by Erin Weatherhogg

Created on: September 30, 2009

Like it or not, no matter how "advanced" our society or how "forward-thinking" we fancy ourselves, we are fundamentally drawn to beautiful things, and therefore, to beautiful people. That's what celebrities are: they're beautiful people with beautiful lives. Beautiful homes... beautiful cars... beautiful spouses... beautiful children... beautiful bank accounts. In reality, they are real people with real problems, hang-ups, and insecurities; some even have very real mental issues. But because they are marketed to seem perfect, with their airbrushed gorgeousness, their multi-million-dollar paychecks, designer clothes, and great hair, perfection is really all we see, no matter how much of their dirty laundry is aired for the public. In fact, reading about their troubled marriages, brushes with the law, and often crushing self-esteem issues is just icing on the intriguing cake; all of that seems exciting with the dramatic twists the rags invariably put on it. Who wants to read about Lindsay Lohan getting caught with a gram of marijuana after a routine stop for doing all of five miles over the speed limit? "LiLo cited for drug possession after a dramatic chase by cops!"... Now, that's more like it! As a result, the skeletons in a celeb's life only serve to make it seem even more glamorous and enviable.

All that said, is it really a mystery why we care so much about celebrities? The short answer to that question is simply this: We tend to fixate on people who have what we want, or think we want. Who wouldn't want to be rich, famous, and sought after? Let's set reality aside for a moment and focus solely on ideals, which is in essence what the public lives of celebrities are - an endless parade of ideals. Actors, musicians, models, producers, and directors are paid enormous sums of money for doing not much of anything (sometimes this perception of "not much" is accurate, sometimes it's not, but who cares?). Everyone knows their names, some even faint at the mere sound of them (Jonas, anybody?). It seems as if the whole world is clamoring for their attention and bowing to their greatness. Who doesn't want all that? Who doesn't want to look like Brad or Angelina? No matter your core values, whether beauty is what you hold most dear or not, there is not a soul in this world who would not be gorgeous if we all got to choose what we look like. Who wouldn't want a savings account with 20 million dollars in it, three high-limit credit cards in their wallet, and the ability

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