Celebrities: Why Do We Love Them?

The time has come to lift the veil and share my shameful little secret with the world. For, I am tired of crouching in magazine isles and hiding alone amid the glow of the internet light as I star gaze. Yes, I said it. I don't mean that I gaze at the brilliant lights of the amazing universe above. I mean that I waste my precious time looking at the images of people who have sold their privacy for fortune and fame. I am addicted to celebrity gossip. I thrive on the stories of their glamorous lives and revel in the photos of complete strangers as they go about their showy business.

My strange behavior has encouraged me to think about the impact of celebrities and their place in American culture. Celebrity gossip has become a staple in everyday American conversation. I have heard graduate students use star's lives for discussion points in classes. I have heard lunching lawyers voice their disapproval of a certain celebrity marriages. I have heard teen-aged girls talk about their memberships to celebrity fan clubs. I have even heard schizophrenic people include stars in their delusional ramblings. It seems that most everyone has something to say about celebrities.

But, Why? What do they do for us?

I am sure that every thoughtful person has a theory on the role of entertainment celebrities in American life. I personally, have come to three conclusions. American celebrities seem to fill a societal void. They help people to feel better about their own lives.

America has become a country of lonely and segregated individuals. It is increasingly difficult to connect with neighbors and develop a sense of community. Thanks to the great industrial revolution, we speed across town in our cars, spend our days in cubicles and live as far as we want from our families. Communities do not gather regularly as they once did. Society is void of personal connections that have satisfied a human need for thousands of generations.

Ironically, media may be filling that void. People may be connecting to celebrities as though they are the very social links that are lacking in modern life. What's more, celebrity knowledge is a common bond between people. Almost any person that you meet on the street is apt to have some knowledge of the rich and famous. We are connected through the voyeuristic act of star gazing.

It is also fair to consider the role of entertainment celebrities through the useful metaphor of "watching a train wreck." It is true that most of these famous people have pretty messy lives tainted with scandal, promiscuity, doomed marriages and much more. Truly, who can ignore the sight of the wreck on the side of the road as you drive by? Yet, we may not always be looking for the blood and gore. It may be more, that messy lives make the average citizen feel a little better about his or her own life. After all, life is messy. Whether you are the C.E.O or that homeless guy by the on-ramp, the act of living can get tough. It is possible that celebrities let us into the kind of drama that we don't want to share with our dearest friends. They show us that other people struggle, no matter how pretty and rich they may be. The allow us to be human as they demonstrate that they are not superhuman.

Yet, no matter what the reasons, it is a solid fact that entertainment celebrities are a dominant force in American life. Perhaps no explanation is needed for this. Perhaps one may never be able to uncover the forces that drive that existence of celebrity culture. It is only something to ponder as we continue our search for connections and seek understanding about our own lives.