Popular celebrity weeklies such as Star Magazine and In Touch Weekly explore and report on the glamorous world of popular entertainers and celebrities. It is difficult not to harbor any envy when glossy magazines and popular television shows provide picturesque layouts of palatial estates, and reports of multi million dollar pays for earning a living at something that many do not consider to be work. In addition, celebrities also receive special treatment in most instances and often do not have to pay for things though they can afford to.
While it may difficult to begrudge them their exulted status, there are some things that are positive about celebrity and fame. You may turn a lighter shad of green when you realize that celebs:
Inspire Us to Work Harder
Some may consider this negative, but in a culture full of celebrity worship, we want what our favorite entertainers have. We work harder at trying to attain the perfect body because Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Lopez possess it. We want to own at least one Porsche like Jerry Seinfeld, or platinum Jewelry like Sean Combs.
For a long time I ... found the celebrities of modern painting and poetry ridiculous. I loved absurd pictures, fanlights, stage scenery, mountebanks’ backcloths, inn-signs, cheap colored prints; unfashionable literature, church Latin, pornographic books badly spelt, grandmothers’ novels, fairy stories, little books for children, old operas, empty refrains, simple rhythms.
—Arthur Rimbaud (1854–1891)
Though the perfect body may be unattainable, and to be fair celebrities enjoy airbrushing, personal trainers and personal chefs to help them attain either the illusion or an actual perfect body. They make us work harder at being our best self, and most of us figure if he can do it I can do it too.
Teach Us about the World
Not every person blessed with fame is shallow and self involved. Often celebrities use their fame as a platform to increase awareness about national and global problems and events. Whatever the consensus is on Angelina Jolie as a home wrecker, the fact that she has raised awareness of the importance of adoption is indisputable. Jolie, adopted two children from third world nations bringing an awareness of the plight of children in poor and developing countries. Other celebrities such as Meg Ryan, and Madonna have followed her lead and countless others will undoubtedly follow.
George Clooney may someday run for office, but is currently using his celebrity status to raise awareness of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Clooney has helped raise money, and introduced many Americans to a part of the world that is often not discussed on their local news.
A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of its business, cannot help making celebrities of the people who would destroy it.
—Lewis H. Lapham (b. 1935)
In addition to world events celebrities also help to raise awareness and money for foundations for rare and incurable diseases. Both Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali suffer from Parkinsons disease, Christopher Reeve was an outspoken advocate for people with spinal disabilities. Celebrities make it cool to do charitable activities such as doing a walk for cancer or encouraging women to be tested for breast cancer and men for prostate cancer. Celebrities such as Fran Drescher, and Rudolph Giuliani tell their stories and share their fight with the diseases which undoubtedly saves lives.
Though it is quite easy to look at most entertainers as overpaid and egotistical, remember there are two sides to the equation.
Lisa James reads Star Magazine and write for Suscriba, provider of Star Magazine Subscriptions and other popular magazine subscriptions.