Because there is an unhealthy obsession with a celebrity’s net worth, people develop the narcissistic trait of becoming materialistic, a person excessively concerned with material possessions rather than spiritual or intellectual things. In 2000, MTV broadcasted “Cribs”, a reality television program where a celebrity parades his or her extravagant home to the public. It allows the viewer to explore the depths of a celebrity’s massive mansion, usually built in with a scale-downed water park, a screening room, a basketball court or a personalized spa. Of course, viewers are envious; they want what famed singer Mariah Carey has, a Tribeca penthouse with a walk in closet filled with a $1 million worth in shoes, a private gym and a salon. Being exposed to the luxurious lifestyle of a celebrity, the viewer develops …show more content…
It also hints at the average American’s values, as he regards materialistic goods higher than basic essentials. So why do consumers spend money—typically on credit, money they do not have—on these glamorous objects? Julia Halpert, a journalist writing for The Fiscal Times, has the answer in her article “Millennials: Young, Broke, and Spending on Luxury”. Halpert expertly employs Jason Dorsey, a millennials expert, who explains that “brands represent a lifestyle and luxury goods provide a strong visual representation ‘that either I've made it’ or ‘I want to tell you I've made it’”. This justification demonstrates the common narcissist agenda, that possessing material goods are essential and it makes you socially above another person. A narcissist purchases luxury goods to show off, to display his elevated status and wealth in comparison to others. He wants to garner the jealousy and attention of others and create an environment that concentrates only him. And he, the narcissist, learns through celebrities and the
A celebrity is not a person known for his/her talent or achievement, but an individual recognized for his/her reputation created by the media. The phase of stardom is slippery, and media may choose to represent celebrities varying from exaggerated admiration to mockery. The three texts chosen, movie "Sunset Boulevard", feature article "Over the Hilton" and television show "Celebrity Uncensored Six" are texts presenting different perception of celebrities than their usual images - either corrupted by the encircling media, overloads oneself with self-indulgence, or just mocks celebrity in a broad spectrum. Such media items empower and impresses the audience by perceiving celebrities as people who pay the price of privacy to gain well knowness, signifying the vanity of stardom from the commonly accepted images.
“A Generation of Slackers? Not So Much” written by Catherine Rampell is an informative article about today’s millennial generation after high school. It provides the reader with a deeper look into young people’s work ethic, or what some to think to be, lack-there-of. The author does a fantastic job using research, credible resources, and statistics to support her belief that Generation Y (children born in the 1980s and 1990s) is no less productive than previous generations. I will admit that before reading this piece, I was one of those who believed that Millennials were in fact the “coddled, disrespectful and narcissistic generation” (Rampell, 2011, para 3). After reading this article, my opinion has changed. It has touched on issues
Reality based television has a broad landscape ranging from competitive game-like shows to programs following the daily lives of a group of people. Every major network now has some form of reality programming because the genre’s shows are high in viewership and require low costs for production. The genre is appealing to viewers because it provides them with a first-hand look into the lives of everyday people, which allows them to observe social behavior that helps them determine what is appropriate or not (Tyree, 2011, p. 397). Since the majority of modern reality stars start out as unknowns, frequent viewers of reality programming believed that fame is obtainable if they appear on a popular show (Mendible, 2004). According to Mendible’s evaluation of the genre in the article Humiliation, Subjectivity, and Reality TV, people enjoy reality programs beca...
Some may be living the so called "American dream" and are financially comfortable, while others are extremely poor. However, what we primarily see in the media is the lifestyle of the extreme rich and famous. Wealth and fame can be seen anywhere on television, in the news and in magazines. This lifestyle may be unrealistic to many, but Americans are fascinated with money and lavish lifestyles.”
The deception of media consumers allows for the abuse of economic infrastructures of society. An obsession with celebrities’ lives passifies ordinary people in accepting the stratification of the elite businesses and the ordinary citizens. Though pseudo-events and celebrity worship may not be exactly complementary, the similarities of both leaves the public to be utterly vulnerable unless they begin to critically think for themselves.
Many people buy magazines and watch reality TV shows to catch a glimpse of the coveted lifestyles of the rich and famous. Society exalts wealth and frivolous expenditures on a pedestal which it labels as a ‘good life’. However, ordinary people really have no true knowledge of the lives celebrities and other wealthy individuals lead. Their careers and outward appearances can obscure their true character and personality from the view of the public. Many people fail to realize how wealth and a lifestyle filled with parties and other large can negatively affect the individuals who lead them in many different ways. Some may perceive celebrities as selfish individuals who care about nothing except themselves, while others may see perfect individuals who emanate style and class. Both of the assumptions base solely off of outward appearances, and obstruct
Older generations are accusing millennials (people born approximately 1984 and after) of being entitled, narcissistic, self interested, unfocused, and lazy. One of the people supporting this claim about millennials is Simon Sinek, who is a British/American author, motivational speaker and marketing consultant. He has written numerous bestseller books, and he has earned a Bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Brandeis University (“Simon Sinek”). In Sinek’s interview, he states that only things millennials want in life are to work in a place with purpose, make an impact on the world, and want free food and beanbags. He notices that millennials are not happy with what they want in life because they’re still missing something (Crossman).
