Celebrity Fascination

Why do people seem so fascinated with celebrities? It seems like people love them and hate them. Can you please explain?

Fascination with celebrity is rooted deep in our history and psyche and in many respects is a sociological phenomenon. Case in point: during the cavemen days, the strongest were looked up to for direction and leadership; spiritual leaders have been deified; and modern day celebrities are worshiped.

In today’s world the media is saturated by all things celebrity to the point where we know every move they’re making. It has become a part of the fabric of our culture and is almost inescapable. People look towards celebrity for several reasons. For one, they are a good conversation piece and are helpful in our socializing. Another reason is admiration. Let’s face it, they have highly desirable qualities that most people want: they’re rich, attractive and successful. There’s nothing wrong with looking at these celebrities and wanting to possess some of their qualities. In that respect they are healthy motivators. The problem though arises when we spend more time thinking about their lives than our own. Interest in celebrity shouldn’t be a substitution for real life but rather a fleeting distraction. I’ve had several clients whose starstruck obsessions distracted them from their own lives to the point where their jobs and relationships suffered. There’s usually some type of underlying social problem, anxiety, or depression with these obsessed fans.

Just as we may admire celebrities, we may also derive satisfaction from seeing them fall. We hold them to such an exceedingly high standard and expect them to be flawless, so in a way we set them up for failure. This is one way to normalize them and see that they are “just like us.” Perhaps these feelings are driven by envy, but regardless this knocks them off their pedestal, making them life-like and providing for a come-back story that America loves so much. Lindsay Lohan’s is in the making right now.