Celebrity

Justin Bieber is an annoying little tick who apparently appeals to young girls. From this he has branched out in an attempt to become the bad boy that he feels he is – doing drugs, peeing on walls, racing sports cars, visiting Brazilian brothels, abusing the police, demanding privacy whilst doing everything in front of cameras, etc. The other day he was caught by police in Miami drag racing in a residential street after having drunk some alcohol, taken prescription medication and smoked weed and this resulted in more headlines and a petition to the White House that he, as a Canadian, should be deported. They now have to take notice of that petition since it got over the 100,000 votes needed for action. Now he is to appear in a Canadian court after assaulting a limo driver. His manager has told him to shape up or leave the business.
Do we care about him?

Celebrity Big Brother has just finished on Channel 5 (I know its on the box somewhere, but I couldn’t find it with a quick glance). This is the thing that used to be on Channel 4, where we watched non-entities trying their hardest to gain enough attention to be taken up for a real job on TV, except its on Channel 5 and heavily promoted on the front page of the Daily Star (same owner). Usually its also non-entities on there, people trying to get back on TV or make the jump from boy bands to adulthood.
Anyone bothered?

Jude Law (actor) was at the phone hacking trial the other day. He was told that, rather than all the stuff he didn’t want coming out came out through his mobile being hacked, it came out from relatives and friends. Of course there was other stuff that he was happy came out, since it gave him and his work publicity.
Can he really pick and chose when he can turn the publicity on and off?

Celebrity has been with us for decades, maybe centuries. But the popular culture has allowed us in to the world of the film or singing stars, giving the opportunity to those with the will, looks, and desperation to become famous exactly what they want – but on the fickle terms of people like Simon Cowell and newspaper editors. It used to be that teen idols were here one minute, gone the next but now we get them warbling on our radios, then appearing on our TVs, then appearing in the Sunday red-tops in some lurid scandal, then on some reality show until they warble at us again. Or they become the film industrys play things, grinning for the camera and playing the game. And there was always someone who would ‘sleep’ with a celebrity and sell the story afterwards. They even become famous too.
And those who don’t or won’t play the game? What happens to them?
Remember Thora Birch? Major lead role in American Beauty in 1999, the critics loved her. But she wouldn’t play ball with the film studios, wouldn’t do the red carpet thing or let the press intrude into her life. Hence no more lead roles with the major film companies.
It was her choice, wasn’t it?

Celebrity, do we need it? Those who crave it seem to, the rest of us can get along fine without it. Some of you might sneak a peak at the front of the celeb rags in the supermarket, but most of the time you don’t recognise any of the names hi-lighted. Do you…?

Anyone bothered, or are we of an age where we might have a leer at the more scandalous pictures and ignore the attempt behind it to become famous?