Quest for Validation

Individuals have constantly been considered fundamentally social creatures: we desire attention and validation. In celebrities, despite sometimes achieving negative attention, we become infatuated by the attention devoted to them. In Gary Laderman's Sacred Matters, he writes that celebrities "blur the boundaries between fantasy and stark reality, fanaticism and civil respectability, infatuation and mere entertainment." (71)

In class, we discussed Kim Kardashian and her lack of substance/reason for fame. While I'd agree that the majority of the US population is aware of this, we are infatuated by the attention given to her and her family. Perhaps we are seeking ideas for means of validation through someone who appears to have gained international fame for doing virtually nothing substantial. It almost make her fame more attainable to mere "civilians" of society who seek the validation of others, so intrinsic to our human nature.

We flock to the sections in magazines that describe "stars just like us" because they make this desired social status attainable and real. Ideas of fame such as these, blur the line as Laderman mentioned between our basic realities and fantastical desires.