I found this article on Dr. A's blog, and I think you all would find it interesting and thought-provoking. I am a huge fan of following celebrities. I debated throughout the entire Bachelor season whether Brad would pick Chantal or Emily, and my roommates and I would weigh the pros and cons of each bachelorette. We would constantly critique each of them ("Chantal is down to earth, but not as cute as Emily") ("Emily is beautiful but so boring. Does she even like Brad?"). Besides the Bachelor, I am always picking up the latest US weekly, judging for myself who looked the best at the Oscars and catching up on who is in rehab this week and whether Charlie Sheen is #winning this week or not.
This article really got me thinking about the moral issue of celebrity gossip. I do believe that celebrities should accept their fame with great responsibility. They need to realize that they are in the public eye and are constantly influencing people around the world. However, it is easy to lose sight sometime that they are human beings, just like the rest of us, and they face the same problems that we do. I agree with the article when it says we should separate their music from the man or woman that they are. We need to simply realize that they are here to entertain us with their songs, lyrics, movies and television shows- not their latest plastic surgery, divorce or drug overdose. Most of them became celebrities because of their talents- they never promised us they would be flawless under the camera. It is too easy to judge them in the public eye, and this article really made me aware at how often I do critique and judge famous celebrities.
I agree with you here for sure! Although I do believe that celebrities do need to accept the responsibility of being famous knowing that they will be in the spotlight at all times. With their fame comes other requirements of them as well, knowing that many people look up to them and their talents they need to show that people can look up to the person they are as well. But we do forget that they are humans just like us, and we wouldn't be saying the things we do about them if they were our friends and family. I think a good example that reminds us that they are just ordinary people was the "after the rose" for the Bachelor, where although people thought it was crazy that Brad and Emily weren't getting married right away or were going through rough times, I sat back and though about how normal they actually were! Who can actually date a guy who is dating another girl at the same time and then when he finally chooses you to just run off and marry right away. If this was you or you friend you wouldn't do it that way! These celebrities are people too and experience all the rough things that we do as well, they aren't just the characters we watch them play on T.V.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you both! While I don't really pick up the gossip of the Latin American world, it's refreshing to see that many of them are famous because of their talents. You don't hear of telenovela stars pulling Lindsay Lohan or Charlie Sheen stunts. Even though I will scan an article about the latest drama in celebrity life, I always can't help but feel that this type of fame is pathetic and awful. To hear a star gaining fame for their true talents and not their shenanigans is always much more interesting to me than these people embodying their characters (can ya'll imagine real-life Cosita Rica people everywhere?) Needless to say, I think telenovelas have so much drama that it would be pretty hard for an actor to top that in real life.
ReplyDeleteI guess the decision here is how to view these people. In the art world the art is typically seen as its own entity and not as just a part of the artist. I feel like because of the medium of tv, the actors work is more connected to their actual life than in other forms of art. But should we separate the actor from their work? Should their personal life matter as long as their work is of high quality? I think it should be separate unless it is directly affecting their work. If they can't show up to set because they are in jail then it is an issue but if it doesn't then I think it should not be a topic of conversation.
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