In 1789, George Washington (a military hero) became the first president of the United States. Thomas Edison invented a long lasting light bulb in 1879. These famous people were looked up to by young people because their accomplishments changed their nation in some way. During the mid twentieth century, however, the introduction of television and radio changed the ideal of a hero or a role model to professional athletes, musicians, and actors. A- List celebrities like Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie have all set a standard for the teenage population. It may seem shallow, but many people, especially the younger generation, want to know about their personal lives from what they’re wearing to where they live or who they’re dating. Why is this? Our culture today is very materialistic. Entertainment magazines, television, internet, and paparazzi have all fed into the obsession of celebrity.
Celebrities are an obsession that is worldwide. I think that it is not going to dissipate any time soon because of how easily accessible the media has become. Most teens, including myself, know more about Paris Hilton going to jail than the candidates for the next Presidential election. I think that celebrities have affected every single person in this world in some way. There is a good amount of evidence linking celebrities with fashion, eating disorders, and overall lifestyles for the younger generation.
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I absolutely agree. I think the amount of attention paid to celebrities is completely ridiculous. there is no point to it, except for setting low examples and standards to the generations behind us, as well as ourselves. i'm sad to say i too have been exposed to that, just recently david beckham moving here to los angeles caught more media attention than did the argument that's occuring about the war in iraq. his first game will probably have more coverage than how many people died in Iraq today. Chris Rock said something similar to this the other day on Oprah, that it's sending out an incredibly negative impact on all those that idolize these people for no apparent reason. on myspace.com, i see more people saying paris hilton and lindsay lohan are their heroes than the firefighters and police that saved lives in 9/11, and what have they done that's so amazing? nothing, but looking pretty in movies. i'll never understand.