American’s lonliness driving them to celebrity worship?
5 January 2007 3 Comments
I’m sitting here waiting for a Flickr picture to load and watching the ABC news program 20/20. They have a spot exploring the idea that American’s infatuation with celebrities stems from our loneliness — loneliness brought on by the ability to live on our own and marry later in life.
Hmmm. I often wonder about why people possess such an insatiable desire to be famous, or be near the famous. It’s beyond me; I don’t understand it at all. But the above is an interesting theory. It postulates that celebrities fill-in as “virtual” friends.
I would rather have real friends, warm bodies sitting in my living room eating chocolate and drinking wine — a palpable communion, not a digital fantasy. I prefer actual and engaging conversation too. I’d rather live in a neighborhood like Lafayette Square in St. Louis. We stayed at a bed and breakfast on the square while at Urbana, and our hosts shared numerous stories of the community, neighbors helping each other out. These were normal, hard working and smart people, and frankly they are also much more stable people than our Hollywood “friends.”
Surely I’m not alone?
Ah yes, but celebrities do not ask anything of us. And if they let us down, we can write them off. Actual friendships are much more challenging. I think it’s more about Americans being fatigued and overworked and too much technology and all the usual suspects.
Your point that “celebrities do not ask anything of us” is important, and something I meant to mention but neglected to in the end. My father and wife in particular have experienced first-hand how many people in our society keep as far away from confrontation (connotatively can be interpreted as “any discussion with other people that may result in differing opinions”) as possible.
I think alot of problems in society lately are brought on by lonliness. People drive and go to the store and walk their dogs all while talking on cell phones. And individually they are all afraid of confrontation, and being “different”. But not when they’re in a group. Nowadays there is a lot more pressure to conform.If you don’t you are left out, isolated. I also feel most people don’t know how to think for themselves anymore, that’s why it is so easy to conform with the group.My theory is that since everyone started being put in day care at 6 weeks old, they are all programmed to go along with the group.They quickly learn that toddler temper tantrums ( which is the beginning of a sense of self } will not be tolerated. So every one got their own individuality “institutionalized” right out of them.