There is no doubt that celebrity crush exists in all of us. This is not the traditional definition of love, but rather an exaggerated admiration for a famous person we will probably never meet. The use of the word "love" is appropriate here because those of us who love celebrities tend to show signs of undue influence from those who are highly visible. Famous people, unelected representatives of the human race, have always had some influence on the masses. In the days before mass media, televisions and computers, fame spread by word of mouth, carried by the gossip of social beings.
Today we are opening our eyes and we cannot avoid these people. Of course, entertainers are essential in a developed society. At a quality performance, we laugh and sometimes cry. Our memories are riddled with images, movies, and songs that touched, scared, and encouraged us. They dramatize the political, the romantic, the good and the bad. We see in them the potential for the perfection of a man or a woman as an expression of utopian ideals of love and success. Yet, have we gone too far? How much influence should they have on us? Our choice of clothing, jewelry and hairstyles, our languages and ideas are often areas we want to define in celebrities. If you deny it, you are exceptional; the rest of us are always more susceptible. Our culture is saturated with celebrity influence. We track their every move, including who they're with and what they're doing. We absorb their politics and devour their quotes. We think about what it must be like to be so beautiful, rich and powerful. Fame is an aphrodisiac, or so it seems, unrecognized.
Today we have Tom Kat (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes). Yesterday it was Jennifer (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez). The public interest in these people is, in its nature, frighteningly obsessive. After all, their claim to fame is usually based on pretense or unreality. They are constant pretenders, illusionists with a canvas as a canvas. The entertainment value of a celebrity goes beyond the screen or stage, and they are fully aware of it. We witness carefully orchestrated relationships, sudden sightings in sports arenas, and controversial quotes days before a new movie or show is released. They suddenly appear on your screen seemingly not to promote themselves, but rather try to appear natural, likable, smart and funny.
Sometimes we get a glimpse of what some celebrities are really like. Unfortunately, it's usually when they do something wrong. Drugs, infidelity and physical assault are a few areas where celebrities have slipped in their public presentation. Mug shots and unflattering photos of famous people are the currency of entertainment news channels. Being a celebrity has its downside in this regard, as they are scrutinized as closely as the heads of government of the world's largest nations. Unfortunately, the power of celebrity is here to stay. