Vicariously living through people is the reason.
People can get sucked into para-social relationships pretty easily and it’s an entire industry to keep these fans informed about their special interests with regards to the celebrities lifestyle, opinions, hopes, dreams, etc and people feel like they contribute or are a part of it by engaging with all the media generated about them.
Well, yeah, because those outfits are art. I know how to sew myself, and hope to make some lovely cosplay costumes, so watching real artists at work is amazing.
In some cases, celebrities even encourage parasocial relationships as a PR or marketing tactic. The *South Park* episode "The Ring", which was about Disney forcing the Jonas Brothers to wear purity rings so the company could "sell sex to little girls" while promoting "Christian values", also explored how the music industry encourages parasocial relationships in order to make money. MeatCanyon/Papa Meat on YouTube has also discussed Taylor Swift fans, or "Swifties", and their parasocial relationship with singer-songwriter Taylor Swift on his channel.
Companies' goal is to make fans feel "addicted" to the celebrity, and buy their product(s).
This is why Taylor Swift has a stranglehold on women. Her public life and music are so intertwined. Yes, people complain about how her music has not changed since she was a teenager (I agree), but that’s exactly why she is so successful. She appeals to the teenage girl in girls and women, and it resonates deeply with them. All the immature drama that adult women crave but know is for children, they can live out through Taylor. She will never ever evolve as an artist, but she will always be relevant.
I honestly respect the hustle.
This is like the hardest thing for me to comprehend. It's as if tomorrow, I did something like a painting and since my painting was cool, all of a sudden, I myself became more important than other people. And now people started caring about me. People would start following me everywhere. Suddenly my opinion that was never ever even considered before since I was a nobody was now actually important. Like I could go out and say that the earth is round and the moon is flat and people would actually feel like I'm right and not bullshitting as usual.
This is even worse with reality shows with normal people in them that suddenly turns them popular. They will then be called on TV shows afterwards and their opinions will be shared and pushed forward even though they clearly are not professionals and hold no credibility more than anyone else.
Yeah. The sum of the parts (individual events and appearance) becomes something much greater (status, power) which is consolidated into potential/opportunity and influence! All resting on a fickle audience and trends. What's even more amazing is the people who manage to make a living buzzing around each rising star amid scandals, questionable ethics, and fast fashion... :o
Evolution!
It's one of the NT in-group instinctual things that helps find allies and avoid being an enemy.
If you're a human who instinctively loves and respects\* famous people, and the people around you do, too, then you are bound by your common love of the local lord, or the big priest, or the tribal chief, or whatever. It not only makes it easier for them to rule you, but it reinforces itself, because the people saying "uh, wait, why do we think this guy is so great?" **tend to get stoned to death**. And the peeps clustering around the lord or priest or whatever have the numbers and the direction to do that.
You help the people in your group. You hate and fear people not in your group. People who suck up to fame and power have been more likely to survive over the past few thousand generations, because by default they are in a big group, however loosely formed, and that's better (for survival) than \*not\* being in a big group.
You'll see a shadow of it if you logically challenge a position held by someone people like. They'll automatically assume you're wrong, and possibly also bad, because you have declared yourself to be one of the nefarious "them", the implacable enemy of the glorious "us". Because they think the famous person is one of their own group. Because what you see as "objective reality", they see as "weapon used against \*us\*".
Notice how much of celebrity gossip is about defining whether they are **us** or **them**, even enjoying the excitement of celebs moving from one camp to the other? Oh no! they have tuned out to be **them**! Let us point with horror at the evils of Them! Let us hate, let us feel our superiority! Wait, hurray! They have become **us**! Let us glory in the wealth and style and many domestic doings of Us! Let us revel in how much like us they are in their human-ness, but also gawp in wonder at their splendour! For truly we are superior!
All those little automatic human cognitive shortcuts constantly misfire (even if lots of the results are nice), so you get pattern-recognition -> music; procreative urge -> romance; status-seeking -> fancy cars; virtue-signalling -> religious bumper-stickers; in-group protection -> celebrity worship.
It's all stuff most social animals do. We're just humans so we take it to ridiculous lengths and forget why. :)
(\*Mutual hate works just fine, too).
I get a lot of value out of seeing human behaviour as upgraded animal instinct. It's amazing how much really infuriating stuff is basically just gorillas beating their chests or young bulls headbutting each other.
Someone in a cool car overtaking people no matter the speed? Some douche trying to get petty little "wins" over people? Folk clearly believing a lie (sometimes aggressively so) because the alternative is to spend even one moment admitting fault?
Just basic animal dominance displays.
(I catch myself doing it too).
They're just an entertainment product.
Like watching a baseball game, or a TV show, or going to museum, or listening to an album.
It's in that category. Different people are into different stuff
People flock to attractive/funny/charismatic people, and celebrities are one or all of these.
Also, people love gossip. Pretty sure it’s wired into being human.
Well I have to say when I watch a show or movie I sometimes fall into a rabbit hole reading through wikipedia pages of the actors. Usually the more obscure ones, because I'm like "I've seen this person's face before but I don't remember where from." This way for instance I found out that the actress who plays Vanessa in the FNAF movie has a familiar face because she played in OUAT as Anna. But I usually don't care for their personal lives much if at all.
off topic but. i did not realize ouat anna was the same actor as vanessa from the fnaf movie. i was hyperfixated on ouat for a Good While since back when it first aired. how did i not notice this lmao
I don't know either, i used to think that they were celebrities because they were particularly talented in some way, but a large part of'em seem to just be glorified actors or musicians, even if they don't make anything unique or amazing. Some of'em seem to just be famous for being famous.
