Celebrity Worship

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,159]

Ah, the wonderful world of celebrity worship. Treating the rich and the famous as gods above us mere mortals. I am certain this kind of trash has existed in all human societies in history. It is essentially a hierarchy system taken to its worst level. Humans share this hierarchy system implementation with our other ape cousins, we just do it in the worst ways possible. 

Celebrity worship seems to be at its most severe in the US, which should come as no surprise to anyone. In the US, people foam at the mouth in anticipation of finding out what their favorite celebrities are up to. Oh, what extremely rich and over bloated house are they gonna buy next? I wanna see their collection of supercars! Are they having any kids that we will automatically worship as well via the bloodline of the gods? What is their networth? That's the only way I will see big numbers of money in my pathetic life after all. Millions upon millions of people might be struggling to survive despite anything they do but fear not america! These celebs will stimulate the economy just fine. We exist for them, not the other way around. 

Perhaps I am in a particularly cynical mood at the moment, but I can't help feeling a large sense of apathy towards humankind when I see this kind of stuff at all times. Just last week or so, a news station was covering a story about the "rOyAl CoUpLe" possibly buying Mel Gibson's 15 million dollar home. WOWEE, what an uplifting news story! Especially during a pandemic that is killing tens of thousands of people! Are those two worthless "royal" dingholes gonna buy Gibson's home that is worth than any of us peasants could ever hope to make in several lifetimes?! I want to know! I need to know! Oh! Speaking of this pandemic, remember how I just said that tens of thousands of people are dying from it in the US alone? To hell with that noise, what we all truly care about is if any celebrities catch it! Yeah, then it becomes real. Remember the soulless streaming machine known as Ninja? Remember his tweet about Tom Hanks getting COVID? He said that is when it got real. Yeah, definitely not when thousands of "normal people" had already died from it. An internet celebrity deemed it real once a film celebrity got it, because that's how it all works. Their lives matter, ours do not. They are people, we are a statistic.

I'm rambling like a mofo here but there is a point to this thread besides me bitching on the internet. What are YOUR thoughts on celebrity worship and the massive culture around it? 

Edity edit: I wanted to clarify a couple of things. I was in a rouuuuuugh mood when I made this post, though a lot of it is still true. However I do think there is a definite difference between "respect" and "worship" of someone. Having respect for someone well known is how it should be, assuming they deserve it. There needs to be a human element to it all and whatever they are well known for, assuming it is something that matters, should also be a focal point. A musician for example shouldn't be known just because they are famous. The music that they create should be acknowledged too. I feel that is a thing that gets lost most of the time. It becomes about the person instead of the art form or medium but then it isn't even about the person, the human being, it is about their status, their existence. Often it feels like society treats them as if they aren't even human but instead icons with nothing tangible about them. It is disheartening to see. It creates an atmosphere that feels very much like "Your value as a human being is solely determined by your wealth and status" and I truly see that as depressing. This is why this issue is one that bothers me a lot.

[Pentium100 2,088]

I do not really understand it. Really. I mean, OK, some people are talented artists, I like their music etc, but I still do not feel the need to know who they are married to or what they had for lunch. Also, just because I like the music of xyz does not mean that I would take political advice from them. Advice on how to play or sing better? Yes. Who to vote for? No. Conversely, finding out that xyz has murdered three people would not make me enjoy their music less than before". Also, whether xyz has one million or 100 million, does not affect me in the least.

Some other people are famous for being rich, OK, again, good for them, but I do not really care what they had for lunch etc. I would take business advice from someone who managed to become successful in business though. Who to vote for? No, because a candidate that's good for him may not be good for me.

But in general, if someone has something smart to say I can listen, does not mean I would take their advice, but still, it may be interesting, but I really do not care what they had for lunch and how many houses they bought. 

"XYZ married!"
So what? Why should I care?
"XYZ has a child now!"
So what? Why should I care?
"XYZ divorced and is now fighting over the child"
So what? Why should I care?

Maybe someone who is into celebrity worship can explain this to me - why do you do it? Why do you care about the political opinion of a singer, no matter how good he or she can sing?

