting for the right to keep her children is no different than mothers appearing in family courts around the country every day. If not for a celebrity having a worse day than ours, it seems we would have nothing interesting to talk about. Maybe knowing that they also have frailties makes us feel better about our own lives.
