Celebrity Idols

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. 

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.