America is obsessed with its celebrities. So what’s up with that? Is reality so unbearable that we’ve become preoccupied with who George Clooney’s date will be on Oscar night? The Gorilla is almost ashamed to admit it, but even he glances at the Enquirer from time to time, when he is in line at the grocery store. You know, just to check out which celebrity has been impregnated by an alien this week.
So was he on the edge of his seat wondering if Jennifer Garner would be wearing Oscar De La Renta or Roberto Cavalli on the Red Carpet? Well, not so much. However, the Gorilla’s wife sure was! But then again, she is a bit of a fashionista herself, so it is really not surprising. But Americans certainly do hold their celebrities in high esteem. Much more than in other countries, though it is not entirely our fault. The Gorilla would like to put some responsibility on the media. After all, they are the ones who are chasing the celebrities around, watching and documenting their every move for the whole world to see.
Take a look a Britney Spears, for example. The media has made it appear that we are obsessed with her goings on, but are we? Or is it the media itself, who is obsessed? Is this simply journalism or is this exploitation? To the media, it is simply a money-making opportunity. The media’s job is to take pictures or video in hopes that it will make a hefty profit from the tabloids. If we are the ones who are buying the tabloid publications, and watching TMZ, then it would seem that we are creating the demand. But why? Why do so many people care how these celebrities live their daily lives? Some care more than others.
The Gorilla, for instance, can honestly say that he has never purchased one of those cheap tabloid magazines, with the ridiculous stories posted on the front. Most sensible people realize that much of it is garbage and for the most part, untrue “gossip.” ”We, as a society, are becoming overly preoccupied with celebrities and the fantasy images it evokes,” says James Houran, a psychologist with the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He says that there is a certain amount of curiosity that we all have about celebrities that is perfectly normal. Wanting to style your hair like Scarlett Johansan’s or buy an outfit like Katie Holmes’ is not really that abnormal. But, Houran’s team of researchers from universities in the U.S. and Britain recently identified a psychiatric condition they have dubbed “celebrity worship syndrome,” which is an unhealthy interest in the lives of the rich and fabulous. He says that many people use it as a sense of escapism.
This makes sense to some degree, when taking into account an economy that’s faltering, dissension in the Middle East, and more crime than we can even take the time to read about. We glorify those people in Hollywood, who give the appearance of “having it all,” especially when some feel as if their lives are lacking. Yeah, the Gorilla gets this to a degree. After all, Brad Pitt certainly does seem ”lucky” to have Angelina on his arm! So the question is; is this “obsession” harmless or are we desperately seeking the unrealism presented by our beloved celebrities? Well, that’s up to you to decide, but the fact of the matter is, the world was always in love with the Clark Gable’s and Greta Garbo’s of the past, and aside from the fact that we have much more media now, things really haven’t changed in this country all that much! We did then, and we still do, love our celebrities in the U.S. We glamorize them to some extent because it is fun and entertaining for us, and as long as you don’t go overboard, rest assured folks, you are probably just like everyone else.