More on Celebrities and Adoration

Thanks again to Reader of the Month P Corcs (which reminds me, I need to elect a reader of the month for June, and P Corcs is once again making a strong showing) for his comments on yesterday’s post. They were, as always, insightful and very effective at generating thought and conversation.

It’s pretty wild that Joe Soucheray made the prediction that something bad was going to happen six years ago based purely on his perceptions of American culture. I’ll be honest and say I don’t really listen to him, but he must be a discerning dude. Maybe I should start.

When you take a step back and look at the things that dominate our attention, the things that we call news, and the people that we live vicariously through, it is evident that we are a profoundly misguided society. I’ll bet that if you asked the average American citizen, they could tell you who in Hollywood is dating, who’s breaking up, who’s pregnant, and who’s going into rehab, but they couldn’t tell you one recent event in government that actually affects their everyday lives. They couldn’t tell you about fiscal policies, international relations, even their safety from global or local threats. They have no idea where their tax money is going. They couldn’t tell you anything about the history of America, let alone the world. Benjamin Franklin must be rolling over in his grave.

I’m working on it, but honestly it’s not a phenomenon I can explain. I’m trying to figure out why we are so obsessed with these public figures that for the most part are an affront to our morality and intellect. The Paris Hiltons and Lindsay Lohans are not particularly talented, entertaining, smart, or appealing in any way. They are spoiled and they are conceited. Hopefully this is just a phase, and one day they will do some tremendous good, but even if they do, why are they deserving of our affection? Even the George Clooneys and the Bonos, men who have made amazing contributions to global causes, are not particularly suited to the task, nor are they more deserving of our admiration than the poor Peace Corps worker that has dedicated his life to servitude in obscurity.

I can only imagine it’s the glamour aspect. We see these lives of privilege and pampering; a life surrounded by beauty in which all things are possible. We are envious. We imagine we want that for ourselves, so we live vicariously. We follow every move of these people, imagining that they are our friends, finding ways in which they are like us, and we are like them, secretly hoping that one day we can be them.

The truth is, they are exactly like us. They are more like us than we want to know. They look in the mirror and wish they could change their appearance, they get pimples, they poop in the morning. They fall in love, they get jealous, they have their hearts broken, they wish their lives could be easier. And while we are so busy seeking this imaginary fulfillment we miss something very important: these people are more insecure, lonelier, more lost than any of us could ever imagine.

So be joyful that you are who you are. Each of us has the amazing opportunity to find fulfillment in our lives. Unfortunately for some that brings fame with it. But don’t for a second imagine that fame and fulfillment go hand in hand. Being surrounded by people doesn’t mean you’re loved.

Thanks for reading.