Lately I have found myself in a vicious cycle. The cycle of checking "celebrity sites" constantly (Perez, TMZ, Superficial), for no apparent reason, to get the latest tidbit of celebrity gossip.

I had to stop myself the other day and ask myself why I was doing this. The whole act seems rather irrational. Why do I care what happens to celebrity x? Their life does not have any influence on mine, yet I am intrigued and keep coming back for more.

I thought it'd be interesting to get different takes on this. How it affects our society etc.

3/29/2007 6:46:37 PM

while it is completely pointless

some of the stuff http://www.thesuperficial.com/ provides is slightly entertaining

i guess its the entertainment of the downfall of "celebrity" that is attractive

its not like you subscribe to US magazine

3/29/2007 6:53:43 PM

You may be onto something. This country seems more concerned with who wins American Idol than current world events.

3/29/2007 7:05:21 PM

Not to turn this into a discussion on American Idol but I think the votefortheworst.com phenomenon is really interesting.

How does the media contribute to this problem?

3/29/2007 7:12:47 PM

It serves the same purpose as high school gossip.

3/29/2007 7:22:13 PM

I think the obssession with celebrities' personal lives is ridiculous. We shouldn't hear about Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, or Britney Spears unless they put out an album or movie. When Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby wasn't seen in public until six months after birth it was a big deal. It shouldn't have been.

I read entertainment news at every day, but generally avoid the US-weekly-type bullshit. When it comes to celebrities' personal lives we should hear:

1. When they marry/divorce
2. When they're officially dating another celebrity
3. When they have a baby

and even then it should be a footnote on the news, getting maybe 5-10 seconds of air time. Everything else is unnecessary, possibly intrusive BS.

3/29/2007 7:26:31 PM

While I have nothing constructive as to why this phenomenon occurs, I can't stand the fact that I am barraged with 24/7 documentaries surrounding Anna Nichole's death when I turn to CNN.

3/29/2007 10:16:23 PM

Scenario 1:

You are a woman trapped in a man's body.

3/29/2007 10:21:05 PM

kick em while they're up kick while they're down...

3/29/2007 10:24:16 PM

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV,
And you think you're so clever and classless and free,
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see.

3/29/2007 11:45:25 PM

Maybe you're just gay?

3/30/2007 12:00:26 AM

the plebs love drama

3/30/2007 4:20:26 PM

I wonder though if this is really an American phenomenon and not a more general human one. Other nations from other historical eras also have their obsessions with celebrities, no matter where on the global pecking order there are.

Yes, it is pointless, but I guess it provides entertainment (or reassurance that those "above" us are just as screwed up or even more so than the masses).

3/30/2007 4:35:22 PM

i check thesuperficial sometimes but mostly to see how some of the hotties are dressed

3/30/2007 5:01:22 PM

A lot of people seem to be interested just in the hopes of getting to see when it all comes crashing down.

4/6/2007 3:49:59 PM

I've never understood why people actually care about these peoples' lives. I care about how well they perform their job, and that's about it.

However, the sex tapes/ nude pics of actresses are interesting.

4/6/2007 4:31:53 PM

our culture is obsessed with looks

just look at how many times posters on here use pictures as an arguement

4/9/2007 10:38:01 PM

a picture is worth a 1000 words

4/9/2007 10:39:00 PM

[Valentino's] death, coming at the height of his popularity, created a hysteria of legendary proportions. Crowds swarmed the streets of New York on the day of his funeral, and there were unconfirmed reports that several young women had committed suicide purely out of grief.

4/9/2007 10:46:43 PM

Quote :

"a picture is worth a 1000 words"

not all of them are

4/9/2007 10:48:26 PM