I am a closet celebrity watcher. I do not buy gossip magazines, but I do read the front pages as I stand in the grocery store check out line. I do not browse celeb websites, but I do click on celebrity stories on CNN. I am fascinated by the psychology of celebrity. I am fascinated that there are people for whom living in front of cameras is a dream come true. I am fascinated when those same people complain about the omnipresence of cameras and paparazzi. I am fascinated that so many of us are so fascinated by celebrities.
One thing that all of the celebrity coverage does provide for me is a close look at some psychologies. I get to see lives gone right and lives gone wrong. I can watch vicariously as Lindsey Lohan realizes that she’s out of control and firmly puts her feet back onto a path which will lead to a successful career. I can watch as Brittany Spears fails to realize that she’s out of control and spirals even further down despite the best efforts of those around her to help. I can watch as the various legal tangles, left in the wake of Anna Nicole Smith’s death, gradually unravel in ways that make no one happy. I can watch as former wild-child Angelina Jolie reaches out to adopt yet another child and give him a chance for a future.
Some celebrities are the antithesis of everything I desire to be. They live large, spend money like water, and make no one’s lives better. Other celebrities I admire greatly. People such as Geena Davis and Angelina Jolie and Julianne Moore for whom the purpose of wealth and celebrity is to make the world a better place.
Celebrity watching is something of a guilty pleasure. I know that every time I click on a link I am contributing to the media frenzy which surrounds these people. This means that every time I read a story about Paris Hilton I am contributing to her self importance. My click is an added incentive for photographers and reporters to chase her more to see what she’ll do. Honestly I don’t mind sending paparazzi to torment Paris Hilton, she seems to thrive on the attention. But other times, like last May for the birth of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter, our interest chases the celebrities across the globe until they can find an entire country willing to help them hide from us. When I saw that happen I made a private choice. For the celebrities that I respect, I only click on a link if it is an official appearance or interview. I don’t click links to see how they take their kids to the park or shopping. Does my click matter? Not much, but it is the only way I have to show respect.
One benefit from the phenomenon of celebrity is that it provides us all with some common examples of the problems that people have. Talking about Michael J Fox and his battle with Parkinson’s Disease can lead us into a discussion of debilitating diseases. Facing the problem helps us come to terms with it. Then when we are faced with a friend or neighbor who suffers from such a disease, we are better prepared to understand and to help. I think that is the major reason that I am a celebrity watcher. Because all those celebrities are people and people are interesting. Celebrities are just larger than life which changes the examination somewhat.