Effects of Modern-Day Fascination with Celebrities - Essay Example

Effects of Modern-Day Fascination with Celebrities Celebrities have both positive and adverse influences on the followers. The effects depend on people’s perceptions. The current society idolizes celebrities, it reflects on every move they make and even treat them as if they are they are modern gods. The modern culture is eroded because of movie stars, musicians, sports figures, just to mention but a few. There exist an enormous subculture media within the cult of personal makeup. Everything is all about gossips and news about the famous people. All the magazines including the US Weekly together with the People, Television shows such as Oprah and the entire of daily blogs captures imaginations that influences culture (Sarah, 2014). To be more precise, celebrities make the society to throw away the cultural makeup. Hence, the community members put on a fake image that does not depict their own characters. Technology is the primary cause of these entire obsessions with celebrities. Teens glue themselves to the television; watching programs that makes them more interested in the lives of celebrities more than their own. Smartphones, on the other hand, provide updates about celebrities’ gossips every hour. Just to remember, the past week, everyone talk was all about the revealed story of Solange, Beyonce’s sister attacking Jay-Z while in an elevator (Sarah, 2014). Thus, the society read about it in the magazine, searched it on the internet, or heard it from friends. Most people obsession with celebrities can lead to cultural paradigm alterations. To some extent, the adjustments are real. A good example is of Michael Sam, the footballer who came out building the confidence of most of the young gay athletes. He advanced the advocacy for gay marriages and promoted free to talk about their sexuality. On its negative side, the culture of celebrities and fascination with status and wealth make the average and poor people feel unworthy of the world. As a result, the mind of the young people growing up to find a place in the world is corrupted with no option but to become rich even through violence. In fact, some researchers claimed the existence of a growing disorder known as “Celebrity Worship Syndrome.” The disease is however not inclusive of personality disorder (Inglis, 2010). The society treasures motherhood but at the right time. Some celebrities programs influence pregnancy that leads to motherhood. Pregnant teenagers were condemned until in 2007 when Jaime-Lynn Spears, who is the sister to Britney Spears and a big star of Nickelodeon, showed up in Zoey 101 and announced pregnancy at a tender age of 15. The Nickelodeon wanted to pull out the actress but retained her because of the profits (O’Regan, 2014). It was not all about celebrities getting babies but also the challenges and how they handled it that encouraged the teens who accidentally became pregnant. It reduced abortion because, initially, due to the cultural image, most teens who became pregnant ran for abortion to avoid the shame that they would go through if they kept the pregnancy (Payne, 2010). Not forgetting, some celebrities motivate and act as role models for the youths. For instance, Ben Carson, the known first black neurosurgeon graduate of Yale University has encouraged many students all over the world. The fact that he was always among the last in the beginning support and gives hope to those who perform poorly at school. The fact that he emanated from a poor background and raised by a single mother helps those in the same situation. Finally, the fact that he was able to separate identical twins joined by the head proved to people that anything is possible. Through him, most people have attained their dreams (Treme & Craig, 2013). On the other hand, the fascination is unhealthy for our society. Youths end up looking upon celebrities like idols. Fashion has become what celebrities are seen putting on in the screen. For example, for the electronic music lovers, almost all the youths put on puma shoes just because Deadmau5 puts them on. The hairstyles the youths shave have no meaning. It is not about how we will look; it is all about who had it first. Ladies have turned to short dresses that leave them almost naked on the streets, not even ashamed passing by elders just because Rihanna or Miley Cyrus had it on (Rosenfeld & Palgrave, 2015). The youths end up picking evil vices from celebrities in the name of emulating them. From the song “smoke the week” by Snoop Lion featuring Wiz Khalifa, most of the youth started smoking bhang in the streets. They make it a dot com thing and those who do not smoke it are humiliated and seen as outdated. Through peer pressure, most of the college students smoke the “weed” which source the use of other illegal drugs. They turn out as drug addicts with adverse effects after that. Drugs channel deaths, rape, school dropouts, and unwanted pregnancy. The youths become a shame to the society. Some even end up in jail, just in the name of celebrities (Peota, 2015). Celebrities also discourage teens from reading and end up being useless people in the society. In as much as Avril Laving is a popular and successful rock artist, her idea of not finishing school just because of building her career in music has made many teens drop out of schools, developing talents that they do not even have in the first place. Although the entire situation is misunderstood, most of her fans end up emulating her life and get lost in the way (Tyrkus, 2001). In conclusion, the culture and celebrities are one. Stars build the human culture as culture raises and promotes celebrities. Obsession with stars affects the society both positively and negatively as stated above. The obsession is out of the personal will. Hence, it is very difficult to terminate. The best way of saving those who get lost in passion is by discouraging them from access to technological devices. In as much as it sounds impossible, a problem is solved for the roots, and the root of obsession is technology (Turner, 2004). References Sarah, P. (2014). Spectacular Girls: Media Fascination and Celebrity Culture. New York: NYU Press. O’Regan, V. R. (2014). The celebrity influence: do people really care what they think?. Celebrity Studies, 5(4), 469. doi:10.1080/19392397.2014.925408 Peota, C. (2015). The Celebrity Effect. Minnesota Medicine, 98(3), 12. (2014). Are kids becoming victims of fashion? Today's children are more fashion-obsessed than ever, so we're told. LISA SALMON looks at what's fuelling a clothing trend dubbed the 'Harper Beckham effect'. Birmingham Mail (England). Tyrkus, M. J. (2001). Gay & lesbian biography. Detroit [u.a.: St. James Press. Treme, J., & Craig, L. A. (2013). Celebrity star power: Do age and gender effects influence box office performance?. Applied Economics Letters, 20(5), 440-445. doi:10.1080/13504851.2012.709594 Rosenfeld, K. N., & Palgrave Connect (Online service). (2015). Digital online culture, identity, and schooling in the twenty-first century. Inglis, F. (2010). A short history of celebrity. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Turner, G. (2004). Understanding celebrity. London: SAGE. Payne, T. (2010). Fame: What the classics tell us about our cult of celebrity. New York: Picador. Read More