Collin Palmer's Essay: Celebrities Play A Role In Our Lives

Many people are blind-sighted and tricked into being sucked into the world of celebrities and reality tv. This occurrence is known as celebrity worship syndrome and it can have many detrimental effects. Research has found that celebrity worship syndrome and an addiction to celebrities “has likewise been conceptualized as a search for a solid identity and social role ... and compulsive and obsessional elements are noted at advanced stages of addiction ... Thus, while absorption can partially account for the vividness of delusions related to dissociative experience ... the progression along our hierarchy of celebrity worship might reflect increases in the thresholds of the need and capacity of psychological absorption” (Rockwell). The absorption-addiction model that Rockwell references describes the parasocial relationship of a celebrity and a fan. Typically, due to deficits in a person’s life, a fan will become absorbed into a celebrity's following in order to escape their current life and they eventually become addicted. If an obsession with a celebrity is left unchecked it has the possibility to spiral into thoughts or behaviors that can be harmful to the fan and

Cultural norms often constrict an individual in society. Humans are individual but social by nature. An imbalance individuals and society can lead one to feel out of place or socially awkward. In “Our Celebrities, Ourselves” by Neal Gabler and “Never Trust a Snake’: WWF Wrestling as Masculine Melodrama” by Henry Jenkins, both authors’ essays reflect on American Culture, however, they differ one reflecting the American individual and the other American society. In both essays values such as individualism, societal status and self-invention are discussed. However, Gabler reflects on celebrities self discovery in society while Jenkins focuses on how you can find your place in society as WWF wrestling resembles the American societal structure.

Some of us would say “No”, but the majority of us would leap on the prospect of living the life of a celebrity. Who doesn’t want the perks of vacationing all over the world, having someone wait on you hand and foot, receiving freebies from designers and all the other perks that come with being a celebrity? The question is do we want the downfalls that come with fame? Can we handle vicious tabloid scrutiny, fabrications, and assumptions? Being a celebrity has its perks, but at what cost? Fame and money can be the root of all evil. Never the less, we are contributing to the madness when we purchase tabloid magazines, watch entertainment shows that follow celebrity activities and judge them for their actions.

A celebrity is not a person known for his/her talent or achievement, but an individual recognized for his/her reputation created by the media. The phase of stardom is slippery, and media may choose to represent celebrities varying from exaggerated admiration to mockery. The three texts chosen, movie "Sunset Boulevard", feature article "Over the Hilton" and television show "Celebrity Uncensored Six" are texts presenting different perception of celebrities than their usual images - either corrupted by the encircling media, overloads oneself with self-indulgence, or just mocks celebrity in a broad spectrum. Such media items empower and impresses the audience by perceiving celebrities as people who pay the price of privacy to gain well

People will go to great lengths to be close to the stars of Hollywood. It drives some people insane. That drive for fame and power leaves a lasting impression on the landscape and on lives for decades.

This hunt causes many celebrities to become primarily occupied in their own life and focused solely on themselves. Celebrities become so egotistical because “in a world where the celebrity is hardly ever told ‘no,’ a predominantly self-centered orientation can occur” (Rockwell and Giles 189). Becoming so narcissistic causes many to go down the path towards self-importance. The desire for pride becomes addictive on the journey towards fame, and according to Donna Rockwell and David C. Giles, “It becomes difficult for the person to imagine living without fame…one said, ‘I’ve been addicted to almost every substance known to man at one point or another, and the most addiction of them all is fame’” (Rockwell and Giles 184).

A “Good” Obsession A lot of people feel that celebrity obsessions are good and healthy. This is what Collin Palmer, in his short essay response to Deborah King, argues. I, however, disagree with Palmer because one simple celebrity obsession can ruin someone’s life.

King claims that celebrity obsession is a problem because opposed to what palmer said it is not human nature, and I both agree and disagree with their arguments.

According to the book Celebrity Politics, approximately 10 percent of Americans get national political news from nightly entertainment shows such as the Tonight Show. For Americans under 30, the number is nearly five times as many (Orman and West 100). Citizens are looking to be entertained rather than simply educated by the nightly news. As David Schultz aptly put it, “ The new media cover politics, but only politics as it entertains, in part, because the audience the new media attract is a less politically interested audience than traditional news audiences” (20). The fact is that this American audience is less interested in hard news and more interested in

Have you ever wondered what influences us to behave the way we do? Look a certain way? Or even looked for an explanation to what causes us to apply a certain perspective regarding personal and controversial issues? One of the answers to these questions may revolve around the influence we absorb from celebrities. A definitive term for celebrity is an iconic figure to a category or group who has achieved success in one or multiple aspects of their lives. As a result, these individuals have drawn in publicity and fame. Over the years with the advances in media and other forms of communication, celebrities have become topics of discussion worldwide, rather if it’s at school, with colleagues or at the dinner table, it is fair to say that

Celebrities are everywhere in the news, the latest gossip appears in the weekly magazines without fail. Whether they be an actor, athlete, dancer, designer, model, singer or just rich; there is someone out there who is watching that person like a hawk, not letting a single breath go unnoticed. Such is the life of the rich and famous, under the incessant gaze of journalists and the paparazzi. Lives that many people take a great interest in and admire to the point where others would liken this great interest and admiration to a cult-like worship of celebrities. This is a brief description of what I think to be celebrity culture.

People were not exposed to barrage of news about celebrities a couple of decades ago. Mass media is becoming more garden because of rapid progress on technology day by day. Thereby, people are substantially interested in the private life of celebrities, and some of them are obsessed with celebrities. They desire to know everything about them. For instance, who is dating with whom, where they are shopping, or what they wear. In a word public have an endless hunger for more information. However, the public doesn't have the right to know about every single detail of celebrities' private lives due to several reasons.

Being a celebrity exposes them to the public, and many celebrities take advantage of this in many ways. from endorsing sportswear to sunglasses, sometimes you even see them supporting politicians. Regardless of their interest this is important because they are trusted by their fans and are believed to be a person with morals and integrity. Sometimes you can turn on

To conclude my final analysis, the information Mrs.King gathered for her first part of her article, I have broken it down into an important chunk of data. I'm going to start off with that, when Mrs.King stated that we are obsessed and basically have nothing better to do, I disagree with her comment because maybe the paparazzi and reporters are doing it to make money because only god knows what's happening at home or anything else. I don't think the majority sits at home and looks at celebrities all day when there is social media. Consequently, And in the second portion of the article Mrs.King started to talk about how celebrities are a good reflection for us which leads me to believe she is one of the obsessed, but she immediately changes

We all have a favorite celebrity that we like and follow from time to time. But, when does admiration for a celebrity stop and adoration begin? Is it possible to be obsessed with someone you have never met? The answer is yes! Celebrity worship is a type of "parasocial" relationship, in which a person can become captivated with one or more celebrities. To the point where celebrity worship has become an obsession. Obsessions like this is similar to a type of delusional disorder, where the individual ends up believing they have a relationship with a celebrity. Why do some people worship celebrities, and what are the consequences of doing so? Also, what kind of effects does celebrity worshipping have on today’s youth? Is celebrity worshiping destroying our society? More so now than ever, we have become dangerously obsessed with celebrities, not only with celebrities, but with fame in it of itself.