Yes

by Zack Mandell

Created on: November 22, 2010

The media's fixation with Hollywood has a negative impact on the world. These people make up the tiniest portion of society, yet every action they take is documented, resulting in what's perceived as an acceptable model of behavior for the public. The key word here is perceived: the truth is a lot of these celebrities do not want the constant media attention. As a society, we facilitate the activities of the paparazzi by purchasing gossip magazines and watching TV programs like Entertainment Tonight.

Hollywood stars, the young ones especially, are under a lot of pressure to maintain their image and perform well professionally. Encapsulated in this bubble that's Hollywood, a lot of these people tend to go off track at some point, and photographers are always there to catch it. As much as we build them up, the public gets great satisfaction out of watching a star self-destruct (think Lindsay Lohan). When this happens and their behavior is plastered all over the tabloids, some young people read about it and begin to think it's not so bad because so-and-so did it. Parents have the biggest issue with this. Still, the media's hunger for celebrity misdeeds gets the stories into print. Where does this originate? With us of course. As the readers and viewers of celebrity news, we demand that the scandals and rumors keep coming.

Though their bad behavior is considered the best tabloid fodder, celebrities have long received attention for how good they look. Media coverage of events like The Golden Globes is so big that in anticipation of attending, candidates diet and hire professionals to get them "red-carpet ready". Magazines publish pictures of Hollywood stars at these events and we begin to think that we should look like that. Those consumers who page through US Weekly and/or People see repeated representations of women who have only the best make-up artists and stylists at their disposal. In Hollywood, celebrities live a world apart from us, under totally different circumstances. Their wealth and status enable them to have resources that are not accessible to the general public. As a result, there's never a day that their hair goes flat or a pimple pops up on their face. At least that's the way we see it. But the obsession with celebrities and their seemingly perfect features are what pressure them to continue looking this way. At the same time this dynamic is having a negative impact on the very same consumers, who are fueling the media coverage. Women and men alike feel unattractive compared to these people. Parents complain that magazines are giving off an unrealistic representation of what a teenage girl should look like, and they are. So why haven't things changed much? Because we like these so-called perfect people! They give us a hobby, namely the fantasy of living and looking like them.

When it comes to being a role model, It's important to remember that celebrities don't ask for such a title. In our eyes, fame automatically puts them in this position. Is that fair? I don't think so, since many of these people achieve exposure not by choice but simply as a result of doing something they love (i.e. acting or singing). Furthermore, celebrities do not purposefully mold society. We don't realize that as spectators we are choosing them as our cast. Hollywood is a ridiculous bubble of reality that we as consumers have created. Until we all realize that, the lifestyles of celebrities and the gossip generated from them will continue to have a negative impact on society.

Learn more about this author, Zack Mandell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.