Of course, it is always sad to find out that an artist I like is in bad health or has died, but other than that, what they do off stage (well, other than releasing a new record) does not matter to me.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Pentium100

[DixonTheAdversary 1,632]

I feel like it's a waste of time. Who cares what they do on a regular basis? They're people like the rest of us. 

[Latecomer 439]

Even ponies are vulnerable.

[Fluttershyfan94 5,741]

Imagine living your life caring what others do in their life. Personally I do agree only it is not just the USA it is everywhere in the world. We care just as much if not more what some celebrity did or did not do in Hollywood. While I particularly do not care I do enjoy seeing celebrities I like talking about their career and admit to enjoy seeing their car collection frankly though other then that I do not really think much about it. In Iceland we know everyone, actors that have been in Hollywood movies don't let it get to their head here and when I see them at a store like any other person I bid them a good day and do my own thing as everyone should. While I do enjoy their movies, I don't do any of that.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,159]

12 minutes ago, Fluttershyfan94 said:

Imagine living your life caring what others do in their life.

Hard to ignore something when it is all around me. In the US it is drastically worse than somewhere like Iceland, trust me. People can do whatever they want, I just have a hard time having any kind of positive outlook for a population that clearly views a certain type of human life infinitely more valuable than the rest of us. Kinda makes me feel completely insignificant, you know? 

[Fluttershyfan94 5,741]

Just now, Kyoshi said:

Hard to ignore something when it is all around me. In the US it is drastically worse than somewhere like Iceland, trust me. People can do whatever they want, I just have a hard time having any kind of positive outlook for a population that clearly views a certain type of human life infinitely more valuable than the rest of us. Kinda makes me feel completely insignificant, you know? 

No I get what you mean, sometimes it can be difficult you know though I suppose all I can say is you can only really control your own life and if you feel strongly about it then just do your own thing you know live by example. Yet I get it, though I mean all we can do is live our life to its fullest I'd rather enjoy my own life then watching others.

[Luigi 7,869]

Celebrity Worship makes no sense at all. It’s bad enough that I’ve had to block so many people on Twitter who can’t understand how two celebrities in particular ruined their own careers

[Splashee 28,558]

I am usually thinking about Youtube celebrity, since I don't look at other places for celebrities anymore. For Youtube, there is a certain point in time when an interesting Youtuber turn into a money machine, either selling their own stuff (like t-shirts) or some other product. That's when I know they have reached a commercial state in which I move on to someone else.

You start out as a Youtuber, then become a popular Youtuber, and lastly a "sell-out". You can still be popular, but when you want to sell products, you are more interested in profit than your own fanbase or videos.

[EpicEnergy 22,968]

I honestly don't care about celebrities, and I don't understand why people worship them.

[Anneal 2,196]

I mean...I've seen even stronger cases of celebrity worship when I lived in Asia. K-pop stanning has been a fairly recent meme but it is all too common in the home country of South Korea, though they are called "sasaeng" instead of stans (Eminem not being so popular in Asia, after all). Mukbang was another trend that started in South Korea where people would watch celebrities and influencers consuming a ton of food on camera. And fashion is such a huge industry there. A lot of these trends have bled over into the Western world as well. What I'm saying is that celebrity idolization is hardly something that is unique to the US and is just as prevalent in other countries.

Celebrity idolization is hardly exclusive to mainstream media as well. It's just as common on sites such as YouTube or Twitch. There are plenty of people online who are obsessed with PewDiePie or Ninja. Certain YouTubers, as we've seen with ImJayStation or the Paul Brothers, could be just as snobbish and petulant.

[Pastel Heart 6,464]

It's kinda creepy to me. I've always called this kinda stuff TMZ culture. It's like professional stalking. It must really stress celebrities out too, followed by paparazzi and rumormongers all the time...

I have people I admire but I don't keep tabs on them 24/7. I don't need to know what Stone Cold had for breakfast, it's none of my business, nyaha

[SparklingSwirls 21,292]

I think some people are just bored and have nothing better to do, and then it just becomes a mindless habit? I don't know

[Here No Longer 5,276]

I think the film Anti-Viral makes the best analogy for it. It's like a virus.

