Celebrity Following

When I began to think about pop- culture as a religion what immediately struck me was our society's "following" of celebrity culture, a hobby that in my opinion goes far beyond simple fascination. Through magazines, late night comedy shows, and social media we watch and critique celebrities lives as if they were our own, often making it part of our daily routine to watch Entertainment Tonight or pick up a tabloid at the grocery store. At work I found myself having many conversations over the heartbreaking rumored breakup of Beyonce and Jay-Z, or similar topics. Although it just seemed like gossip at the time, these conversations brought us together, allowing me to bond with new co-workers over a topic we knew everyone could participate in and escape from the stresses and  complications of life. This morning as I was watching the news, celebrity following took on a new meaning. That a national news station would dedicate 15 minutes to reporting on the death of Joan Rivers, highlights the weight these topics have in our society. A specific image of flowers left outside of her apartment struck me as particularly religious, a space transformed into a commemorative alter paying homage to a celebrity idolized by thousands of people.