Living through Celebrities. Can there be an Upside?

      Laderman asserts that celebrity fame is "a pervasive and powerful force in modern society, magnetizing and tempting millions of people... a historically unique, curious, cultural phenomenon." Curious the phenomenon is indeed. Why are humans driven to obsessively follow and emulate celebrities? They are our fellow human beings, set apart only by the fact that their faces, words, and opinions are broadcasted across the nation due to their success in film, music, and sports careers. The idea that this phenomenon is "historically unique" is not accurate. In his chapter Laderman traces the roots of our current celebrity fascination. In the 17th century saints were idolized. Their stories provided a type of myth in which they were the heroes performing miraculous acts. In today's society, celebrities have replaced the saints as the heroes and it the media's re-approporation of their lives as myths that explains our obsession.
     Just like mythical and apocalyptic movies, celebrities provide the possibility of excitement and escape for the average American. Celebrities have personal relationships with clothing designers, professional makeup artists to enhance their natural beauty, access to trendy restaurants... the list goes on. Celebrities, so it seems, are living the dream and through them, we can realize our fantasies. In the midst of her monotonous weekly routine, the suburban housewife can find an escape in the tabloids at the local Stop & Shop. This experience is even more thrilling than a movie because it is more tangible. These are real living people who were born in average households just like the rest of us. Their rise to fame provides inspiration that we too can achieve fabulousness. Although not likely, I could go on a reality TV show and have all of my dreams realized as was the case with Kelly Clarkson, Kim Kardashian, Honey Boo Boo, and Snooki. Religious idols may offer spiritual and morel guidance, but we cannot relate to them as we can celebrities. We begin to rely so heavily on these connections however, that it becomes difficult to separate our lives from theirs, reality from fiction. Numerous BuzzFeed articles and Facebook posts appeared in the wake of Ryan Gosling's engagement announcement as thousands of hopeful girls across the country faced the harsh reality that their (imaginary) romance with the star was officially over. People shed tears over a celebrities passing as if they were close personal friends. Many even have surgery to adopt a celebrity's physical features.

        Overall, society's increasing fascination with celebrities has been viewed as a devolution. Among all of this criticism, is it possible to uncover any positive effects? As Laderman notes, celebrities can serve as our moral compasses. Just as we idolize them, we scrutinize their unethical behavior. When celebrities are caught stealing, doing drugs, and getting in car accidents is it widely publicized, often resulting in lost contracts and endorsement deals. Celebrities can also use their power to promote charities and social awareness campaigns, so much so that it has almost become an expectation. The billions of dollars and countless hours celebrities dedicate to these causes is certainly admirable. The only question is, are they doing it for the right reasons? In the end, these charitable acts just further further improve their image.  In fighting AIDS and adopting children from Africa celebrities earn one more reason to be idolized. They appear almost saintly.