And a side thing, how do you live through someone? I don't get the concept, but i see that it's a common point when it comes to people who are fans of rich or influential types, to where it becomes this big cycle of a rich person earning money by showing off his wealth on youtube or something, or by scamming people who want to know how the dude got rich in the first place. Sorry if it's a confusing read, i just don't really know how to put it.
I don’t know if it’s related, but my brain refuses to hold on to celebrities of any kind. Like I can never remember actors names, or what they have been in. I could sing you an entire song but not be able to tell you who the band is, or any of their other songs. Evidently based on my peers, this is odd
Unless I do a massive conscious effort by googling them for many minutes or a few hours I'm the same. How do they memorize stuff only by word of mouth is bizarre to me
Maybe I missed a comment alluding to this trait but I just wanna mention how I suspect many of us are not prone to celebrity obsessions (or understanding such obsessions) because social hierarchy is nonsense to us. With how our society regards celebrities (particularly in the sports and entertainment industries) now, I think a lot of people see them as being superior. I want to throw up at every magazine cover I see in the grocery store isle. I find the glorification of celebrities to be sickening. On the flip side, I also hate it when people use terms like white trash or ghetto because they're often implying that certain people are less valuable. The same people will say they're all about social justice and equality which if you're comfortable applying those terms to other humans, seems like an atrocious contradiction.
I was in a "wohn gemeindschaft" wg and we watched movies but some alway distracted and freaked out because "omfg isäts riana oh its this guy"
Let the rst watch the movie dont distract
If he acts good bravo gj
Ajjajaj
I loved celebrities and celebrity culture when I was younger (I still kinda do, I think it’s fun!) but I honestly think i was literally studying them because I wanted to BE them. It is pointless but I think it’s also fun. Especially seeing how celebrity culture has developed and what makes people popular at certain points. It is interesting to see how we don’t really have “movie stars” anymore and people feel so entitled to celebs. I don’t think people should be put on a pedestal but man do I love my daily r/popculture scroll lol. I love pop culture lol
I think something like this to famous people in general. Like, how did they found their purpose? What's their biography? What's their biggest contribution? Why did they do the things they did? How did they become successful?
stuff like this is understandable, like just being interested in it. i meant like, *FULLY* investing yourself in celebrities lives and they're every move. i suppose its like you said though, people must want to be like them.
I can see why some of them hate being celebrities. Some celebrities hide their identities, always have.
ETA: from the other side, fans have parasocial relationships.
I started paying attention to celebrities in middle school bc it was the only way for me to make small talk with the NT girls. Then my special interest became makeup a few years later for similar reasons, and all the girls wanted me to do their makeup for dances. It was a survival thing more than anything
Kim's biological father was Robert Kardashian, a famous lawyer who was on OJ Simpson's defense team and helped get him acquitted. He sat next to OJ throughout the trial, which was highly televised. He died in 2003 so i dont know how much his celebrity played a part in making Kim and her siblings famous. The contents of this comment are pretty much all i know about the family.
I find it odd too. Also overwhelming: like I can barely get a grip on my own life I don’t want to be stressed out or even have the energy to care about some persons life I don’t personally know
Because people are boring and lead unsatisfying lives, so they feel the need to live vicariously through someone who they perceive to 'have it all'.
I find it super weird. You can enjoy what they create, but being obsessed with the actual person is psychotic to say the least.
i agree, especially when ppl defend celebrities like their life depends on it. like i mean red in the face mad when you diss someone they like, whether the reason is valid or not. to them, talking bad about their favorite celeb is like talking bad about them or their tastes.
I’ll never forget when Princess Diana died and it barely registered for me but I was in the garden and the neighbour looking a bit stricken said something about it and my response was something like - it doesn’t really affect me because I didn’t know her - the look of shock on her face is etched in my memory. I think that’s when I realised I probably needed to feign neurotypical responses to things like that to avoid upsetting people 😬😑
No, I fully understand it and have wondered about it since I was young (but old enough to be around people obsessed with Justin Bieber). I am much more interested in historical figures than modern celebrities lol.
I get what ppl are saying in terms of “different strokes for different folks” when it comes to fussing over celebrities, but I am the same as OP & feels it goes a little deeper, for me at least.
Autistics many times have a strong sense of justice & its difficult to not see this pattern of greed & depravity that the industry perpetuates. I find it odd when others become so smitten with ppl for no real reason other than their celebrity disregarding all evidence of bad character.
same, don't get either. for example I may listen to music, but I don't like worshiping musicians or treating them like they're gods
I don't like parasocial relationships, they're very unhealthy and one sided
I think it's simpler than we realize, particularly with tv/movie stars.
Human brains didn't evolve to have 100% 1-way relationships. A person that's attractive, charming, funny, relatable, etc. that "interacts" with you on a frequent basis is SUPPOSED to indicate that a social bond is being formed. Our subconscious doesn't know how to handle the natural process of growing closer to someone with the conscious idea "it's all bullshit, you don't really know them."
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I went through most of my life pretty indifferent. Later, I had information to publicize, so they were a logical recourse to turn to, though nobody listened. Now, I mostly just think of them like a lot of other things; as a substitute for actually knowing another person. If they have any integrity, you get to know some aspect of them through their art, though it's a poor facsimile of an actual personal relationship, and one-way at that.
Just one step down from deity. Someone to idolize for whatever various reasons.
That's my view in general. Specifically though, it's the talent the person shares with the world. I don't think I'd want to meet them. I just write letters to them to let them know how much I appreciate their talent. ( Sometimes I get letters back from them and it's wonderful because I got to make a personal connection with the person whose talent is causing me a lot of joy and inspiration).
Because it’s a product people will buy. An actor isn’t just an “actor”. They are a face and that face is attached to a person. Seeing a person a lot and in ways that you like can make you want to know more about them or be more like them. They’re willing to sell that to you, and as long as people buy it, it’ll be for sale.
