By Mariah Pardy & Amanda Ramlal
Society is often drawn to what celebrities seem to be doing. Whether it is Justin Bieber getting arrested or Kylie Jenner buying a new car, people are always buying magazines or watching TMZ to catch up on the gossip of celebrities, even though their exploits have no relevance to our everyday lives. Obsessing over the actions of celebrities often serves no purpose. Instead, people should open their minds to relevant events and actual people who have a direct impact on their lives. By keeping up with current issues in society, learning to accept ourselves and pursing realistic passions, people will realize what’s really important in life.
Celebrities are perceived as god-like features who can do no wrong. People follow celebrities because they are seen as being superior to ‘normal’ people. But in reality, there are so many other important things in the world that need society’s attention. In fact, there is a section in just about every magazine, like US Weekly and In Touch, labeled ‘Celebrities Doing Things’, as in them just buying a coffee or pumping gas. Can you believe that?
Some people are in awe of celebrities because they have a hard time accepting themselves and often want to be in the shoes of that rich and famous person. They follow their daily tasks and beauty tips mainly because they don’t view themselves in a positive light. For example, some people get plastic surgery because they see celebrities doing it. Of course people are allowed to do as they please but just because Kylie Jenner got lip injections, doesn’t mean that you need to as well.
There are so many real and important things happening in the world besides what outfit a famous person is wearing. Rather than following the news, a person may choose to follow how many kids Angelina Jolie has (six) or how many times Kim Kardashian has been married (3 times). But when asked about the cause of the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, their mind is mostly blank.
A big reason why society directs themselves to celebrities and their lives is because this is what the media chooses to portray first. For example, one of the top stories of the day on Google News was the release of Justin Bieber’s new album and the second top story was about the fourteen people who died in a terrorist attack in California. How is Justin Bieber’s career more important than the loss of innocent lives?
When a celebrity does something such as win an award or say something “controversial”, often these events take precedence over serious problems. These problems are often a matter of life and death. If people choose to know what is really going on in the world, then the reign of stories such as who Taylor Swift is dating will steadily decline.
We live in a magazine-cover culture and this affects not only people’s perceptions of success but also of reality.
Society should aim its focus more on useful information and important world events, less on celebrities and their luxuries. If people do this, famous people’s lifestyles will dim down and recognition on world problems will rise.
So, how about it folks? Are Kylie Jenner’s Cartier bracelets more important than terrorist attacks like the Boston bombing or the November 2015 Paris attacks? You be the judge.
