Tuesday, September 29, 2009

celebrity obsession


Has anyone else noticed that the children of celebrities seem to be getting a lot of media attention? For instance, Angelina Jolie's children Tome Cruise's daughter, Suri, all get their own column in gossip pages. There is an unholy amount of chatter about their diet, and i'm not sure any of them have past the age of 10. What are they wearing and how cute they can be, all make the gossip pages and sites.

Once they grow up, you would think the media might lose interest. But if Rumor Willis is any indication, the answer is no.

It seems that the world has created a virtual village of people (celebrities) to watch. We watch what they say, they do, they eat, they wear. And now we watch their children and put the same level of expectations on them as we do their adult parents. We want them to entertain us...And they will.

Generations of child stars have proven that the pressure of constant media scrutiny leads to some pretty messed up teenagers and adults. The world applies the pressure and the media watch these children crack and we sit back at home and shake their heads. "celebrities" we say.

Are we really encouraging this kind of coliseum entertainment? It appears so. We can't take our eyes away. We pay our entrance fee with subscriptions and website advertisements. With every click we create the lion that has the potential to tear a life apart. But we just can't look away.

"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience! - GB Shaw

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