Celebrity Gossip Writers Just Want to Have Fun

As a celebrity gossip writer at Associated Content, I comment on news that's reported on other sites such as CBS News, The Huffington Post, Fox News, TMZ, New York Daily News, Los Angeles Times or The New York Times. How do I do it? For example, I wrote:

"Ashton Kutcher says he's not cheating on Demi Moore, as reported at CNN. The 32-year-old actor, best known for his show Punk'd, claims Star magazine is untruthful in claiming that he was cheating on his wife, 47-year-old actress Demi Moore, with a young blond outside of an L.A. Italian restaurant. Demi Moore also denies the rumor."

In the article, I never say Ashton Kutcher is definitely cheating on Demi Moore. Instead, I report what is alleged and what Kutcher's response is. Then I give my opinion.

Some journalists who actually interview celebrities get their noses bent out of joint when they see articles by celebrity gossip writers like me. One entertainment journalist asked that I not subscribe to her articles because since I gossip about celebrities I may do the same thing about her. Well, I don't gossip about a nobody; I gossip about famous celebrities. (Oh wait, was that gossiping about a nobody?)

Why do I write what I write? Because people want it. As reported at Softpedia, "With more than one out of every four U.S. Internet users visiting an entertainment news site each month, it's clear that following entertainment and celebrity culture has become a popular on-line pastime," said Jack Flanagan, Executive Vice President, comScore. "What's also interesting is that Americans are feeding their hunger for celebrity gossip by 'snacking' on these news updates throughout the workday. In fact, nearly half of all time spent on entertainment news sites comes from work computers."

If you are vocal about not liking celebrity gossip, don't read it. What I find most funny are the people who complain about my gossip articles and then read them anyway. But there's a reason for it. As Frank T. McAndrew writes in his article The Science of Gossip: Why We Can't Stop Ourselves, "When you cut away its many layers, our fixation on popular culture reflects an intense interest in the doings of other people; this preoccupation with the lives of others is a by-product of the psychology that evolved in prehistoric times to make our ancestors socially successful. Thus, it appears that we are hardwired to be fascinated by gossip."

I appreciate the many people who have fun with my celebrity gossip, because that's what it is - fun. When folks are worried about losing their jobs, terrorists extremists, the environment and health care, a little bit of celebrity gossip takes the pressure off. As Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen writes in her article Addicted to Celebrity Gossip, "People are addicted to celebrity gossip because it makes them feel good. Many people have stressful, busy lives; knowing the latest celebrity news or Hollywood gossip gives them a pleasurable rush."

Celebrity gossip gets a lot of readers, and when it comes right down to it, that's what some journalists don't like. A journalist who would like to pretend they're above human nature is a jealous journalist with an over-inflated ego. Learn to ignore such a journalist if you're a celebrity gossip writer.

Sources:

Entertainment News Sites Are Increasingly Popular, comScore Says, Softpedia

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, Addicted to Celebrity Gossip, Suite 101

Frank T. McAndrew, The Science of Gossip: Why We Can't Stop Ourselves, Scientific American

Jolie du Pre, Ashton Kutcher is Not Cheating on Demi Moore According to Ashton Kutcher, Associated Content