ARE WE OBSESSED WITH CELEBRITIES?
It seems to be within our human nature to idolise anyone who seems better, greater, richer or more powerful than ourselves. Some psychologists say we evolved and still live in an environment where it is paid to pay attention to the people at the top. This can be seen through research carried out by Dr Michael Platt at Sing Duke University Medical Center, where he conducted a study using male rhesus macaque monkeys and found that, when given the choice of drinking their favourite juice or looking at images of the dominant “celebrity” monkey from their pack would, despite their thirst look at the pictures rather than drink. The same monkeys would not give up their juice to look at images of subordinate monkeys.
The word celebrity was first used in 1831, (from the latin celebritas meaning fame). But if we look further back through time we can find other examples of idolising celebrities. Plutarch, a Greek philosopher and biographer wrote, “Julius Caesar mourned that he had not achieved the fame of Alexandra the Great”, Stewart and Long (2007).
Throughout history television and film have portrayed the nice person as weak and the anti hero, (a central character in a story, film or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes), as tough and attractive. They have confidence and charisma and these traits may explain why we are attracted to the anti hero image. The broody, arrogant, mysterious bad boy with a secret past. Subconsciously our instincts tell us that if we can break down their barriers and save them from their troubled past their masculine qualities will protect us and we will be the one they fall in love with. Actors such as Tom Hardy in the film Inception or Tom Ellis in the television series Lucifer are good examples of anti heroes. We find them, “more interesting than the conventional hero. They are seen more positively, more intelligent, healthy, trustworthy and sociable, their flamboyant out of character personalities attract us”. Eagly and Ashmore (1991). It is the flaws in their character that add more depth to their personalities, their flaws make them more attainable which helps us relate to them. Perfect characters can be boring, we crave excitement an outlet to our mundane lives, and these characters help us achieve this.
But our obsession with celebrities may be linked with our own desire for fame as Andy warhol reportedly said, “In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes”. We envy their celebrity status and want the same for ourselves. Often our imaginations and secret desires are the factors that make us attracted to celebrities. We put them on a pedistal but strangely if they fall from that pedistal our interest in them changes and they become a topic for gossip we want to know all about what they did wrong. We want to be close to them and relate to them but if they fall we see them as human again and are ready to pick the bones out of any juicy gossip, information good or bad attracts our voyouristic imagination.
When we think of a celebrity we tend to think of a well known actor or musician not a leading scientist or polititian, we focus our attention on the individual’s personality, and a glimpse into the life of a celebrity offers us the chance of escape from our own lives. Scientists and politicians make a difference in how we live our lives and have followers interested in the work they do. Celebrities make a difference in how we want to live our lives they attract attention from their fans, sometimes good sometimes bad, but as long as they are being talked about they will not be forgotten. Poet and playwright Oscar Wilde summed this up when he said, “there is only thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about”. Ellmann (1987).
Reference list:
Ashmore, R. D., Eagly, A. H. (1991) A meta-analytic review of research on the physical attractiveness stereotype, Psychological Bulletin, 110(1), 109–128.
Ellmann, R. (1987), Oscar Wilde, A Biography, London: Vintage Books.
Stewart, A., Long, G. (2008) Life of Plutarch, Plutarch's Lives, London: Bell and Sons.
