What is it that makes us obsess over the personal lives of the rich and famous? I happened upon some “popular searches” today, and as usual most of them are about celebrities. People want to know about Britney’s custody, Paris’ anything, and of course… Brad and Angelina. Why? Visit a few celebrity blogs, and you’ll find that what people most want to read about is dirt. They want to read all the things that famous people do wrong. Anything that is either completely demoralizing or humiliating is devoured by common folk everywhere. I think it’s sad.

Is it that we feel so bored or so displeased with our own lives that watching someone else’s problems play out makes us feel better? Are we jealous of them, or angry at them for having a life we think we should have? We feed the media and in turn they give us more of what we want. They are providing a service that we’re asking for, and we keep asking for more. You can’t blame the paparazzi, you can’t blame the celebrities (we all do stupid things); the blame lies on us for buying what they sell.

It is to me, no different than a bunch of kids picking on another… only we’re adults so we do it through the media. What would you tell your son or daughter if they came home from school one day and told you how some kids had made fun of them and laughed at them? I personally would tell him/her that those kids had low self-esteem or weren’t happy with something in their life, and so they had to make someone else feel bad to feel good about themselves. I think our obsession with celebrities is no different. It’s not like we pay attention to the good things they do, or even care for that matter. We care about their prison time, their custody battle, their lack of underwear… all the stuff that in our eyes makes them “less”. Ask yourself how much media attention “Brangelina” get about their personal lives vs. how much media attention is devoted to their humanitarian efforts. I’ll admit that both get coverage, but it’s the personal stuff that sells.

Why don’t we feel that these people deserve the same compassion and respect that we would expect for ourselves? Sometimes I think people don’t even consider them as human beings, but rather, objects that can be followed and studied and judged. I know that many would say they bring it upon themselves by being famous, and maybe they do. That said, why should that be an excuse for everyone else to behave badly?

I’m not going to name names, but there are so many blogs out there that are 100% devoted to trashing celebrities, and finding anything and everything negative that’s out there. It sells, and bashing the rich and famous is a profitable venture. It causes no moral issues for anyone, and that’s what I don’t get. How would you feel as a human being if you followed your neighbor around taking pictures of every flaw, blemish and life mistake, and then posted it on the web so everyone could laugh at and dehumanize him? I personally, would feel like shit. But see, somehow with celebrities it’s ok.

This is a symptom of our society. It points to a lack of respect for others, unhappiness in our individual lives, and boredom. There’s no band-aid or fix for this symptom, and I actually think it will get worse before it gets better.

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