[Stone Cold Steve Jobs 22,422]

Many celebrities need a reality check. But the issue is this sort of stupid attention feeds their egos. Not all of them are like that, mind. But a majority of them truly believe that they’re world stopping trending topics. I Don’t see idols when I look at them. I see marionettes. Nothing more. 

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by Stone Cold Steve Tuna

[Dreambiscuit 9,183]

I’m not really into celebrities or their private lives. They’re just people like everyone else and I don’t care that they get bloated salaries or live in fancy houses and drive expensive cars. It all sounds excessive and mildly disgusting to see the kind of waste that comes from that kind of lifestyle so I have no desire to embrace it, follow it, or to imitate it in any way. I can admire a few of them for their work but it seldom goes beyond that into their personal lives. If it did I doubt I’d admire many of them on any level. Most of them aren’t my kind of people. 

[The Historian 516]

Celebrity worship is nauseating. They're talented at something... I guess? But am I supposed to give a shit? Because I don't. I think they're overpaid burdens to society, but, hey, that's just one woman's opinion.

[simba86 1,541]

I thought it was hilarious watching celebs in their lavish mansions and their millions of dollars and servants to do everything complaining about how terrible it is to have to stay at home while tens of millions of regular americans can't afford to pay bills.but please tell us peasants how hard it is to stay home and have to use your own personal bowling alley and race track LOL

people take what celebs say way to seriously and celebrities have such big heads they think we should all listen to every word like they are gods speaking to us.

I don't care who married or divorced who or who put on or lost 10 pounds

Edited April 22, 2020 by simba86

[ShadOBabe 18,997]

On 4/20/2020 at 8:15 AM, Kyoshi said:

Celebrity worship seems to be at its most severe in the US

I know you despise the USA Kyoshi, but I got two words for you: Japanese Idols.

I find celebrity worship in general weird and strange no matter where it is, but Japan’s idol culture ACTUALLY creeps me out. Like celebrity nuts usually just make me roll my eyes, but the idol stuff... it just unnerves me. All the alarm bells in my brain go off.

But yeah, I agree, celebrity worship is silly.

Sure I mean, I’ve admired famous people before, especially if they’re competent at a skill that I want to be good at. I think admiration like that is normal. But people seem to forget to ground that admiration with the reality that that’s still just a human being you’re watching. As flawed and weird and complex as you are.

Certainly my Christian based belief system helped a LOT with forming that outlook early on. It really hammers home that ALL humans are inherently flawed, and directly states that you shouldn’t make idols out of things of the Earth, including people. If you learn this when you’re young, and it definitely helps keep you grounded in the future. You’ll see a human do something cool and get attention for it, and you’re like, “Neat! That’s really impressive! Still just a person like me though.”

[heavens-champion 1,903]

I never thought I'd actually agree with the poster of this topic on something, but here we are. Yes, I don't like how some people in society treat celebrities like their some kind of icon. Not only is it objectifying someone... but it's also kind of creepy. I mean, seriously. Are they fans or religious devotees? 

[ZiggWheelsManning 8,760]

Never been a big thing on celebrities  

[J.J 921]

I can only name a handful off the top of my head, I usually need to be reminded that certain people even exist, all the while ppl just like to talk about other people bc they don't have anything interesting or compelling to say about themselves, they are boring, one dimensional and often times clout thirsty bc the world doesn't give a fuck about them and they are easily forgettable... They stick to talking about people that are more interesting than them and people that actually have depth and an interesting personality... "Please talk about yourself" "oh nothing interesting to say?" Go figure, that's why you keep other people's names in your mouth with the hopes of being recognized for doing so... The world isn't short on critiques, it's just short on critiques that actually matter...

[Clawdeen 12,181]

Worship? Here at the church of Taylor Swift we make sure our cat eye is sharp enough to kill a man.

[Fluttershutter 2,323]

Celebrities don't interest me. They're overpaid and boring.