The Idolatry of Emulation

Why do Americans participate in idolic worship of celebrities?

People have a natural desire to imitate those they look up to, "to yearn to be intimate with them, if not desire to actually become one of them", in order to move from the painful, profane world they live in to the sacred sanctum of the stars (Laderman, 72). The thought is that by worshiping Oprah or Michael Jordan we can somehow find true salvation in their messages.

The creation of a shrine to Michael Jackson by a devoted fanatic is not simply a means in which he can worship Jackson's memory on earth through an "enduringly provocative" image, it is a way in which he can escape his current situation and enter a highly sacred realm devoid of everyday problems (Maniura, 55). The process of worshiping a celebrity can lead to higher levels of emulation and idolatry as well, processes in which people physically re-conform their bodies and lives, spending thousands of dollars at times to look like Kim Kardashian or George Clooney. This "pursuit of physical beauty, the attainment of fame and wealth, and the desire to be loved by adoring fans" in accordance to the celebrity "way of life" is a way in which people try to divine find purpose and meaning, much like how Christians seek to find purpose to life in the way that Jesus lived (Laderman, 74).

Idolic worship of celebrities is more than a desire to be like them, it is a yearning to become them so that one can "transcend current life circumstances" and uncover the sacred realities that only celebrities hold (Laderman, 76).

Celebrity Worship=Self Worship?

Celebrity icons arouse the religious passions of followers in modern society who find spiritual meaning, personal fulfillment, and awe-inspiring motivation in the presence of these idols (Laderman, 64). Even though Laderman uses the words icon and idol interchangeably, there is a slight difference between them. In the Christian world, an icon is the representation of the divine, whether it is a portrait of Jesus, Mary or biblical stories, that provides a way to communicate with God. An idol is an object that replaces God and becomes worshiped itself. Celebrity icons and idols somewhat relate to these like religious terms. A celebrity becomes an icon if we simply want to be as successful or virtuous as them; and an idol if we start revering and glorifying them through different rituals. Nonetheless, celebrities play a the role of “spiritual” leaders, icons and idols, that move people to action and contemplation through their personal life stories that become the sacred canon about how to live one’s life.  

Americans look to the stars for guidance and inspiration, intimacy and ecstasy- powerful motives that bear on the sacred and can transform entertainment into revelation, escapism into liberation, and mortals into gods (Laderman, 72). Celebrities have the power to provide sacred meaning to our lives, instill power and liberation through otherwise profane actions of  amusement values. But how can these human beings have such a big impact on us? Clearly, celebrity worship must fulfill some of our personal needs that can’t be satisfied otherwise. Just like the simplicity of comic novels allow us to project ourselves onto them, celebrity veneration is a displacement of our deep human needs onto stars. People with low self-esteem and self-confidence look at celebrities for answers. For instance, thousands of people solve their body issues by emulating the perfect looks of the stars. This can lead to fanatic, unhealthy behavior, as in the case of Toby Sheldon who spent thousands of dollars to look like Justin Bieber.

By venerating celebrities we essentially venerate ourselves. Toby Sheldon idolizes Justin Bieber, but because of the plastic surgery, doesn’t that imply that he also idolizes himself? There’s something about human beings that makes them want to be worshiped celebrated and loved. To be a celebrity does not necessitate the possession of deep moral values, the attention of the media is enough to put anyone on that level. Celebrity worship thus provides an easier alternative to the established religions because the profane desire for material things, perfect bodies and achievement of fame is stronger than the hard path of acquiring sacred spiritual values.

Icons and Idols

            Robert Maniura states, in “Icon/Image” that “in contemporary popular culture ‘icon’ is used almost interchangeably with ‘idol.’” This brings up a key question, which is, what is the difference between an icon and an idol? Although many would say that there is a clear-cut difference between an icon and an idol, I would say that it is more of a spectrum that differentiates the two, like a continuum. So lets start off with an icon. An icon starts of as being something or someone that is highly respected. Icons are related to “likeness” because as Maniura states, icons are “taken in certain respects to ‘look like’ what they depict.” Also, it is crucial to make note of the fact that icons can be touched and carried. In other words, they can include actual humanistic interactions from those who view them as iconic. Here is where the icon begins to turn into the idol, though. When a person begins to truly worship the icon, and they begin to get distracted from their God, they are committing “the ultimate sin of worshipping the wrong god,” based on the Judeo-Christian belief, as stated by Maniura. This is the point of the spectrum when icons begin to turn into idolatry. Although the idea of likeness manifests itself in icons, the idea of actually changing oneself to be like that icon is where idolatry begins to come into play.

         This has been an aspect of many religions throughout history, however it also shows up in pop culture, particularly in the realm of celebrities. It may start off with simple icons. Looking at celebrity magazines like People and Us, it is clear that celebrities are often iconic in the lives of many. However, there are other magazines, like People Style Watch, which is more closely related to idols because it is all about celebrity style. This magazine is all about celebrity style, makeup, hair, etc. and its all about getting the celebrities’ looks. This is where people begin to make themselves like these celebrities. There is a section called “the look for less,” so that people who idolize these celebrities can obtain the look for less money. This is a less extreme version of when people even pay thousands of dollars to physically change their bodies to look like celebrities, however they are the same concept.

         It is obvious, though, that many people idolize these celebrities, but the question now is why do we do it? The answer, in my opinion, is that there are human aspects of both icons and idols that we cannot avoid, and that aspect is likeness and following. These are both things that religion provides for people. People want to be like others because often times that is how communities form. People also want to follow something, because being a follower of some group or set of beliefs gives people the chance to form an identity within the world. These are both very humanistic characteristics that in some ways explain our reasoning for idolizing celebrities.

Idols throughout history: Even the Romans had them!!

Has the human race always idolized their celebrities?

The creation of idols is not a new phenomenon in today's world of mass media. No, the creation of celebrity idols has been happening since the time of the Ancient Romans (and even before that). Graffiti of Rome's heroes were plastered walls throughout Rome and spoke of each celebrity's superhuman accomplishments. In fact, the making of celebrities into idols went much farther in Rome. After the death of popular emperors, the Senate would proclaim them to be gods, worthy of worship and adulation (called imperial cults). This phenomenon goes beyond any worship that we have for modern celebrities. As Landerman says, "Humans are born to mimic others...especially prestigious individuals perceived to be the fittest and most successful by the group." (p.72) Today, that is of course the case, but the Roman people would also mimic the greatest accomplishments of these idols in plays and other forms of entertainment. In both cases the masses would try "to be like" their idols. Our idols are worshiped with massive fan following, making the religion connotation more implicit compared to the more explicit nature  of the Romans.

Today, Celebrities' imprints are everywhere. Companies use the likeness of these celebrities on clothing, advertisements, and many other forms of media. This use is not all that dissimilar to the Romans where Romans would reenact the virtues of their celebrities. Many Romans had busts done of their favorite emperors and put those busts in their homes. This is exactly like today with the posters of our heroes that many college students (and others) have in their rooms. Time has not changed how we have worshiped celebrities as humans have turned celebrities into idols throughout history.