The Influence Of Celebrity Culture And Society's Role In Society

From Cleopatra, to Julius Caesar, to Elvis Presley, celebrities have always played a pivotal role in society. Today, celebrity culture is more evident than ever. All over the world, people are looking to celebrities as a form of role model and inspiration. You see them on television, magazines, and billboards. Their names and faces plastered all over products, posters, and advertisements. The latest news from their personal lives on every social media platform (Gamson 2011). But celebrity culture is more than just shallow idolization; there is a mental and psychological aspect to it as well. Whether as a form of distraction or authority, some even look to celebrities as their role models in life (Furedi 2010). Thus it was found that celebrity
The Journal of Forensic Sciences reported that two-thirds of stalkers pursue their victims at least once per week, and forty-six percent of stalking victims experience at least one unwanted contact per week. Same goes for celebrities as many cite stalking as a common experience. Celebrities such as Mila Kunis, Madonna, and Britney Spears have experienced stalkers break into their houses while celebrities such as Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Aniston, and Keira Knightly have even been harassed by stalkers (Rosenbaum
They provide us with a form of retail therapy as they offer affirmations of belonging, recognition, and meaning to the lives of their audiences (Furedi 2010). Through the interest in celebrities’ lives, fans feel as though they play a part in it, thus distracting themselves from their own mundane lives.
Second, celebrities as authoritative figures; the rise of celebrity culture could also be attributed to society’s uneasy relationship with the question of authority as celebrities provide an alternative source of validation (Furedi 2010). Rather than looking up to traditional authoritative figures, fans often look up to celebrities as their role models or inspirations; in turn valuing their opinion and stands on social issues, news, and even brands, products, and clothing.
Third, celebrities provide a venue for identity development. Dr. Lynn E. McCutcheon (2003) said that adoring or even obsessing over celebrities as role models is a “normal and healthy part of identity development in childhood and adolescence.” Teenagers often place celebrities on a pedestal and treat them as idols or role models, but the effect is not always negative. In some instances, the celebrity may even play a positive role in their lives and guide them to particular passions, talents, and