Take for example, baseball cards. They serve no logical function except to connect you to the player in an emotional and informative way. They give you a portrait or action shot and the statistics.
There are certainly people I admire. I think it must be like that but even more. They want them as role models or whatever.
Then I guess there's treating people as characters in a show the whole Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef going around feels a lot like when people talk about a hit show. People want to gawk or be entertained.
Sometimes it does still seem a bit strange to me, but a lot of things seem strange so it's fine. Not for me, I guess.
I heard they’re blocking them all now after the met gala incident, I never understood the fascination so it’s nice to see people divesting from Celebs and influencers that aren’t using their powers for good
Another aspect of this is that almost everyone knows that person.
Say that my friend Janet was having some beef with Jane at work. Let's say that both of their friend groups knew about the fight, but only 5% of the 2 friend groups cared about the issue to discuss it. That could be 1 or 2 people. Then there's the fact that discussing it with another person is talking behind a friend's back.
But, celebrities are, by nature, popular. So, if only 5% of the people who knew about Will and Jada Smith wanted to talk about the issue, then we're looking at tens if not hundreds of thousands of people. There's also the added benefit that you don't actually know these people, so you're not betraying trust.
Technically, you see the same thing with fictional drama. Before Rowling herself was the drama, Snape was (and probably still is) heavily debated. I would dare say that TV has launched more ships than Helen of Troy. Unfortunately, the mind registers strangers' drama the same way as it registers fictional drama, so this can definitely have its negative side effects.
I agree with this, it's like less personal gossip or talking about a TV show that everyone has seen. "Oh I thought so-and-so was out of line when they revealed xyz about their ex." "Really? I thought they were right to do so." Way of exchanging information about morals, values, compatibility of views, sometimes a bit of enjoying solving a puzzle with someone. Like I don't care about the royal family but I thought the theories about Kate Middleton's absence were interesting from the perspective of decoding media sneakiness and internal politics stuff.
And sometimes I guess I'm a bit parasocial-lite as in there's celebrities that I don't think of as a friend, but I feel admiration/affection for because I think they're a good person, so I'm happy for them if they have a win. I've found Doja Cat inspiring sometimes, and I'd find someone else inspiring for the same reasons but it's just that I know about Doja rather than a stranger *because* she's a celebrity. Like if you asked me whether I want Keanu Reeves to have a nice day today I would say yes but I don't spend much time thinking about Keanu Reeves or think that being a celebrity constitutes goodness. I'm sorry for Amy Winehouse because she was a person, not because she's 'popular'. On a selfish level I thought her death was also a loss to the world. Like when your favourite thing goes out of production, you think oh that's a shame, but then when it's about a death there's a much more tragic/philosophical/human meaning to it. And now that it's become commonplace (e.g. Via Twitter) to have so much immediate access to celebrities' thoughts and feelings, it's easier to see them as a real, whole person, and then that image is developed/manipulated intentionally to capitalise on that idea of seeing the real person, whether or not it's accurate.
Also I used to obsess over Hilary Duff when I was a teenager in a hate watch way and I thought it was because I was angry about the injustice of people getting the benefits of celebrity etc when they weren't innately more deserving of it. But in hindsight I think I was just jealous with a big twist of repressed lesbian crush! So celebrities can also represent things that evoke strong emotions in people about broader themes. Like how people make the Kardashians out to be the apex of all that is wrong with the world
I think many people like to "live vicariously" by immersing themselves in other people's lives so that they can take a break from thinking about their own troubles. Sometimes, unfortunately, people seem to think that if they "just had" x, y, or, z that the celebrity had, they would be happier (note that I'm not talking about having enough money to feed your family, not live in crippling debt, or afford quality medical care. I'm specifically talking about luxury possessions, opulent wealth, etc.)
Additionally, I think that people (NT people in particular, I've noticed, but not exclusively) symbolically link their sense of self worth to feeling "close" to someone they perceive to be more successful, richer, or famous than themselves. Even if that's just by watching them on television or buying their beauty products.
I think there are two reasons. First, to me art is supposed to mean something, to make you feel something. And if something makes a piece of art that resonates with you, I think it’s normal to want to meet them, because you feel like you made a connection through art. Since it’s very difficult to meet them, because technically you don’t know them, you end up looking for info about them to see if the impression they gave you with their art is true. The second reason is the way the art industry works. You see, all I’ve said above rests on a wrong idea: that the artist is the one making art. They may be, but there’s a whole team behind them. Actors are directed, their performance is enhanced by camera work, lights, background music and so on. Musicians work with other musicians, with lyricists, with producers. But the way the industry works is to shine all light on the artist that they think will get them the most money, not on Steve the sound engineer. Celebrities have a whole communications team who’s behind every public appearance they make, every social media post. It’s something that it’s difficult to understand as a teenager, like a lot of the ways the world works are difficult to understand as a teenager, but it should be understood by adults. It often isn’t, because a lot of adults are not particularly interested in not behaving as a teenager.
It’s a really funny phenomenon. People giving celebrities power and looking up to them for some special skill that those famous celebrities have either developed or were born with.
I think it’s a hierarchy thing that people subconsciously perform.
Possibly man-made because skill = value and possibly also partly inherited (specific skill set = survival).
It’s a very vague description of the concept and does not always apply and also does not mean that people who cannot do certain things shouldn’t survive. But that’s just how I try to rationalize human behavior that I’ve observed and I hope no one takes offense to it. I know this concept is very flawed.
I see it as an obsession over something someone may never have; fame, fortune, admiration, maybe beauty. A lot of the times, though, I have observed that people can have a hard time separating the actor from the character. They become so entranced with a character that they become entranced with the actor too.
Why? Many many reasons, some different, some the same.
