Celebrity News 1 Introduction Brad and Jennifer, Martha Stewart, and Michael Jackson are more than just names of celebrities we all know so well. Upon mentioning these names the general public would automatically associate their names with the stories of their being plastered throughout the media from talk shows, magazines, and even clothing. The media has become such a dominant part of today’s society, but how much of American culture and ideals are centered on the lives of celebrities portrayed in the media?
In today’s society, news had the potential to be circulated around the world within minutes to not only the public, but to the entire world. While the public has an array of news available to them, how much of the “news” is really necessary? Today, the public has become so obsessed with celebrities who have become idols and role models for everyone from children to adults that the public has a lack of interest and a lack of appropriate knowledge about issues that really matter in today’s society.
Aside from covering stories that appeal to the public’s interest, p-procedures and marketers are of course aimed at producing products that sell rather then what is of importance. Thus, the media industries devote much more time to celebrities rather than informative and educational features, contributing to the public’s obsession with drama and degradation. In analyzing statistics and polls, content, and the public’s reaction to the Celebrity News 2 media you will see how the media has devoted too much attention to celebrity culture. Statistics
Statistics show how today’s culture places much more of an emphasis on Celebrity Culture rather than national or world news, both having it is benefits and negative influences on today’s society. As time and media capabilities progressed, American culture has turned into a culture that is saturated and bombarded with constant images and stories of the lives of celebrities. In a study conducted form 1980 to 2003, interest in national affairs dropped from 35 to 25 percent, while the interest in entertainment and celebrity news doubled be the of 2003, reaching a high in the year 2002.
Many factors have contributed to the growing fascination with celebrities and the lack of interest in more important issues around the world. For one thing, it is more difficult for countries to make national news sound interesting and appeal to the public. Also, most times magazines have limited space available, and it is much easier to convenient for them to fill those spaces with “juicy” celebrity gossip as a guarantee that the stories will sell. Let’s just face it America has become a society obsessed with wealth and beauty and that is exactly what celebrity culture provides for the public (Altman, Howard).
Celebrity News 3 When analyzing the features of magazine covers, studies revealed that approximately 40 percent of magazine covers feature celebrity and entertainment, while culture and travel are at 10 percent, and national affairs, home furnishings, food and nutrition, and business and industry hovered between six and eight percent. The covers alone promote the idea that it is most acceptable to be the young and beautiful. However, if they are not plastering beautiful models on the covers, they highlight the latest celebrity break ups, marriage problems, or even embarrassing moments.
In a study conducted by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of plastic surgery procedures performed in America increased fourfold from 1997 to 2003. Television features shows where ordinary people come in aspiring to look like their favorite celebrities and are prepared to undergo surgery to accomplish that goal. On the other hand, celebrities are under just as much pressure to uphold this image that their managers and producers have created for the. However, this is problematic in society when it is causing society members to question their own self worth value.
In a study published in March of 2004, researchers found that gossiping about celebrities took up most of the social time of nearly one-third of a sample of 191 English youngsters from ages 11 to 16. These youngsters were far from being isolated; in facet researchers found that the gossiping children had a Celebrity News 4 stronger network of close friends than peers who are less interested in celebrities (Altman, Howard). Thus, having common knowledge and a common connection with others through our knowledge about celebrities can help in encouraging interaction with others.
The Harvard-educated Rocca, who frequently appears on CNN’s “America Morning” believes saturation celebrity coverage has had an inoculating affect on society particularly with younger people, and has made college students in particular, extremely media surroundings. Although there is an overwhelming interest in celebrity and pop culture mews across America, Rocca believes constant exposure to scandals and the “drama” prevalent in Hollywood, people are extremely aware how the media is simply targeting its stories to lure the public into buying their materials.
Rather than the media causing an unhealthy public interest in the lives of celebrities, people are instead more interested in more than just the latest Gossip on the Olsen Twins or the most recent Hollywood breakup. Discussion Celebrities have established standards that many people strive to achieve and live. Those overly obsessed with Celebrity Culture will often find themselves creating personal connections with that person, which in reality do not exist. For example, a young girl cut herself after learning that Marilyn Manson would soon be married.
She was rushed to the hospital and upon leaving Celebrity News 5 and being questioned about her actions, she replied “I just want him to be happy, whatever makes him happy will make me happy. ” This young girl spoke of him as if they shared an intimate connection as opposed to her just being another fan (Altman, Howard). Rather than aiming at maximizing profits and selling their products, media companies should begin to keep in mind how their materials affect and circulate throughout society.
The answer is not completely ban celebrity materials, for they provide a foundation for people to communicate that interact, but companies should do more to regulate just how much of the media is dedicated to celebrities. Also, they should make more of an effort to inform people of what is going on around the world, because it is all our responsibilities as citizens to know what is going on around the world, because if affects each and everyone of us. Also, the material boring or not, should be seen as a challenge for journalists, because after all is their specialty to “spice up” the news and make it into a piece that sells.
More important than the content and presentation of the news the celebrities bring to society, are the affects it is having on society as a whole. One must put into question whether it is beneficial or detrimental to societies to place emphasis on standards set by Hollywood’s most renowned stars. Celebrity News 6 Is it really benefiting American society for people to be so inclined to model the lives of the rich and famous? The entertainment industry has fed off of people’s obsession with weight loss, drugs, crime, sex scandals, broken marriages, and even problem children.
