People Behaving Badly #16

I couldn't tell you how many Iraqi civilians were killed yesterday by suicide bombers, but I do know that Jennifer Aniston is still staying tight-lipped on her relationship with Vince.  I don't know what happened yesterday on Parliament Hill, but I know that Brad and Angelina had their baby in Africa, gave their new child a Namibian name, and gave $300,000 to the country of Namibia as a means to say thanks.  I know who designed Charlize Theron's gown at the Oscars, I know about Lindsay Lohan's most recent car crash paparazzi incident, I know what Donald Trump served for dinner at his wedding, how much his honeymoon cost, and how much new baby Baron weighs.

But why do I know these things?  More importantly, why should I care?

Our obsession with all things celebrity has gotten out of hand, and quite frankly, has me quite concerned.  Over the years, the concept of celebrity has morphed from a highly-paid profession based on entertaining audiences, to an almost God-like status. The fans are no longer content to see their stars on the screen and on the stage, then allow them to live in relative peace until their next curtain call.  No, today's fan wants to know the celebrity they worship.  We want to know the intimate details of how they live -- what they eat, where they shop, who they're wearing, who they're sleeping with, and how we can have it all, too.  We're no longer satisfied with the public personas of our idols... now we want to see their private side as well.  We invite these people into our lives on a daily basis, and have come to expect that we are deserving of the same from them.  The mentality almost seems to be that these people put themselves on the public stage... so why are they surprised when we don't want to turn the spotlight off?

We place so much importance on the glamorous life of the rich and famous, but why do we care so much?  When did we cross the line from caring about their performances to caring about their personal lives?  Why do we want so badly to be a part of how the other half lives, if only by proxy?  It is because they have in their grasp that which we know we'll never have - fame, fortune, fandom?

I'm concerned that we place too much emphasis on who these people are, and not nearly enough on what they are.  Is Jennifer Lopez a good singer, or is she a nice smelling fragrance?  Is Britney Spears a pop star, or a bad parent?  And is Paris Hilton a.... wait a minute... What exactly is it that she does, anyways, to be deserving of her celebrity?

I guess I'm just worried that we're raising our next generation with faux stars in their eyes.  In a day and age where all it takes is a nice body and a rich daddy to make yourself a household name, what motivation do kids today have to work hard, hone their talents, and become successful the old fashioned way?  If we continue to propagate the easy, breezy, beautiful Hollywood cliché, all we'll be left with to worship are nice-to-look-at, albeit talentless, stars.

As I was walking home from work last night I passed by a pub with a chalkboard sign out front on the sidewalk.  There was a quote scrawled on it, author unknown.  To spend a lifetime dreaming of the person you wish to be is a waste of the person you are now.