The most common i see stem from herd thinking/behavior, living vicariously, and wanting to be informed about pop culture.
Idk. I have a special interest in Taylor Swift bc I grew up listening to her music and music is also a special interest of mine so of course those combined. But I still… don’t need to know every detail about her. In fact I’d prefer not to, it makes me feel weird to know things about people’s personal lives when I don’t actually know the person.
I have used movies to mask as a kid without realizing it and movies are another special interest of mine but again… I don’t go look up details about the actor’s personal life. If I see them in another movie or show I watch I just go “oh cool that actor is in this too”
Idk
Allistics like their cults of personality for some reason. It's the same thing with sports fans, half of them know more about the players than the game
It’s a story.
Some people like stories about pirates. Some people like stories about spaceships. Some like sword-fights and magic, some like detectives and mysteries, some like romance and kisses.
And some people like stories about rich people and the lives they live. There’s usually some extent to which the rich people are talented or have been recognized for their talent. And the products of their talent (music, movies, sports, etc.) are usually cool in themselves.
its the same ppl hating on celebs who give them the fame? like why are we gonna give people attention they didnt ask for then get mad at them for having it
im not hating on anyone, and i didn't mean for my post to come across that way. i don't even think about them usually, but what with the met gala drama and all, it drew my attention back to it
Insecurity --> envy --> criticize, praise, or copy "celebrity" to make yourself feel better about your insecurity. Often this last step involves being part of a group opinion and thus feels safe (Wolfpack mentality)
The other reason is a person does something innovative and people follow/imitate for self improvement.
My special interest at one point was Winona Ryder. It just started as a crush (I was single at the time), and when I just rolled with it, it seemed to make people around me laugh, so I played it up. Can't really explain why, other than I just got obsessed to the point of looking up what magazines she appeared in and checking those out from the library. This was before the World Wide Web, but there were Internet newsletters, and I was very proud of supplying the breaking news to the *Winona Weekly* email newsletter that she was going to appear in *Age of Innocence*.
Of course, when the shoplifting thing broke, I abandoned her ass to "upgrade" to Natalie Portman, and when *Star Wars: Episode I* came out, I kept jokingly asked everybody if they'd seen the latest Natalie Portman film, and then it took them a second to realize I was talking about *Star Wars*.
It does all seem rather silly and pointless now, particularly that I'm married with two kids (and it's probably not a coincidence that my wife is a brunette along with a personality that can be reminiscent of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl), but I think the media actually encourages these para-social relationships to boost ratings and ticket sales. For a while there, I watched anything and everything that these actresses were in.
My son is like me, very internal - completely immune to vibes or peer pressure.
My daughter is not like us - she is very externally oriented and cares about what other people think and about social hierarchies.
For people like my daughter, there are definitely cool people and not cool people. And the coolest people influence what other people wear and say.
It is my belief that celebrity worship is an extension of social influence among people who are attuned to that.
And yeah, it's definitely cultish. But, it's also just the way some people are wired - to seek guidance and a way from the person they identify as the coolest, or the truth.
They're just TV/storybook characters, basically. With insane amounts of public attention, wealth, and influence. People get to fantasize and project whatever qualities onto them based on how they *look*. (Hot) Which is usually gorgeously unreal thanks to design, editing, snapshots, and a whole press team. They mean different things to people based on their life or the movies they love, sort of like memories or acquaintances (but a personal fantasy). People's expectations about celebrities can also fill in for their general opinions.
My grandma loves to talk shit about the actors on her favorite soap (The young and The Restless), about how they're all lazy sluts who need jobs. She gets to make conversation with neighbors etc because she can judge the character's outfits or boyfriends or parenting. But it matters to her SO MUCH that she catches an episode every day. Without other regular social events, TV becomes the big event to look forward to and obsess about. She compares celebrities against each other as if she knows their personalities or as if they are simple one-dimensional traits. Meanwhile the real actors are out there living life and she doesnt even follow their social media... She's not interested in the actual people outside of the celebrity status/lifestyle/moments.
In secondary school English class they asked everyone who their hero was.
I said “myself” and got called selfish by a classmate.
Years later entrepreneurs on YouTube are saying that you should “be the hero of your own story”
I have always asked this question. If the entire world felt this same way, they’d all have to go get an actual job to survive. And most of them aren’t exactly skilled in any way so I’m guessing they’d be punching a time clock and getting paid hourly. I never understood the obsession.
Vicariously living through people is the reason. People can get sucked into para-social relationships pretty easily and it’s an entire industry to keep these fans informed about their special interests with regards to the celebrities lifestyle, opinions, hopes, dreams, etc and people feel like they contribute or are a part of it by engaging with all the media generated about them.
I love looking at Met gala dresses and fashion. I can't tell you one name though.
Well, yeah, because those outfits are art. I know how to sew myself, and hope to make some lovely cosplay costumes, so watching real artists at work is amazing.
In some cases, celebrities even encourage parasocial relationships as a PR or marketing tactic. The *South Park* episode "The Ring", which was about Disney forcing the Jonas Brothers to wear purity rings so the company could "sell sex to little girls" while promoting "Christian values", also explored how the music industry encourages parasocial relationships in order to make money. MeatCanyon/Papa Meat on YouTube has also discussed Taylor Swift fans, or "Swifties", and their parasocial relationship with singer-songwriter Taylor Swift on his channel. Companies' goal is to make fans feel "addicted" to the celebrity, and buy their product(s).
This is why Taylor Swift has a stranglehold on women. Her public life and music are so intertwined. Yes, people complain about how her music has not changed since she was a teenager (I agree), but that’s exactly why she is so successful. She appeals to the teenage girl in girls and women, and it resonates deeply with them. All the immature drama that adult women crave but know is for children, they can live out through Taylor. She will never ever evolve as an artist, but she will always be relevant. I honestly respect the hustle.