The reduction of well-known people to their image leads to a process of commodification, and of course, consumption of that commodity. The role of capitalism in the west, and it’s rapid adoption in America, creates a culture of consumption; though the rise of technology surely provided additional tools, Amy Henderson draws a clearer line between the creation of celebrities and consumption, arguing that celebrities mark a nation’s transition from a producing society to a consuming one [Henderson, 1992]. But while the commodification of the celebrity image makes it consumable, and leads to celebrities being employed by companies to market products to us (from credit cards to airline tickets), it also makes it disposable; celebrities today have to strive to outlive the sell-by dates of the products they are employed to promote. The commodified celebrity image can be thrown out as quickly as it can be created; the fate of any singer with a one-hit song, or actor who became pigeon-holed by a single role. The fodder can suffer just as much as the devouring hordes, who spend their time and money on fictionalized ideals.
We are part of a generation that is obsessed with celebrity culture. Celebrities are distinctive. Media and consumers alike invented them to be a different race of super beings: flawless, divine and above all the real moral world. In a 1995 New York Times article “In contrast, 9 out of 10 of those polled could think of something
The importance of money and possessions is prevalent in American culture as it is emphasised by the people who hold the most social power. When asked, many Americans themselves think they are selfish and narcissistic. Researchers Joshua Miller and Jessica L. Maples found that, “‘Americans and non-Americans are inundated with possible examples of American narcissism -- whether is be politicians, actors/actresses, reality TV celebrities, athletes, and criminals’” (Dolan 1). In an online survey of 1,202 Americans, Miller and Maples also discovered that, “Americans found people in high profile jobs were viewed as more narcissistic than American health care workers, teachers and wait staff.”
Imagine the amount of bad behavior we portray from a celebrity to young teens, yet we blur out their immaturity because we assume they will grow out of it. King analyzed Dr. Charlotte De Becker’s study [the explanation of our celebrity obsession] and came to the understanding that we are more enthralled by celebrities who have bad reputations than celebrities who are excellent role models. Dr. De Becker discovered, “that the younger the participant was, the more apt they were to follow celebrity gossip. . .” and that “. . . no obsession is a good thing, especially when you look at the type or role models that recent celebrities have become.”
We blame the millennials for their behavior and their different characteristics compared to previous generations; however, what if we stop looking at the millennials and start looking at the reasons that they behave sensitively? Each generation contains their differences, including the way they educate the next generation. We continuously judge the millennials behavior, but we rarely judge the people who influenced this behavior. Education has changed throughout the ages, not to mention the parenting skills that vary from generation to generation, which has affected the millennials way of interacting in the world. Millennials grow up believing that they are imperative, that they are secure, that the world will conform to their generation, and that the world is a “nice” place. This teaching, causes millennials to be sensitive babies early on in life. True, millennials have the freedom to act the way they want; nevertheless, like other generations, millennials will act the way that parents and other influences taught them to behave. The millennial generation should not be liable for their
As a teenager I have fallen victim to the web of deceit and lies that has been spun by the stereotypical belief that we need to buy the latest fashion or the best technological devices. I put a lot of effort in my appearance and my material possessions. I watch and look at the advertisements and the images presented within them wishing that I had, or could afford what they are selling. I have come to realize that I am a very materialistic person and that I buy expensive phones, cars and clothing in order to appear better than others who do not have what I have. For instance, I wanted a new cell phone that cost well over four-hundred dollars. So I got a second job just to afford it. Another instance was when I bought my new car. It is a 2006 Phantom. I now have three jobs just to afford the car note, insurance, gas, and general up-keep of the car. This only goes t...
For years, society has been interested in celebrities to the extent that some are obsessed. Collin Palmer, a high school sophomore, expressed his opinions on celebrities and their so-called bad influences on us. Some of Palmer’s points are agreeable, like how fans of celebrities don’t want to copy their bad behavior and how the gossip gives something to talk about with others, but others are not agreeable, like how being obsessed with celebrities are a healthy escape from reality. Interest in celebrities is healthy, but not obsession. Brad Paisley, an American country singer and songwriter, wrote a song called "Celebrity" mocking celebrities, proving even further that the mistakes celebrities make do not have a huge impact on our behavior.
When watching reality shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians with my friends, I find that we often compare ourselves to those on the screen. We either degrade ourselves or the characters. The counter is usually the most favored. Therefore, there have been many times where I have heard someone exclaim things such as, “She looks terrible! I look way better than her.” These degrading comments are much easier to make when behind a screen. In addition, everyone's a bit insecure. So, some will continue watching television to make themselves feel better. Some reality television shows show celebrities’ day to day normal life, even though their lives are far from normal, as they are being filmed. But the showing of their basic duties such as running errands, give us a sense of relatability that maybe we aren’t as far from celebrities as we think. A simple thing as seeing Kim Kardashian using the same laundry detergent as us may make us think that “hey maybe I am fit to be a celebrity