Celebrities are something we as Americans cannot escape. As a society infatuated with fame, fortune, and power it comes as no surprise that we idolize and envy famous people. But there are some celebrities that just will not go away. It's a combination of reasons as to why they are still around. Many of them, such as George Clooney and Meryl Streep, have a great amount of talent, therefore we enjoy having them around. Another reason is America loves train wrecks. The fact that Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan are still in magazines and they barely do anything proves how we love watching people make destructive decisions. I feel it helps people's esteem because they can say to themselves, "Well, at least I am not in that position."
Two recent pieces of media have fueled this inner frustration with certain celebrities I wish were not focused on so much. The first is the ridiculous comparison tabloids are making between Brad Pitt and Rob Lowe. Pictures were released of Rob Lowe who - I will admit - looked a lot like Brad Pitt. He was sporting a beanie, billie-goat facial hair, and weird accessories:
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20387267,00.html
When I first saw that this realization was considered newsworthy, I was very annoyed. Drawing comparisons about peoples appearances are a fact of life but my irritation stemmed from the fact that Brad Pitt is still popular. Yes, he still stays relatively active in Hollywood but I am sick of hearing about him. However, the more that I think about it, his extended fame is clearly a product of our society's love for good-looking people. Brad Pitt was shaped to be the man women wanted and the man men wanted to be. The obsession with his looks was formed by tabloids focusing on his appearance and Hollywood casting him as a sexy heartthrob. Brad Pitt does have a lot of talent but it does get overshadowed by how attractive he is. Countless times have I seen magazines trace the evolution of his looks over the course of his career yet they never talk about the different characters he has played.
The last piece of media news that is bothering me is Lebron James. Though my opinion is biased in that I do not enjoy the NBA, but America's fascination and obsession over where he is going to go once he is a free agent is driving me insane. I am a huge sports fan and do get awe-struck when I see some of my favorite athletes, however, I do tell myself that they are just talented people. It's very special that they can do what they do but they are still simply people. But people's consistent curiosity with him is similar to people loving to focus on Brad Pitt's looks, however, in this case, people are focused on Lebron's talent. Just like we love beautiful people, we also love people who are outstanding at something. It can be related to a Jackie Stacey article where she discusses spectators and stardom. Though she talks about female spectators, it is safe to say that similar to women desiring the power that comes with talent men most certainly feel the same sense of longing for that type of control.
The whole celebrity and audience dynamic is a double edge sword. Myself and a I am sure other people get very frustrated by the amount of attention certain people yet we allow it to happen and subconsciously buy into stars' appeal, therefore, giving them their fame.
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