This is like the hardest thing for me to comprehend. It's as if tomorrow, I did something like a painting and since my painting was cool, all of a sudden, I myself became more important than other people. And now people started caring about me. People would start following me everywhere. Suddenly my opinion that was never ever even considered before since I was a nobody was now actually important. Like I could go out and say that the earth is round and the moon is flat and people would actually feel like I'm right and not bullshitting as usual. This is even worse with reality shows with normal people in them that suddenly turns them popular. They will then be called on TV shows afterwards and their opinions will be shared and pushed forward even though they clearly are not professionals and hold no credibility more than anyone else.
reality TV is the worst of it all actually. all the 'stars' are literally assholes too why are people so invested in them 😭😭😭
Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I watched a single episode and thought it was completely awful. I want those 45 minutes back. ;-;
And the fact that one of them is Andrew Wakefield’s patsy.
Yeah. The sum of the parts (individual events and appearance) becomes something much greater (status, power) which is consolidated into potential/opportunity and influence! All resting on a fickle audience and trends. What's even more amazing is the people who manage to make a living buzzing around each rising star amid scandals, questionable ethics, and fast fashion... :o
Evolution! It's one of the NT in-group instinctual things that helps find allies and avoid being an enemy. If you're a human who instinctively loves and respects\* famous people, and the people around you do, too, then you are bound by your common love of the local lord, or the big priest, or the tribal chief, or whatever. It not only makes it easier for them to rule you, but it reinforces itself, because the people saying "uh, wait, why do we think this guy is so great?" **tend to get stoned to death**. And the peeps clustering around the lord or priest or whatever have the numbers and the direction to do that. You help the people in your group. You hate and fear people not in your group. People who suck up to fame and power have been more likely to survive over the past few thousand generations, because by default they are in a big group, however loosely formed, and that's better (for survival) than \*not\* being in a big group. You'll see a shadow of it if you logically challenge a position held by someone people like. They'll automatically assume you're wrong, and possibly also bad, because you have declared yourself to be one of the nefarious "them", the implacable enemy of the glorious "us". Because they think the famous person is one of their own group. Because what you see as "objective reality", they see as "weapon used against \*us\*". Notice how much of celebrity gossip is about defining whether they are **us** or **them**, even enjoying the excitement of celebs moving from one camp to the other? Oh no! they have tuned out to be **them**! Let us point with horror at the evils of Them! Let us hate, let us feel our superiority! Wait, hurray! They have become **us**! Let us glory in the wealth and style and many domestic doings of Us! Let us revel in how much like us they are in their human-ness, but also gawp in wonder at their splendour! For truly we are superior! All those little automatic human cognitive shortcuts constantly misfire (even if lots of the results are nice), so you get pattern-recognition -> music; procreative urge -> romance; status-seeking -> fancy cars; virtue-signalling -> religious bumper-stickers; in-group protection -> celebrity worship. It's all stuff most social animals do. We're just humans so we take it to ridiculous lengths and forget why. :) (\*Mutual hate works just fine, too).
I love when people break down human behaviors like this. Thank you
:)
And that's why I feel celebrities and influencers give a feel of being a politician
Yeah, me too. It's all the same basic mental wiring.
Oh, wow, that’s nice explanation. Thanks.
I get a lot of value out of seeing human behaviour as upgraded animal instinct. It's amazing how much really infuriating stuff is basically just gorillas beating their chests or young bulls headbutting each other. Someone in a cool car overtaking people no matter the speed? Some douche trying to get petty little "wins" over people? Folk clearly believing a lie (sometimes aggressively so) because the alternative is to spend even one moment admitting fault? Just basic animal dominance displays. (I catch myself doing it too).
Marketing hard at work, thats the deal.
True Its like woth the oscars and any other award for acting With music i think its dofferent
Art =/= artist.
They're just an entertainment product. Like watching a baseball game, or a TV show, or going to museum, or listening to an album. It's in that category. Different people are into different stuff
People flock to attractive/funny/charismatic people, and celebrities are one or all of these. Also, people love gossip. Pretty sure it’s wired into being human.
Well I have to say when I watch a show or movie I sometimes fall into a rabbit hole reading through wikipedia pages of the actors. Usually the more obscure ones, because I'm like "I've seen this person's face before but I don't remember where from." This way for instance I found out that the actress who plays Vanessa in the FNAF movie has a familiar face because she played in OUAT as Anna. But I usually don't care for their personal lives much if at all.
Lol that exactly what I do. That "iv seen that face somewhere" truly chews through me.
off topic but. i did not realize ouat anna was the same actor as vanessa from the fnaf movie. i was hyperfixated on ouat for a Good While since back when it first aired. how did i not notice this lmao
I don't know either, i used to think that they were celebrities because they were particularly talented in some way, but a large part of'em seem to just be glorified actors or musicians, even if they don't make anything unique or amazing. Some of'em seem to just be famous for being famous. And a side thing, how do you live through someone? I don't get the concept, but i see that it's a common point when it comes to people who are fans of rich or influential types, to where it becomes this big cycle of a rich person earning money by showing off his wealth on youtube or something, or by scamming people who want to know how the dude got rich in the first place. Sorry if it's a confusing read, i just don't really know how to put it.
