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.

Religious Activity in Celebrity Obsession

When it comes to celebrity worship, how far is too far?

Why do we push the boundary from icon to idol? 

   

In religion, the likeness of a holy figure creates a way for the presence of that figure to come alive and transcend the boundaries between sacred and profane. The true essence of Jesus cannot be summarized solely in human form, but it makes Him easier to access. Jesus was human, just like us; therefore, it cannot be all that difficult to adhere to his teachings, right? We cling to the tangible aspects of religion since so many aspects of it are intangible. This human need results in the presence of relics. Religious centers all over the world boast their possessions of relics as a way to promote legitimacy. For example, the people of Naples, Italy worship the relic of the Blood of San Gennaro, their patron saint. How can we prove if it is real or fake? We cannot. All we can do is believe. But the idea of something physical that we can see and experience makes Jesus' presence all the more prevalent. 

Given this desire for tangibility in religious activity, it is no surprise that we worship and idolize celebrities in the way that we do. We have ways to experience them and proof that they exist. Setting celebrities apart as sacred idols satisfies both the human need for religious activity and the modern aversion to blind faith. Celebrities represent a complicated mix of tangible reality and that which is sacred. This mix exactly fits the bill of what people in the 21st century want from their idols. So, celebrities transcend. However, there is a strange contradiction however between the sacred idols of religions being made human and the human celebrities being made sacred. 

Recently, Harry Styles-- everyone's favorite boy band heartthrob-- haunched over, vomiting, on the side of a highway in LA after being photographed leaving a party, intoxicated the night before. Oddly enough, there were paparazzi present who eagerly snapped photos and sent them out to various pop culture news sources. The vomit has since become famous in itself. Some worshippers of Styles put up a shrine in the exact spot where he was photographed. there are also rumors surfacing of people taking some of the vomit home with them, as a relic. Is this too far? 

What is it about the vomit that is different from the Blood of San Gennaro? 

Why has Harry Styles been stripped of his humanity by his worshippers? 

Celebrity Worship: A Natural Human Trait

           Popular culture places a great deal of emphasis on celebrity worship. Whether it is a movie star, an athlete, or simply a Kardashian, there is no denying that there is something that draws society to consume every juicy little piece of gossip about these celebrities. Often this yearning and devotion takes on religious proportions. Laderman describes this phenomenon as a “rather secular version of more authentic religious devotional practices, a displacement of a deep human need onto stars rather than saints” (76). Considering how widespread celebrity culture is, it seems there is some sort of inherent aspect of human nature that is conducive to following celebrities.

            While the age of social media and the 24-hour news cycle has certainly heightened the level of celebrity worship, it is by no means a modern invention.  In past ages without the big screen or Twitter, people turned to other celebrities to follow. Royalty and monarchs were a sort of celebrity, whose social circles and dress set trends throughout society. For example, before Queen Victoria wedding dresses were often colorful and made from heavy materials. However, after she made the unusual choice of wearing a white gown for her 1840 wedding, it quickly caught on and is still the norm to this day (Flock). Considering both the modern and historical patterns of celebrity worship, it becomes evident that this practice is truly ingrained in human nature. Why is this?

            Firstly, there could be evolutionary reasons for this practice. Humans are social animals with important social hierarchies, and being aware what people of high status are doing helps you navigate this hierarchy. Even further, by observing and replicating the behaviors of the elite, it might elevate your own social status. From a more psychological approach, it could simply serve as an escape from the mundane of everyday life. The fact is most people fall into daily routines that often become tedious or dull. Modern celebrities have flings, lavish parties, and drama. It’s a social life most of us don’t have, and by reading the tabloids and following our favorite star, they serve as vessel to vicariously live through.

