DISCUSSION: Celebrity Culture

There are lots of relevant topics which we could discuss this week…

We had Qantas pull their planes from the skies after clashes with the union, the Melbourne Cup was yesterday which always brings up protests of animal cruelty, the creepy Halloween – is it fun or just TOO American? Then there was the breaking news of interest rates being dropped which could potentially affect all Australian families.

Are we going to discuss any of these? No. We are going to discuss the fact that Kim Kardashian has filed for divorce just 72 days after marrying Kris Humphries. Oh, and I will tell you something else – Justin Bieber got a haircut some time in the last millennium and suddenly he is 17.

Do I care about these things? Well, I kind of do. I’m not going to sit here and tell you I don’t like a bit of celebrity gossip, we all cringe at these celebrities but we can’t look away. Without us buying magazines and talking about them on Twitter they wouldn’t be famous.

kim kardashian

Which brings me back to the point of Hollywood making a mockery of marriage and things that the general public hold dear. Weddings are expensive and many people have to take out loans just to walk down the aisle but Kim and Kris (I use their first names because I feel like I KNOW them…in case you can’t tell I am being humorously sarcastic) actually made a profit from their 10 million dollar wedding.

I could easily change the topic right now and discuss the fact that gay rights activists are feeling more than a little frustrated that they can’t get the opportunity to exchange vows, let alone break them – when celebs don’t seem to take it seriously but that is one for another day.

This isn’t solely a Kim Kardashian discussion either, who knows what goes on behind closed doors and I think she is a clever little businesswoman who knows how to market her brand, which is in fact herself. But what I do want to discuss is the fact that we care more about her separation, more about whether Brad Pitt’s daughter dresses in boys clothes or the fact that Victoria Beckham “saw a UFO” than what is happening in our own lives…or do we?

My questions to you this week are, do you care about celebrity culture? Where did all these fame seeking celebrities, who are ultimately famous for being famous come from? Do you think the world is obsessed with Hollywood or is it light hearted entertainment? Would YOU like to be famous?

And congratulations to Jessica Simpson for finally revealing her pregnancy…

Tell us what you think for your chance to win a $25 Coles Myer voucher. The winner will  be contacted by email so make sure your address is current. Competition closes 8th November 2011 Midnight AEST. Check back next Wednesday for a new weekly discussion.

15 thoughts on “DISCUSSION: Celebrity Culture

  1. I believe that Celebs are entitled to make mistakes. They don’t have green blood, so they are human. Things happen in life for all people. No big deal…so what. Give them a break.

  2. Im a Mum with 3 girls and most likely if it wasnt for my girls i wouldnt have ever seen an episode of gossip girl, the Kardashians or many other shows that i now enjoy. My girls brought these shows into my life and i must admit i enjoy watching them and of course the Kardashians are one of our favorites. I think its more about how differant their lives are to our own that creates the interest. I mean lets face it Hugh Heffner is never going to get his people to talk to my people (I dont even have people *sniffles*) so unlike Kim im never in a million years going to be made an offer of a huge sum of money to pose for playboy and even if i was made that offer (ROTFLMAO) would i accept??….hell yes…show me the money…just dont tell my Mum cos she would kill me. They would of course be tasteful pics.
    I could get married 50 times and its extreemly doubtful that a single tv camera would even turn up.
    No one cares to report to the world what im wearing each day…thank goodness because im pretty sure i would never leave the worst dressed list.
    I will never have my own perfume or handbag range.
    No one really cares because im just boring old me like the rest of us “normal” folk out there. But if My Dad was a high profile lawyer on a high profile legal case and he was good enough to get the guy off when everyone thought the guy had actually commited the crime and if my Mum married a great sportsperson, etc, etc….and my life was so totally differant to yours and i could do things that you would only dream of doing…. well….despite yourself you would be interested….you would want to know what the next crazy, wild or amazing thing is that i might do.
    And i think often we cant help ourselves…we love it when something goes wrong in their lives just so we can shake our heads and say “Oh i knew this would happen”…and then we can suddenly act like our behaviour and life choices are so much better then the ones of the shamed celeb.

    We care….and even if we say we dont…we really cant help ourselves and still want to know what the latest goss is.

  3. I think that our interest in celebrities is a bit like a car accident, we know we shouldnt look, because of the horror it would cause, but we just cant help ourselves. I think that watching celebrity shows, in particular, make us feel more human and normal, because we see that they have insecure days and pick their nose. We also see what kind of effort goes in to them getting ready for anything (aka Kim having a makeup artist, hair stylist and everyday assistant).
    We, as humans, are very curious creatures and it is this curiosity that impels us to be so interested in what every celebrity does each day.
    I used to be the first person to bag out people that watched the Kardashians or Kendra etc, but the laugh is now on me, as I am addicted to these shows, sadly enough.
    Yes I think we are obsessed with Hollywood, and I think you have to have a very big ego to withstand the types of critisism, that these celebrities incur.
    Again we will always be interested in what celebrities are doing because we are by nature very curious.

  4. Firstly I wouldn’t like to be famous….I’d rather be rich without the hooha.
    I had never heard of the Kardashians until I watched their show on Foxtel a few years ago (when not really known in Aussie here). I did enjoy watching it, their lifestyle, their antics but after being smothered with her wedding, I now feel am totally not interested. (oh alright, I admit I probably will read about her in the mags though).
    In all honesty though, what has Kim actually done except being in a reality show and done a few model poses and owns some shop and makes trillons. (yawn)
    When Kim announced her wedding, it was so obvious it was just a sham to boost her show and life. I wasn’t at all surprised to hear it only lasted 72 days but we still go ooooooohhhhhhhhh when we hear the news and then tune in to hear WHY! (rolls eyes).
    Once Kim leaves our shores, everything will die down and it will be another celebrity that we will glue our attention to.

