Celebrity Worship
...nment social” level, which the researchers are not too worried about. Indeed, this group generally appears outgoing, happy and optimistic and is enjoying casual star-gazing, like a crowd of friends eager to discuss Paris Hilton’s whereabouts. The second level, called “intense personal”, is reached when someone feels a true, often unhealthy connection with a star; for instance, a girl who considers Brad Pitt to be the love of her life. The affected individuals belonging in this group are prone to suffer poorer mental health including depression, lower composure and intense stress. Finally, the third level, which is the rarest but still present, is “borderline pathological”. Here, people appear solitary and anti-social, while being driven by obsessive fantasies; their admiration has grown into stalking: “When Angelina Jolie gets my love letters, she’ll realize I’m her soulmate and leave everything behind for me”. Given that celebrity admiration has probably existed since the first primitive societies, why is it growing into such a big problem now? The most plausible answer is that the spur of new mass technologies of the 1920’s and 1930’s and the expanding entertainment industry have allowed a modification of the “cultural hero” notion. Indeed, whereas we once admired serious, virtuous characters like scholars, political leaders and writers, we now are pressured to imitate celebrities, that television and magazines constantly picture as “perfect”, in order to feel successful like them. Moreover, following the lives of celebrities offers a light, enjoyable diversion from the depressive news and realities we confront daily. However, there’s nothing healthy and encouraging in the fact that today’s population finds more interest in Britney Spears than in politics and literature, as proven by the exorbitant sales of gossip magazines such as US Weekly, In Touch and National Enquirer all across the nation. On the contrary, the proliferation of these magazines and their success just demonstrates that we try to dull our societal pain the same way we’d take antidepressants to ease our emotional pain. Besides, it remains an indubitable proof of the decline of our society’s seriousness; whereas celebrities have always influenced us plebeians’ taste for superficial consumption elements like clothing, hairstyles and food brands, they now constitute a substantial part of our collective psyche, defining our most intrinsic ...