Essay about Celebrity Idolization in America

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Celebrity Idolization in America Throughout human history, entertainment has been an integral part of everyday life. Whether it be movies, music, sports, etcetera, humans require some form of amusement. However, in today’s world, various entertainment industries have grown to be superpowers within society. Through the rapid expansion in worldwide popularity, the celebrities within these industries are being idolized by the public. And although it may like to believe it is above this, the United States is no exception. In America today, celebrities have a significant impact on society. For example, the effects that they have on young teenagers, influencing their eating habits and self-image by simply having a good body themselves. Secondly, and more of a conscious effort, the roles they play in politics can influence some people’s political views or even who they vote for. The biggest instigator in this growing trend of celebrity worship is the media. Through the constant bombardment of celebrity news via tabloid magazines, news networks, blogs, or entertainment websites, many people have developed a conscious, or subconscious, mindset that celebrities are people of importance. In turn, this creates a social hierarchy where most of the public views stars as “better” and most of stars view themselves the same way. In recent years it seems that the mainstream media has developed an infatuation for the famous and upper echelon of society. Consequently, a substantial amount of news being delivered to the masses revolves around celebrities. A particularly favorite of many news outlets is stars and their bodies. For example, if a celebrity is too skinny or too fat, some tabloid magazine will most likely do an article on it. This constant news coverage has led to public imitation of these people. Take young teenage girls for instance, these girls see how skinny and beautiful their favorite actress, singer, or artist is in a magazine and suddenly they want to be able to see themselves the same way. However, this imitation opens doors for some serious issues, such as anorexia or other eating disorders. In a study done by the British Psychological Society, John Maltby and his associates state “One of the most feared effects of the media is that, by glamorizing thin celebrities and models, they promote body shapes that are unrealistic and unattainable for many young people” (Maltby et al. “Intense-personal celebrity worship and body image: Evidence of a link among female adolescents”, 18). At the end of the study they conclude “the formation of para-social relationships with media figures, and suggest that para-social relationships with celebrities perceived as having a good body shape may lead to a poor body image in female adolescents” (Maltby et al. “Intense-personal celebrity worship and body image: Evidence of a link among female adolescents”, 1). And in Deborah King’s quote from Australian psychologist Amy Willinge in her article “Why All The Fuss About Celebrities?” Willinge states “Media presentation of thin female images is affecting males’ attitudes towards female bodies, putting increasing pressure on females to obtain the idealized body image.” It is clear that celebrities do effect the way some people view themselves and their bodies, especially in adolescent girls. Although it may be easy to point fingers at the stars themselves, this problem is a result of the media and the personality traits of the individual. However, one thing celebrities should be held accountable for is their involvement in the political aspect of society. It has become common practice for many celebrities to involve themselves in social matters, such as politics. Although they have the right to do so, some would argue that it is not always morally right. Some people feel that stars should keep their political opinions to themselves, and in many ways, this is perfectly logical. The power that celebrities have over the public, specifically the
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