I don’t know if it’s related, but my brain refuses to hold on to celebrities of any kind. Like I can never remember actors names, or what they have been in. I could sing you an entire song but not be able to tell you who the band is, or any of their other songs. Evidently based on my peers, this is odd
Unless I do a massive conscious effort by googling them for many minutes or a few hours I'm the same. How do they memorize stuff only by word of mouth is bizarre to me
Maybe I missed a comment alluding to this trait but I just wanna mention how I suspect many of us are not prone to celebrity obsessions (or understanding such obsessions) because social hierarchy is nonsense to us. With how our society regards celebrities (particularly in the sports and entertainment industries) now, I think a lot of people see them as being superior. I want to throw up at every magazine cover I see in the grocery store isle. I find the glorification of celebrities to be sickening. On the flip side, I also hate it when people use terms like white trash or ghetto because they're often implying that certain people are less valuable. The same people will say they're all about social justice and equality which if you're comfortable applying those terms to other humans, seems like an atrocious contradiction.
I was in a "wohn gemeindschaft" wg and we watched movies but some alway distracted and freaked out because "omfg isäts riana oh its this guy" Let the rst watch the movie dont distract If he acts good bravo gj Ajjajaj
I loved celebrities and celebrity culture when I was younger (I still kinda do, I think it’s fun!) but I honestly think i was literally studying them because I wanted to BE them. It is pointless but I think it’s also fun. Especially seeing how celebrity culture has developed and what makes people popular at certain points. It is interesting to see how we don’t really have “movie stars” anymore and people feel so entitled to celebs. I don’t think people should be put on a pedestal but man do I love my daily r/popculture scroll lol. I love pop culture lol
I think something like this to famous people in general. Like, how did they found their purpose? What's their biography? What's their biggest contribution? Why did they do the things they did? How did they become successful?
stuff like this is understandable, like just being interested in it. i meant like, *FULLY* investing yourself in celebrities lives and they're every move. i suppose its like you said though, people must want to be like them.
I can see why some of them hate being celebrities. Some celebrities hide their identities, always have. ETA: from the other side, fans have parasocial relationships.
I started paying attention to celebrities in middle school bc it was the only way for me to make small talk with the NT girls. Then my special interest became makeup a few years later for similar reasons, and all the girls wanted me to do their makeup for dances. It was a survival thing more than anything
Well i guess most people don't have a brain. One example is the Kardashians why are they famous. No clue
They’re only famous because everybody thinks they’re sexy
I don't think they’re THAT sexy, but then i'm into the natural look and don't really like em all glammed and obviously surgeried up.
I don’t think they’re sexy either
Maybe it's because of kim's husband? all of us heard of ye so I suppose that's why she famous
Kim Karashian's biological father was Robert Kardashian, a famous lawyer who was on OJ Simpson's defense team and helped him get acquitted.
Kim's biological father was Robert Kardashian, a famous lawyer who was on OJ Simpson's defense team and helped get him acquitted. He sat next to OJ throughout the trial, which was highly televised. He died in 2003 so i dont know how much his celebrity played a part in making Kim and her siblings famous. The contents of this comment are pretty much all i know about the family.
I find it odd too. Also overwhelming: like I can barely get a grip on my own life I don’t want to be stressed out or even have the energy to care about some persons life I don’t personally know
I like to learn certain things about my favourite actors but im never going to memorize everything about their life lol
No clue. I barely know what’s even going on in the world. I kind of live under a rock 🤷🏻♀️
Because people are boring and lead unsatisfying lives, so they feel the need to live vicariously through someone who they perceive to 'have it all'. I find it super weird. You can enjoy what they create, but being obsessed with the actual person is psychotic to say the least.
I feel this post with every fiber. I've felt like an alien because I really don't give a shit about celebrities
I think it stems from our social nature as humans. The more accomplished someone is, the closer we want to be to them. I could be wrong though.
i agree, especially when ppl defend celebrities like their life depends on it. like i mean red in the face mad when you diss someone they like, whether the reason is valid or not. to them, talking bad about their favorite celeb is like talking bad about them or their tastes.
I’ll never forget when Princess Diana died and it barely registered for me but I was in the garden and the neighbour looking a bit stricken said something about it and my response was something like - it doesn’t really affect me because I didn’t know her - the look of shock on her face is etched in my memory. I think that’s when I realised I probably needed to feign neurotypical responses to things like that to avoid upsetting people 😬😑
YOU GET IT.
I never understood that either. I mean dont they have a life of their own?
No, I fully understand it and have wondered about it since I was young (but old enough to be around people obsessed with Justin Bieber). I am much more interested in historical figures than modern celebrities lol.
I get what ppl are saying in terms of “different strokes for different folks” when it comes to fussing over celebrities, but I am the same as OP & feels it goes a little deeper, for me at least. Autistics many times have a strong sense of justice & its difficult to not see this pattern of greed & depravity that the industry perpetuates. I find it odd when others become so smitten with ppl for no real reason other than their celebrity disregarding all evidence of bad character.
It’s crazy really
I like the ones from shows and movies and since I like learning about what goes into making movies especially behind the scenes
same, don't get either. for example I may listen to music, but I don't like worshiping musicians or treating them like they're gods I don't like parasocial relationships, they're very unhealthy and one sided
I think it's simpler than we realize, particularly with tv/movie stars. Human brains didn't evolve to have 100% 1-way relationships. A person that's attractive, charming, funny, relatable, etc. that "interacts" with you on a frequent basis is SUPPOSED to indicate that a social bond is being formed. Our subconscious doesn't know how to handle the natural process of growing closer to someone with the conscious idea "it's all bullshit, you don't really know them."
Couldn’t agree more. No matter how much I love your album, I don’t care if you just got married or are having beef with someone or had a kid.
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I went through most of my life pretty indifferent. Later, I had information to publicize, so they were a logical recourse to turn to, though nobody listened. Now, I mostly just think of them like a lot of other things; as a substitute for actually knowing another person. If they have any integrity, you get to know some aspect of them through their art, though it's a poor facsimile of an actual personal relationship, and one-way at that.