Outside Source: 

Flock, Elizabeth. "Queen Victoria was the first to get married in white", Washington Post. 29 April,        2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/royal-wedding-watch/post/queen-victoria-was-the-        

first-to-get-married-in-white/2011/04/29/AFIYPmDF_blog.html

The church of the celebrity

Why are celebrities considered sacred members of today’s society, and what drives the general public’s worship of them?  By saying celebrity, I’m encompassing a wide array of people – from Derek Jeter to Kim Kardashian – or essentially, those who have acquired some sort of fame due to the talents (or lack thereof) they possess.  These select people are seen by the general public as “iconic,”, and people worship them similarly as they would a religious figure.  Robert Maniura discusses this at length in his work, “Icon/Image” which examines the evolution of religious icons.  Maniura believed, “A more widespread current use of “iconic,” though, draws on another feature of the Eastern icon—its focal cultural role and high status—to refer to culturally salient people, things, and concepts: sportspeople, musicians, commercial products, and brands, among other things, can all be “iconic” in this sense. This leads away from material religion.”  Maniura argues that society’s interpretation of icons is shifting away from traditional religion and has gravitated towards secularism.  This is embodied through our worship of celebrities, they are considered “high class” and people look up to them regardless of their lack of merit.    

            So what has caused the gravitation towards more secular figures as opposed to religious ones?  Laderman described celebrities as “media-created, ultimately empty vessels that provide, though captivating, images void of real purpose or value.”  I believe that the part of Laderman’s description that is most crucial to focus on is “captivating.”  Celebrities intrigue people and therefore media outlets bombard us with pictures, videos, and gossip regarding them.  As society’s technological prowess continues to progress, celebrity news will continue to be thrown in the face of the general public.  So I believe that the media and technological progress is responsible for the increasing celebrity worship that we see today.   

Why We Worship

Why is that masses and masses of people devote themselves to celebrities? What does the individual take away from celebrity worship?

       In Sacred Matters, Gary Laderman attempts to answer these questions. He equates celebrity worship and religion: “…but not really religion – rather a secular version of more authentic religious devotional practices, a displacement of a deep human need onto stars rather than saints…” (Laderman, 76). A critical aspect of Laderman’s argument is the notion that the underlying principle behind both types of devotional practices is “a deep human need”. There is a human desire that underlies ritual practices, but as Laderman suggests, this need may not be inherently tied to religion. Perhaps, this desire is a fundamental component of human nature that is fluid enough to be transferred into other areas of life. So celebrity worship may be functioning religiously but both are actually a function of something far deeper.

       This need seems to operate on two levels. Firstly, it serves to connect the individual to his or her reality. Why is that people care so much about incidents like Robin Williams’ death? What is it about these celebrities that cause us to invest so heavily in their lives? On the day that Robin Williams died, I recall seeing numerous Facebook posts and articles about people’s favorite Robin Williams’s movie or how much a certain character meant to them. The popularity and widespread appreciation of celebrities make them an integral element of society. Since celebrity worship has become so pervasive, people use them as a means of establishing their cultural identity. Writing a Facebook post about your favorite Robin Williams movie may seem trivial but doing so sends a message – it says that you are a participating member of this society because you have felt and can recognize the importance of this man. You are aware of what makes this society what it is. Although it may be subconscious, it is a means of acting out identity. Just as going to church and participating in rituals is a way of performing identity. It is representative of the human need to feel connected to a community.

        The second function of this “deep human need” is orienting the individual to a divine or otherworldly realm. A connection to a world outside our own seems to be a basic human desire. People attempt to fulfill this need in a multitude of ways – religion, celebrity worship, fantasy football, and the list goes on and on. Nonetheless, the desire for a connection to a world that exists outside of our own seems to be common among many. Why do we crave this connection? What is it about reality that we feel we need an escape? Perhaps transcendence offers us the opportunity to discover aspects about ourselves that cannot emerge in reality. Elements of who we are that must be suppressed because of societal rules or expectations. It provides a sense of freedom that cannot be accessed in the mundane realities of the world. The most extreme cases of these attempts at transcendence are individuals who use plastic surgery to look like celebrities. As drastic as these measures are, they are merely reflective of the fundamental human desire to move closer to one’s perception of the divine.