Why do you think people are so fascinated by celebrity gossip?

[skygazer]

Seriously. Obviously people are. Is it solely a creation of the media or do people somehow relate to celebrities? Or want to?

Sometimes I ponder these things and I'm really not sure what I think. What do you think?

[Digit]

1. I may be all alone, but I am not even remotely interested

I always change the channel when Inside Edition or similar programs come on. I just realized I don't even KNOW the names of the celebrity shows! If Inside Edition is not one of the names, I apologize but it goes to show how much I don't care!

A friend called me to ask what I thought of the Tiger Woods thing and I had to admit I had not been following it and did not CARE to follow it.

It is not my age because I have never followed such trite, overblown, waste of airwaves crap.

[skygazer]

3. Well, I'm not either but why do you think people are?

I'm not looking for value judgments - I'm really curious as to why people think others find it interesting.

[Digit]

6. This reminds me of my poll on snooping

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x9325953

I don't understand why people are remotely interested in either one of these activities.
I wonder if the ratios are the same as to how many follow celebrity crap and how many snoop in bathrooms?

To get an answer, you would need to get into the heads of those who DO.
Any reply I could offer would be pure speculation.

I wonder if it varies at all by political party identification?

[S n o w b a l l]

2. I asked this question last week and got snarked at....

the best answer I got was it's human nature.

It's not my human nature though, so I'm an anomaly I guess.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. ~

:hug:

However,I do notice that you approve of Kim Kardashian's ass ;)

We are bombarded with this crap, to not take notice at some point is to live under a rock.

[S n o w b a l l]

10. Yeah, you caught that huh? :)

Of course I take notice...but there's a big difference in taking notice and making a special effort to trash them. Kim Kardashian has taken a lot of shit so I as basically coming to her defense.

:hug: Hope you have a beautiful day, Tuesday!

[Richard Steele]

4. We've outbred our parameters. There are more people than SOULS.

Many more.

[quakerboy]

5. Idiocy

It turns out that at least 49% of humanity is of below average intelligence.

[jobycom]

8. Studies have shown that a person reacts emotionally exactly the same to a personality

they only know from television as to a real acquaintance. In other words, our evolutionary development as social creatures doesn't allow for fictitious exceptions--if we get to know a person, our psyches can't feel a difference based only on whether that person is someone we really know, or someone we just think or feel we know. Our minds of course can convince us that they are not real acquaintances, but our insincts are to respond as though they are.

So someone who follows a celebrity or even fictional character closely has the exact same emotional and even physiological reaction to that person as they would to someone else they knew that well in "real life."

We aren't immune around here. There are groups around here who react that way to Obama, Michael Moore, Jon Stewart, or whomever. DU is full of updates on what Keith said last night, or on the First Family's latest personal episode, even though those are 100% scripted and most likely as fictional as a TV sitcom or any other celebrity's press releases.

It's exactly why a Cult of Personality works, and why the first job of any con artist is to win your trust by creating a personal bond. People react with emotions towards a person first--we're built that way.

So celebrity gossip to people who follow it--and be honest, we all do or we wouldn't be here, even if our celebrities are politicians--is just about the same as following the actions of a friend. However that person responds to people in their real life--sympathetic, vengeful, admiring, intellectually analytical, etc--is how they respond to celebrities.

And people who gossip about them no doubt gossip about their friends the same way. And people who constantly hate and attack them probably respond to many people in their real life the same way.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. very well thought out answer. thanks for your perspective, it makes a lot of sense

[jobycom]

16. Thanks. You either just complimented me or called me a good BSer.

:rofl: Either way, I like it. Thanks. :)

[begin_within]

9. Because we're a nation of strangers

I think people have always liked gossip, but for centuries it has been a local thing. But the way American society has deteriorated to the point where in many places people don't even know their next door neighbors, and in many cases family members are estranged, people are sort of starving to "know" other people and the celebrity culture fills that need for some people. If there was more genuine social interaction in the U.S. then there would be less of the phony celebrity culture.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. celebrity gossip humanizes celebs and helps bolster our self esteem

sure, tiger woods has more money, better looks and can play golf like no other, however I at least am faithful to my wife.

sure, jennifer aniston is more successful, pretty and has a shit load of money but she can still get dumped like the rest of us

[Jade Fox]

13. If my co-workers are any example....

there seems to a large element of feeling superior because of the foibles of celebrities, as in "here these people have all this money and looks, and screw up their lives worse than I have!".

[Phentex]

14. For the same reason they wonder about circus peanuts?

There is at least one discussion a month regarding circus peanuts. :)

[Captain Hilts]

15. The 'real' news is so upsetting, It's escapism. nt

[rcrush]

17. AV posted a picture of Kim Kardasians ass yesterday

Just go look at it.

[Orsino]

18. We're social animals. We're fascinated by gossip--period.

Rich people can afford more frequent and spectacular pratfalls, and the more famous a person is, the more people will follow his/her exploits.

[applegrove]

19. It is brain candy. You partake and you don't have to think or reflect. Plus they have beautiful

clothes.

[lunatica]

20. It's the same people who are fascinated by all things celebrities do

gossip doesn't always have to be what interests them. Usually anything their favorite celebs do is riveting to their fans.

[WildEyedLiberal]

21. It affords a rare, socially permissible opportunity to openly judge other people

You won't lose any friends (presumably) if you offer pointed criticisms of celebrities' lives, but you might if you start ruthlessly judging your real life acquaintances. Octomom gives us a chance to scorn irresponsible childbirth without offending anyone we actually know; ditto with various other celebrities and their foible du jour.

[Odin2005]

22. Simple minds discuss people.

Average minds discuss events.

Great minds discuss ideas.