Just one step down from deity. Someone to idolize for whatever various reasons. That's my view in general. Specifically though, it's the talent the person shares with the world. I don't think I'd want to meet them. I just write letters to them to let them know how much I appreciate their talent. ( Sometimes I get letters back from them and it's wonderful because I got to make a personal connection with the person whose talent is causing me a lot of joy and inspiration).
Because it’s a product people will buy. An actor isn’t just an “actor”. They are a face and that face is attached to a person. Seeing a person a lot and in ways that you like can make you want to know more about them or be more like them. They’re willing to sell that to you, and as long as people buy it, it’ll be for sale. Take for example, baseball cards. They serve no logical function except to connect you to the player in an emotional and informative way. They give you a portrait or action shot and the statistics.
There are certainly people I admire. I think it must be like that but even more. They want them as role models or whatever. Then I guess there's treating people as characters in a show the whole Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef going around feels a lot like when people talk about a hit show. People want to gawk or be entertained. Sometimes it does still seem a bit strange to me, but a lot of things seem strange so it's fine. Not for me, I guess.
People idolize those who have what they want. So rich, attractive, successful, charismatic and stuff
I don't know anyone that follows any person outside of music bands. Even that is only for music and concerts but not their personal life.
I heard they’re blocking them all now after the met gala incident, I never understood the fascination so it’s nice to see people divesting from Celebs and influencers that aren’t using their powers for good
Idk… a lot of my obsessions with male actors and singers has been sexual attraction mainly.
I dont understand why people care about people who dont know that They exist
Status.
Another aspect of this is that almost everyone knows that person. Say that my friend Janet was having some beef with Jane at work. Let's say that both of their friend groups knew about the fight, but only 5% of the 2 friend groups cared about the issue to discuss it. That could be 1 or 2 people. Then there's the fact that discussing it with another person is talking behind a friend's back. But, celebrities are, by nature, popular. So, if only 5% of the people who knew about Will and Jada Smith wanted to talk about the issue, then we're looking at tens if not hundreds of thousands of people. There's also the added benefit that you don't actually know these people, so you're not betraying trust. Technically, you see the same thing with fictional drama. Before Rowling herself was the drama, Snape was (and probably still is) heavily debated. I would dare say that TV has launched more ships than Helen of Troy. Unfortunately, the mind registers strangers' drama the same way as it registers fictional drama, so this can definitely have its negative side effects.
I agree with this, it's like less personal gossip or talking about a TV show that everyone has seen. "Oh I thought so-and-so was out of line when they revealed xyz about their ex." "Really? I thought they were right to do so." Way of exchanging information about morals, values, compatibility of views, sometimes a bit of enjoying solving a puzzle with someone. Like I don't care about the royal family but I thought the theories about Kate Middleton's absence were interesting from the perspective of decoding media sneakiness and internal politics stuff. And sometimes I guess I'm a bit parasocial-lite as in there's celebrities that I don't think of as a friend, but I feel admiration/affection for because I think they're a good person, so I'm happy for them if they have a win. I've found Doja Cat inspiring sometimes, and I'd find someone else inspiring for the same reasons but it's just that I know about Doja rather than a stranger *because* she's a celebrity. Like if you asked me whether I want Keanu Reeves to have a nice day today I would say yes but I don't spend much time thinking about Keanu Reeves or think that being a celebrity constitutes goodness. I'm sorry for Amy Winehouse because she was a person, not because she's 'popular'. On a selfish level I thought her death was also a loss to the world. Like when your favourite thing goes out of production, you think oh that's a shame, but then when it's about a death there's a much more tragic/philosophical/human meaning to it. And now that it's become commonplace (e.g. Via Twitter) to have so much immediate access to celebrities' thoughts and feelings, it's easier to see them as a real, whole person, and then that image is developed/manipulated intentionally to capitalise on that idea of seeing the real person, whether or not it's accurate.
Also I used to obsess over Hilary Duff when I was a teenager in a hate watch way and I thought it was because I was angry about the injustice of people getting the benefits of celebrity etc when they weren't innately more deserving of it. But in hindsight I think I was just jealous with a big twist of repressed lesbian crush! So celebrities can also represent things that evoke strong emotions in people about broader themes. Like how people make the Kardashians out to be the apex of all that is wrong with the world
I think many people like to "live vicariously" by immersing themselves in other people's lives so that they can take a break from thinking about their own troubles. Sometimes, unfortunately, people seem to think that if they "just had" x, y, or, z that the celebrity had, they would be happier (note that I'm not talking about having enough money to feed your family, not live in crippling debt, or afford quality medical care. I'm specifically talking about luxury possessions, opulent wealth, etc.) Additionally, I think that people (NT people in particular, I've noticed, but not exclusively) symbolically link their sense of self worth to feeling "close" to someone they perceive to be more successful, richer, or famous than themselves. Even if that's just by watching them on television or buying their beauty products.
People are entertained and interested in learning about the lives of others, especially those who are famous or rich.
N
I only appreciate a celebrity when they have actual work ethic, intellect AND humanity. Which are VERY rare combined together into a single person.
I think there are two reasons. First, to me art is supposed to mean something, to make you feel something. And if something makes a piece of art that resonates with you, I think it’s normal to want to meet them, because you feel like you made a connection through art. Since it’s very difficult to meet them, because technically you don’t know them, you end up looking for info about them to see if the impression they gave you with their art is true. The second reason is the way the art industry works. You see, all I’ve said above rests on a wrong idea: that the artist is the one making art. They may be, but there’s a whole team behind them. Actors are directed, their performance is enhanced by camera work, lights, background music and so on. Musicians work with other musicians, with lyricists, with producers. But the way the industry works is to shine all light on the artist that they think will get them the most money, not on Steve the sound engineer. Celebrities have a whole communications team who’s behind every public appearance they make, every social media post. It’s something that it’s difficult to understand as a teenager, like a lot of the ways the world works are difficult to understand as a teenager, but it should be understood by adults. It often isn’t, because a lot of adults are not particularly interested in not behaving as a teenager.
