Second Reflection

For my second reflection paper, I chose to explore the interest our society has with the lives of celebrities. I found it very interesting, and wanted to share!

As we began to study the more recent years in television, the influence of the media became a popular topic. While some argued that the media had a negative impact on adolescents, most agreed that it was up to the parents to control what their children were being exposed to via the media.
My media watch project allowed me to look further into the messages that the media was sending to young females. Although the article I chose to share expressed concerns over the negative messages, most of the class responded in favor of the media. Whereas most of the class agreed that these messages could be monitored and their impact controlled, I argued that the media sends the wrong messages to adolescents, and it partly to blame for issues such as eating disorders and increased sexuality. I supported my opinion with a list of actresses who find it difficult to act their age, and end up becoming the wrong type of role model that adolescents become obsessed with. With magazines such as In Style and People, it is easy to follow the lives of these actresses and mimic their every outfit and hairstyle. They are perceived as perfect, and soon, every teen wants to be them.
While exploring the topic of influences in the media, I came across an interesting question that I could not seem to sidestep: Why is our society so obsessed with the lives of celebrities? It seems that more and more internet websites and magazines are being created to document the lives of Hollywood’s biggest stars. These magazines fly off the shelf and can be found in the majority of America’s homes. It seems that good news theses days seems to consist of some sort of celebrity gossip.
Some articles suggest that people become intrigued with the personal lives of celebrities because it sort of resembles a magical world. Cary Tennis of Salon.com, a web-based advice column, implies that celebrities “are seen as gods and goddesses”, and “ A strong interest in their betrothals and betrayals, their binges and fasts, their tragedies… indicates an interest in the world of magical characters” (Tennis, 2006).
The world of the internet opens up an endless amount of valuable information, yet, the most searched for terms are those such as Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson. Blogs and television shows are most popular for gaining access into the detailed lives of celebrities. One of the most popular providers of celebrity gossip is Perez Hilton. It provides everything from funny pictures to caught-in-the-act pictures of celebrities. Following the success of Perez Hilton’s blog, TMZ created their own blog to dish out the same information.
So, is celebrity gossip just an enjoyable way to pass our time? Or has it become more of an obsession with the young, rich, and beautiful people in an unrealistic world? Regardless of why people become so intrigued, the addiction that our society has with the personal successes and failures of celebrities is an unworthy addiction.

Reference:
Tennis, C. (2006). Salon.com: Why am I Obsessed With Celebrity Gossip?