To what extent should the details of Celebrities’ internal problems are paraded throughout society? These questions must be asked, because it is leaving lasting impressions on especially children, exposing them to issues that may not be quite appropriate. At the same time there, are still adults who are following the guidelines to living presented by celebrity culture. It is a shame that in today’s time’s success is being measure by standards of beauty and money rather than outstanding achievements such as invention or contributing to the well bring of the world as a whole. Downfalls
One of the biggest downfalls of celebrity culture is how it has changed whom Americans idolize. In the past, greatness was defined by great minds like Albert Einstein, brave citizens like Rosa Parks, or people who did extraordinary things to earn the right to be recognized for doing something that not everyone could do. It is a shame that for many today when asked who is their “hero,” many would name movie stars or athletes rather then somebody who did something noteworthy. Being that people’s most respected role models are celebrities reflects what people truly Celebrity News 7 alue in society. One may argue that attaining a place in the “Hollywood spotlight,” is something noteworthy, when looking at how these people are contributing society can never compare to the contributions and standards set by people like Helen Keller, Neil Armstrong, and Isaac Newton, just to name a few. Society must also realize that is nowhere near as difficult as it once was to make the “Hollywood Headliners,: because of the media’s constant search for presenting news that will spark interest and curiosity, as opposed to education and promoting moral values (The Chronicle).
Celebrity Culture is such a danger to society in the “value” it places on self-image. Shows like “I Want a Famous Face” is a prime example of how celebrity culture can influence people to compromise their own self-image in order to closely reflect people’s most “treasured” celebrities. People featured on this show have plastic surgery to transform themselves into celebrity look-a-likes in order to fulfill their dreams of being exactly like celebrities like Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson.
Although it is perfectly acceptable to admire the beauty and attractiveness of many celebrities, it is a problem when people start to devalue their own self worth because of the praise and glory celebrities receive. Howard Lorenc, author of A Little Work: Behind the Doors of a Park Avenue Plastic Surgeon, Shares his opinion on people’s obsession with looking like celebrities. Celebrity News 8 For Lorenc, “No one should aspire to look like someone else. If I have a patient who says ‘I want to look like that,’ they don’t need me, they need a therapy session (Altman, Howard). The danger is not just people’s obsession with looking like specific celebrities, but even more so it perpetuates a worship of youthfulness, and sadly many people do turn to plastic surgery to capture this youth and glamour associated with these celebrities. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of plastic surgery procedures performed in America increased fourfold from 1997 to 2003- from slightly more than 2 million to more than 8 million (ASAPS). There are many different subjects that dominate the American magazines, 40% of the magazines are dominated by celebrities and entertainment.
Then, the lowest featured in the magazine was national affairs and food nutrition with 6-7% (PEJ). For psychologist James Houran, of Irving Texas, celebrity worship is more than skin deep. “It is a gateway drug toward stalking,” he cautions (Altman, Howard). Houran is one the co-creator of the Celebrity Worship Scale, which measure an individual’s level of interest in celebrities. According to Houran, “celebrity worship starts with normal, healthy behavior, but it can be transformed into more dysfunctional expressions where people feel connections that do not really exist.
Houran, along with other British and U. S Researchers, found that one third of Americans suffer from some Celebrity News 9 form of “celebrity worship syndrome” in as story published in February of 2002. In its most innocuous form, the condition manifests itself as a sense of emptiness, however as studies found, cases worsen into behavior such as stalking behavior, which are driven by delusions. Everyone is susceptible, says Houran, making the point that “You don’t have to be a stalker to have this affect your life negatively and intensely.
Those extreme celebrity worshipers don’t start off that way, but the bad news is it implies that there is a stalker in all of us, given the right set of variables (Altman, Howard). ” However, while obsession with celebrity culture can have more of a negative influence on individuals when taken too seriously, not all studies have shown that celebrity worship has a negative impact. Conclusion Growing up in a celebrity saturated culture helps turn many college students today into experts on how the media works.
Rocca says he is constantly amazed at how much the average student knows about how much goes into making a TV show (Altman, Howard). Everyone deconstructed the media and understands its ingredients. Essentially students know it is bogus if anything, students revel in the cheesiness of it. On the contrary, Rocca believes that people who do not grow up with constant exposure to Celebrity News 10 celebrity news are more likely to take it all at face value. Rocca stated, “I am betting older people were more engrossed with the Laci Peterson [murder] story.
That was essentially tabloid trash. It has no relevance to people’s lives. College kids…can draw a distinction between legitimate news, say the tsunami or Iraq, and soap operas that masquerade as news, like the Laci Peterson story (Altman, Howard). Growing up in the society that we are in, doesn’t help us to forget about celebrities. Magazines, TV shows, and more wheels us into believing that society won’t be the same without celebrities and famous people. Celebrity News 11 BIBLIOGRAPHY Altman, Howard. Celebrity Culture. Publish by, a Division of Congressional Quarterly Inc. 005, Last update. March 18, 2005 http://library2. cqpresscom American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Published 2003, http://surgery. org/press/news-re;ease. php? iid=395 Project for Excellence in Journalism. “Changing the Definition of News” Washington D. C, 2004 Last updated. March 6, 1998 http://www. journalism. org/resources/research/reports/definition/frontpage/asp Semas, Philip W. The Chronicle of Higher Education. WashingtonD. C, 2005 Last updated. August 12, 2005. http://chronicle. com/prm/daily/2005/08/2005081201j. htm
