by Heatherlinn Lemmer Meadows

Created on: April 17, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2009

I think that the celebrity obsession has gotten out of control; it's one thing to be a fan, it's another to consume every tiny aspect of their lives. You have people either idolizing them, or living to see them fall. That is not healthy for anyone. Do we really need to see Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt coming out of Whole Foods with details of what was in their basket? Do we really need to watch every actresses tummy for any sign of a bump and speculate they are pregnant? Sometimes you are just bloated, not working out, or eating differently! Not to mention, most tummis are not flat to begin with!

Then, you have how it changes the celebrities lives to the point their lived and the lived of those around them is chaotic and becomes so dysfunctional and abnormal that they DO implode.

I do not feel pity for most of them. They act out in bad behavior, they make good money, and if it's your thing, they have fame. But, seeing footage of people like Britney Spears trying to walk down a sidewalk, and being blocked in on all sides, near falling and dropping her baby? That is deplorable. I mean, look at the children involved. Especially, when you have reality TV shows following your every action, paparazzi yelling their names and taking pictures in a shark like feeding frenzy. It's gotten out of hand, and is really a dysfunctional and sick relationship. No one wins in in this game.

Reality TV has brought out the ugliest side if humanity, whether a celebrity or joe average. It's like being a peeping Tom. Also, celebrities have created an unhealthy ideal of how impressionable people of bad behavior, self destructive behavior, is OK, that going out and flashing your private parts is ok. I mean, come on! You know people will be snapping your picture, you wear no underwear under a dress that comes 2 or 3 inches below your naughty bits? Have some dignity!

For that matter, fans, have some dignity and rise above allowing yourself to wallow in the ugly and unhealthy fixations. Stop buying tabloids, stop watching tabloid TV and reality shows. There is no art or creativity in those things. Movies, TV, music, etc are meant to be entertaining, and creative.

Paparazzi, do not take pictures of the kids, and stay a far enough distance away that they can at least walk and do what they need to in peace.

Recently, the actor James Marsters (Spike on Buffy the vampire slayer, Piccolo in Dragonball:evolution) posted some videos on youtube.com of his 13 year old son being a kid, and he and his son playing two songs. James has been staunchly protective of his son up until this point, fans have never seen him. As well as that, his fans have respected his wishes to protect his son over the years by not taking pictures if they see them in public, and not discussing his son, except maybe in admiration for his approach to parenthood, or sharing something he said himself about his son. Because James is becoming more recognizable because of the roles and press he has been doing, and he planned to take his son to the US Dragonball premiere, he had to loosen his protective dad mode. He introduced him in a way that he had control over, the videos show him being a kid, very human, and shows the sweetness of their relationship. He was smart doing so, in my opinion, because now, no one can capitalize off being the first to get pictures of him. James is notoriously anti-internet, having only recently discussed he was warming up to it a bit. He did what he had to do, as a celbrity with a child, to make the sting of having a famous dad not as bad.

If only all celebrities had that attitude. If only fans had it as well, think of all the things we could get done with the time and money we waste on our obsessions?

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