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Who
wants to be famous?By
Tina K Burton
What does everyone think of today's 'celebrity' culture?
What exactly does the word celebrity mean anyway?
It is defined in the dictionary as - a famous person, but is 'fame' what it once used to be? In years gone by, a celebrity was an almost God-like person that we revered and idolised. Who doesn't recall the hordes of screaming, hysterical, crying girls at a Beetles concert, and how many people adored those glamorous film stars such as Ava Gardner, James Dean, Clark Gable or Jane Mansfield. Talking of being glamorous, that was in the days when the word 'glamour' meant the beauty, dazzle and glitzy allure of things like Hollywood and its movie stars, not a model who got her boobs out for a photo shoot.
I don't think our film stars of today are as glamorous. Maybe it's because films are more common, so there are many more actors, I don't know, but they don't seem to have that presence and magic about them. When I think about Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly or Rita Hayworth for instance, then a modern film star such as Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz or Halle Berry, there is simply no comparison. I know looks and fashion have changed, but it's about more than that; whatever it is, our stars just don't seem to have it, in my opinion.
Anyway, back on track - there are so many 'celebrities' today, that it has almost become the norm. Gone is the mystery or wonder about them, they are just 'so and so' from the telly. Years ago, we were in awe of stars and were content to watch them from afar. We may have had the odd daydream about living their life, but we didn't aspire to it, as we knew it would never happen.
The trouble is nowadays, people - especially kids - are led to believe that being a celebrity is attainable, so that's what some of them want to be. Celebrities are not the idols or superstars they once were. All you have to do to become famous now, is go on the television and sing appallingly, or spend a week in a mocked up house with a bunch of strangers.
The media doesn't help. Everywhere you turn, newspapers, television and magazines are full of the antics of these people. Some magazines contain nothing else; they are dedicated solely to the lives and habits of celebrities. Does anyone really care what they get up to? The answer is, sadly, yes. There are a lot of people out there, mainly, but not wholly, youngsters, who spend a fortune on glossy and expensive magazines, just to read about things like, which side of her nose their favourite celebrity picked that week, or who's dumped X and is now going around with Y.
I think it's ridiculous, and has gone too far. People have become obsessed with the whole fame and celebrity culture.
You ask a selection of children what they want to do when they grow up, and some of them will say, 'I want to be David Beckham' or 'I want to go on X Factor'. They should be aspiring to proper jobs, but because they watch someone go on a TV programme, then weeks later that person is 'famous', with pictures and interviews of themselves everywhere, kids see how easy it is and want to do it too. I think it is making some children believe that they don't have to work for a living, they can just become famous - not a good way to think at all.
The antics of some of these 'celebrities' leave a lot to be desired too. They are not exactly positive role models for kids, but because of the media coverage, it is almost saying 'hey, it's okay to behave like that, it gets you lots of attention and makes you famous', which I feel is wrong. It would be nice if these reality TV shows all disappeared and the magazines stopped being so celebrity obsessed, but of course they won't as it's too big a money-spinner for them. They wouldn't sell or make them if people didn't buy and watch them, which they do, so there is obviously a market for it. It makes me wonder what things will be like in the future. Will it be even more obsessive, will TV be nothing but reality programmes churning our more bad role models for children to want to emulate, or will the media come to their senses?
I think it's very sad when the front pages of certain newspapers are splashed with what some celebrity did at the weekend, whilst the news of yet another poor kid who has been stabbed to death, occupies a small column, several pages in. A celebrity's behaviour is deemed more important and newsworthy.
It doesn't seem right to me, and is one of the reasons why I feel that the whole celebrity thing has gone mad. But sadly, as long as it continues to sell and make them money, the media will continue to bombard us with it.
Earlier columns.
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