Luke And Laura
The consumption of celebrity life and culture has been a thing for as long as I can remember. When I was young, I remember sitting on the sofa with my mom as we watched Luke and Laura get married on General Hospital.
We were seriously happy for them even though it was fictional. It felt real, and that was enough. It was an American crush.
Back then, we could have cared less what the actual actors (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis) did in their free time, and we definitely didn’t need pictures of them clutching their morning lattes at Starbucks.
Things are much different now. Somehow, we’ve become accustomed to unfettered and intrusive glimpses into the personal lives of celebrities, courtesy of the media. Hmmmmm.
Through The Looking Glass
Fame is the ultimate form of validation. You’ve become “known” for something good or bad. For some celebrities, fame is a drug they can’t get enough of, but for others, those who struggle under the limelight, it leaves them feeling vulnerable and exposed.
As everyday people, we are able to live our lives with a degree of anonymity, while still taking a front seat in watching the celebrity real-time reality show. We watch them from a distance as they struggle personally or professionally. In real-time, they become the pinata at the birthday party that everyone gets a crack at. Welcome to the American Crush.
Our culture promotes these intrusions through all forms of media. In the meantime, we sit back safe and smug within our own cocoon of anonymity. Is this fair? I don’t think so.
At the end of the day, we are all people. Sure some of the celebrities might be richer than we’ll ever be, but they are still people with their own share of ups and downs. Why is it okay for us to keep our “business” locked away, but we don’t offer them similar respect?
Instead, we consume their secrets readily, as if they must pay penance for their success. I have found myself perusing gossip sites for my daily scandal fix, but none of these updates have enriched me. It is so-called “entertainment” with no real value and at someone else’s expense.
Which leads me to…
Distraction In Action
As long as we’re chasing celebrity life and culture (our American Crush) we don’t have to think about the things in our own lives that may or may not be going right.
Affirmation
As a society, I believe we have an incessant need to affirm that celebrities don’t have perfect lives. Maybe if we can poke enough holes in the fantastically filtered and curated lives that we see on social media, it might keep the baseless envy at bay.
Hollow Entertainment
None of this “Stanning” is going to enrich our current lives, and after a while, it can become toxic. We watch curiously as celebrities are built up to be torn down again and again on a whim. I can only imagine how stressful it must be to actually go through it. A society where people are simultaneously rooting for you to win and fail.
Maybe it’s time we started looking away from this spectacle and giving them back some of the inner peace that we enjoy every day.
Which leads me to…
The Remix
Focus
Let’s put the focus back on our own lives. It’s okay to admire people from a distance but we don’t need to be in lockstep with their personal and professional struggles. It’s invasive and wrong. The energy and time we spend updating ourselves on celebrity culture would be better served elsewhere.
Value
We should feel valued and valuable regardless of fame or fortune. Self-worth comes from within. Celebrities know this all too well. You can be on top of the world and the loneliest person on the planet at the same time.
It’s time for us to let go of our American Crush. At this point in my life, I’m only interested in building a life that is fulfilling and brings me joy. Time is our most precious resource, and it deserves to be spent meaningfully.
Let’s give celebrities their lives back…
If you have a moment, check out my previous post “I Am Not An Object”
https://herpicketfence.com/i-am-not-an-object/
