Friday, March 29, 2013

Celebrity Culture in America


America has been the center of the entertainment industry for at least the past 100 years. It’s no wonder that celebrities such as Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, and the Kardashian sisters have become such global personas. The contagious and popular entertainment culture in America is the main reason that so many of its prodigies have turned into international sensations.

While being the nucleus of the global entertainment industry has its benefits and can be viewed as playing a positive role in American culture, people such as Courtney Enlow strongly disagree. In Enlow’s blog, she outlines why she believes the celebrity culture in America has “ruined us” (link). Most notably, Enlow claims America indulges in what is called “Universal Schadenfreude” or receiving pleasure from someone else’s misfortune. I have seen America build people up just to tear them back to the ground. I’m sure that almost every young American is familiar with the downward spiral that Britney Spears endured, several years back. Later in her post, Enlow discusses how we, the American people, have put these celebrities on a pedestal and how we have begun to consider ourselves inferior. When we choose people to be our role models, who have such high egos, the result will likely be negative.

It is okay for us to have people we look up to, but we have to be sure that we don’t take entertainment beyond what it is supposed to be – an enjoyable outlet on the side.

3 comments:

  1. Entertainment in the worldly fashion is just plain fun and that's all it should be but people place so much value on this artist and take them as role models. based on what characteristics, i ask. there is nothing to emulate. yes the are talented, we are all, in different ways, so lets leave it as that.

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  2. It is ultimately up to the individual to be sucked in to the media franchise and idolize these people. Whenever I go to a movie, I don't care who is in it. The most important part is the actual content, form and presentation of the film and the message conveyed. Caring about the individual casts' personal life is none of my business and a waste of brain cells.

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  3. I agree that people tend to scrutinize celebrities' lives. I sometimes feel sorry for stars like Britney Spears who seem to never be able to catch a break. Some stars seem to forever be doing something wrong in the public's eye. Although I do enjoy watching some reality shows, I understand that they are purely for entertainment and do not truly depict what these stars are really like.

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