  5. I am not a watcher of reality TV, follower of Celeb gossip, reader of gossip mags. And a lot of the time I don’t even know what’s going on so no I really don’t care.
    I think celebs are people too and they don’t need to be photographed going to pick up milk without their makeup. and the way they bring up their children scrutinised.
    They are people too and they should be allowed to have a private life

  6. After reading a few of the comments I am APPALLED at how many people love the Kardashians!!!!!!!!!!!! My god, what have we turned into here boys and girls?????????? A sick society obesessed with voyeurism of the rich and famous. I didnt even know who the kardashians were until i saw an ad for their tv show and all i could think was what the f#$@%ck next???? I have NEVER watched an episode and i never will because i HAVE a life and i enjoy living my life; i do not live for some celebrity who doesnt need anymore money (the money that we are ignorantly paying them by watching their drivvle and superficial lives on tvand in trashy magazines). Come on peoples!!!!! wake up and smell the roses in your own backyards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. Kim Kardashian new the consequences of becoming a celebrity. Your life is not your own and you do have to give something back to the public as they are making you a star. I think alot of it is hyped up and to be quite frank, I am over it,

  8. I seem to have a love hate relationship with hollywood. Some weeks I will rant that they are a bunch of morons (rich morons) and others i secretly read perezhilton and oceanup (yeah its a bad addiction when you hit oceanup) religiously and have to see every little picture of these peoples lives…
    Personally I think I am drawn to the drama – if my life is going smoothy there is always hollywood to turn to and see some drama chaos and heartbreak.

    God love Kimmy K filing divorce and now in “hiding” at her mums place… can’t wait to see what stunt she pulls next – so she wins, i’m sucked in and waiting with baited breath, well played miss kardashian!

  9. Celebrity is nothing new. It used to be confined to the “scarlet woman” on the corner or the lord of the manor’s hijinks. It is human nature to gossip, to learn, to judge (a most horrible of human traits), to be titillated. What the new aspect is that we now gossip about people worldwide. And the brand-spanking new is that those people are now not known for anything. Paris Hilton, the Kardashians: they’re just famous for being famous.

    That’s the worrying trend; not that we gossip but we gossip over people who don’t really matter, who have no other skill than media manipulation. And even more worrying is that young children these days think this a good career path. Don’t need school, just need fame. When someone can be lauded for nothing, how can we persuade kids that hard work is rewarding?

  10. Famous for being famous? Look no further than the Royal Family. How many people tuned in to watch the Royal Wedding, but what have William and Kate achieved (yet)? Maybe it’s no coincidence they were such a hit in Hollywood during their recent tour of America. They have something of that elusive “star power”.

    I admit I love looking at all the pretty pictures of pretty people in those goss mags – the glossy visual allure is definitely a major part of it, both of the people and their lives. Maybe it’s an extension of the “pinup” that has existed for decades. In Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam, although there are no furnishings left, her chosen pinups were still stuck to the wall – I was surprised to see a photo of Queen Elizabeth as a young woman there.

    I would hate to be famous – I have seen too many venomous comments full of bile and vitriol posted by anonymous users in response to stories on the net. You really would want to have the fame as well as the money and my skin would be too thin to take it.

  11. No I do not want to be famous.
    It would be very difficult to have to put up with all the unwanted attention,loose your pricay.
    I feel society pays way too much attention to their lives they are just noram people who do a job that happens to be in the spotlight.
    There are so many more important issuses in life we could give them more energy.

  12. I like the idea of being famous for doing something others admire, but what if you’re famous for something other people sneer at like Monica Lewinski is?

  13. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t care about celebrity culture. Celebrity culture is like TV show – we constantly follow them every week (or day) and always wonder what will happen next. All of these fame seeking celebrities who are ultimately famous for being famous, once started off just like us. Though everyone talks about how these celebrities are such bad role models, I also think that the fact that they had a motif to become famous and stuck to it, is a factor that we should look up to.

    Some people are obsessed with hollywood, to the point they would follow celebrities to their hotel rooms or sell their used tissues on ebay, whereas for others it is just light hearted entertainment – like music or TV. But the million dollar question is whether you would like to be famous or not. I have probably gone through this question in my head about a million times. Being famous not only has its perks, but it also has its disadvantages. When most people think about fame, it’s all about the money – but people tend to forget about constantly being followed around by paparazzi and not even being able to go to the supermarket in peace. In saying that, I don’t want to just disappear off the face of the earth once I die either. Ultimately, I would like to be famous for a good cause – like changing the world and making a difference, opposed to making a sex tape or supposedly having sex with a 16 year old backstage for 30 seconds…

  14. I dont’ mind hearing about celebs now and then but I am not obsessed with them, though it is all abit of light hearted entertainment and reading about them in the magazines or wherever lets us tune out from our everyday lives for a bit. I don’t particularly like people like Paris Hilton who have become famous for doing nothing, she has just been handed everything on a silver platter and has never had to work hard for anything. I would hate to be famous, the parties and money might be exciting for a little bit but ultimately, money and fame don’t buy happiness.

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