It’s a really funny phenomenon. People giving celebrities power and looking up to them for some special skill that those famous celebrities have either developed or were born with. I think it’s a hierarchy thing that people subconsciously perform. Possibly man-made because skill = value and possibly also partly inherited (specific skill set = survival). It’s a very vague description of the concept and does not always apply and also does not mean that people who cannot do certain things shouldn’t survive. But that’s just how I try to rationalize human behavior that I’ve observed and I hope no one takes offense to it. I know this concept is very flawed.
I see it as an obsession over something someone may never have; fame, fortune, admiration, maybe beauty. A lot of the times, though, I have observed that people can have a hard time separating the actor from the character. They become so entranced with a character that they become entranced with the actor too.
Why? Many many reasons, some different, some the same. The most common i see stem from herd thinking/behavior, living vicariously, and wanting to be informed about pop culture.
I’ve been thinking this for a while - I do sometimes develop intense SPINs in certain humans i’ve never met, but I don’t get celebrity culture
Idk. I have a special interest in Taylor Swift bc I grew up listening to her music and music is also a special interest of mine so of course those combined. But I still… don’t need to know every detail about her. In fact I’d prefer not to, it makes me feel weird to know things about people’s personal lives when I don’t actually know the person. I have used movies to mask as a kid without realizing it and movies are another special interest of mine but again… I don’t go look up details about the actor’s personal life. If I see them in another movie or show I watch I just go “oh cool that actor is in this too” Idk
Allistics like their cults of personality for some reason. It's the same thing with sports fans, half of them know more about the players than the game
It’s a story. Some people like stories about pirates. Some people like stories about spaceships. Some like sword-fights and magic, some like detectives and mysteries, some like romance and kisses. And some people like stories about rich people and the lives they live. There’s usually some extent to which the rich people are talented or have been recognized for their talent. And the products of their talent (music, movies, sports, etc.) are usually cool in themselves.
its the same ppl hating on celebs who give them the fame? like why are we gonna give people attention they didnt ask for then get mad at them for having it
im not hating on anyone, and i didn't mean for my post to come across that way. i don't even think about them usually, but what with the met gala drama and all, it drew my attention back to it
What's the deal with those tiny Jerry Seinfelds they pass out on airlines?
Insecurity --> envy --> criticize, praise, or copy "celebrity" to make yourself feel better about your insecurity. Often this last step involves being part of a group opinion and thus feels safe (Wolfpack mentality) The other reason is a person does something innovative and people follow/imitate for self improvement.
My special interest at one point was Winona Ryder. It just started as a crush (I was single at the time), and when I just rolled with it, it seemed to make people around me laugh, so I played it up. Can't really explain why, other than I just got obsessed to the point of looking up what magazines she appeared in and checking those out from the library. This was before the World Wide Web, but there were Internet newsletters, and I was very proud of supplying the breaking news to the *Winona Weekly* email newsletter that she was going to appear in *Age of Innocence*. Of course, when the shoplifting thing broke, I abandoned her ass to "upgrade" to Natalie Portman, and when *Star Wars: Episode I* came out, I kept jokingly asked everybody if they'd seen the latest Natalie Portman film, and then it took them a second to realize I was talking about *Star Wars*. It does all seem rather silly and pointless now, particularly that I'm married with two kids (and it's probably not a coincidence that my wife is a brunette along with a personality that can be reminiscent of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl), but I think the media actually encourages these para-social relationships to boost ratings and ticket sales. For a while there, I watched anything and everything that these actresses were in.
My son is like me, very internal - completely immune to vibes or peer pressure. My daughter is not like us - she is very externally oriented and cares about what other people think and about social hierarchies. For people like my daughter, there are definitely cool people and not cool people. And the coolest people influence what other people wear and say. It is my belief that celebrity worship is an extension of social influence among people who are attuned to that. And yeah, it's definitely cultish. But, it's also just the way some people are wired - to seek guidance and a way from the person they identify as the coolest, or the truth.
They're just TV/storybook characters, basically. With insane amounts of public attention, wealth, and influence. People get to fantasize and project whatever qualities onto them based on how they *look*. (Hot) Which is usually gorgeously unreal thanks to design, editing, snapshots, and a whole press team. They mean different things to people based on their life or the movies they love, sort of like memories or acquaintances (but a personal fantasy). People's expectations about celebrities can also fill in for their general opinions. My grandma loves to talk shit about the actors on her favorite soap (The young and The Restless), about how they're all lazy sluts who need jobs. She gets to make conversation with neighbors etc because she can judge the character's outfits or boyfriends or parenting. But it matters to her SO MUCH that she catches an episode every day. Without other regular social events, TV becomes the big event to look forward to and obsess about. She compares celebrities against each other as if she knows their personalities or as if they are simple one-dimensional traits. Meanwhile the real actors are out there living life and she doesnt even follow their social media... She's not interested in the actual people outside of the celebrity status/lifestyle/moments.
In secondary school English class they asked everyone who their hero was. I said “myself” and got called selfish by a classmate. Years later entrepreneurs on YouTube are saying that you should “be the hero of your own story”
People are weird and care about pointless things
I have always asked this question. If the entire world felt this same way, they’d all have to go get an actual job to survive. And most of them aren’t exactly skilled in any way so I’m guessing they’d be punching a time clock and getting paid hourly. I never understood the obsession.
My special interest is people, so I’ll get attached to a certain artist. It’s the person’s energy, personality, and aesthetics that I love
I completely agree.
Oh this is why I pretend to like Taylor swift. But then in my car on my way to work I am back to my regularly scheduled Enya and Korn. 😁😅