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.
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).
Our
society’s fascination with celebrities has developed into an obsession.
Celebrity icons now take on religious roles with mass devoted followers. Maniura
notes that “in contemporary culture “icon” is used almost interchangeably with
“idol,” a term that implies an excessive degree of devotion.” But to what
extent are these terms interchangeable? Is the obsession with celebrities
enough to elevate them from icons to idols? Ultimately, the belief and devotion
toward certain celebrities gives these individuals power.
But
why are individuals in our society so fixed on celebrating other people instead
of themselves and their own accomplishments? We worship other people in
transcendent desire to escape our mundane lives, and ultimately ourselves.
Idols, specifically celebrities, serve as a mirror into another world. Through
our obsessive followings we are able to connect to a world that is radically
different than our own without exerting any effort. Celebrity worship allows us to celebrate great actors or incredible athletes without needing our own talent or skill. Although we like following a different world, we also
find comfort when the celebrity world resembles our own.
Seeing
the humanity of celebrities allows us to further invest ourselves in our
devotion to them. We want to be guided by individuals that are more successful or talented than ourselves, but ultimately, we want their accomplishments to seem feasible
and attainable.
“The hysteria surrounding Rudolph Valentino’s funeral is one of the earliest cases in which the religious power of entertaining celebrities transformed them into serious deities and will shed some light on the strange cultural brew mixing the sacred and profane.”
Gary Laderman, Sacred Matters, pg. 65
This video gets at the idea made in Gary Laderman’s Sacred Matters about popular culture figures operating like religious dieties, and society’s desire to find ‘likeness’ in their favorite celebrities. Firstly, the hysteria surrounding Jay-Z’s subway ride is similar to that of a crowd forming to see a religious figure, relic, or icon. Why does Jay-Z garner adoration similar to that of religious figures? In a culture that is driven by film, television, media, and music, the people that provide these forms of entertainment achieve an elevated status. Additionally, Jay-Z holds a special place in the hearts of New Yorkers. Being from the Marcy projects in Booklyn, and going on to be a world famous rapper and partial owner of the Brooklyn Nets is a true rags to riches story. This past makes him an inspiration to the citizen of Brooklyn, someone to aspire to be like. Religious figures often serve the same purpose. People wear bracelets that say, “What would Jesus do?” and although this is a more extreme case than that of Jay-Z, both figures act as examples to the thousands of people who look up to them.
Secondly, this video demonstrates people’s desire to find likeness in celebrities. Jay-Z takes the subway just like any other person would. This act brings him down from his elevated status, showing his humanity, and further gaining respect and adoration from the general public. Even if a person was not on the subway that afternoon, they see his act and feel a more personal and intimate connection to a world famous celebrity.
First of all, we need to establish a working definition for the word idol. According to dictionary.com idol is defined as “an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed.” Therefore, idol is correlated with worshipping a god or goddess. Considering the way the public equally worships celebrities, we could wonder whether celebrities are similar to gods or goddesses, and if so, who gets to draw that conclusion? America is currently a nation of idol worshippers ranging from music idols like Beyonce and Taylor Swift to sports idols like Derek Jeter and LeBron James. Television shows such as American Idol seek out talented “ordinary” singers that have the potential to become celebrity idols. It is evident that Americans crave idols either because they worship their body image, academic success, or athletic achievement. In other words, people “secretly yearn to be intimate with [celebrities], if not desire to actually become one of them” (Laderman, 72). Similar to worshippers of God, followers of celebrities are looking for guidance and inspiration so they can cope with their mundane daily lives. Laderman neatly sums up the outcomes of this process in that “entertainment is transformed into revelation, escapism into liberation, and mortals into gods” (72). Thus, ordinary individuals seek a spot on American Idol since the show can transform them into celebrities practically overnight.
As of now, the reasons why people worship God and why people follow celebrities are almost indistinguishable, which brings us back to our main question: Can we compare celebrities to gods or goddesses? What differentiates the two of them? Historian Daniel Boorstin argues that what sets celebrities and gods apart is that “celebrities are media-created, ultimately empty vessels that provide only artificial, though captivating image void of real purpose or value, [whereas Gods rise above the ordinary crowd through substantive individual accomplishments and achievements that embody the highest ideals of society” (Laderman, 73). But does this mean that celebrities are just empty vessels? I personally agree with Boorstin that there is a clear distinction between God and celebrities, however, I do not agree that they are “empty vessels.” To many Americans, especially teenagers, celebrities are role models “who can give life purpose and embody a different set of ideals that many in society disagree with” (Laderman, 74). For instance the American singer Meghan Trainor released the hit song, “All About That Bass,” which challenges the current female body image norms. This song provides larger than average-sized Americans with a safe space where it is okay not to be skinny. Thus, can celebrities still be considered as false idols? To Trainor’s followers, Trainor is definitely not a false idol, but a role model. Although celebrities may not be elevated to the rank of God, they do serve as role models who are also real people, which makes them more accessible than God.
This headline of the October 1997 issue in Times magazine highlighted the increase in America’s interest in Buddhism. According to the PewResearch Religion & Public Life Project (2010), of the 488 million Buddhists worldwide, approximately 3.9 million Buddhists practice in North America. Iwamura (2000) describes how oriental monks associated with Buddhism become “ideological caregivers” to the whites by functioning as a “resource, subject to appropriation to salve the insecurities of the master/mistress.” For instance, the Dalai Lama was a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and is one of the best known religious icons that embodies Buddhism. Thus, Dalai Lama, as the most prestigious ideological caregivers has helped celebrities such as Steven Seagel, Tina Turner, and Richard Gere adopt Buddhism as their religion. However, America’s current interest in Buddhism is not just a trend among celebrities.
Americans want to practice something that can transform their heart and soul. In other words, Americans may find comfort within Buddhism because “if the Christianized West is unable to care for its children, the noble Buddhist East will” (Iwamura, 2000). This is because “Asian religions are no longer portrayed as spiritual systems incompatible with the West, but rather as transformative and life-enhancing influences” (Iwamura, 2000). Following Buddhism is an alternative way for Americans to fulfill their impulses to find something different, their quest for "otherness." Since Buddhism has been established for hundreds of years Americans know that it is a "reliable" religion. As a result, Buddhism provides comfort (safety) for them, making it easier to embrace Buddhism as a religion. Research has revealed that Buddhism is prevalent among a certain group of Americans. According to Jan Nattier (1991), most American Buddhist tend to be upper-middle class and well-educated individuals of European descent. In contrast, my family, who are Asian, does not fully practice Buddhism. It is interesting to compare and contrast the number of Asian Americans versus European Americans who actually practice Buddhism. I believe that there will be an increase in the amount of Buddhists devotees among European Americans because Buddhism represents a “new” religion that has not been fully prodded by the West as opposed to the East where Buddhism is as “normal” as Christianity is to the West. For instance, people who are Christians can pray every night within their own homes, similar to Buddhists who light incense to worship the deities every morning. However in America, Buddhism becomes more of a show where people show off their devotion to Buddhism by either taking pictures of themselves with the Dalai Lama or tweeting about their encounter with the Dalai Lama.
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.
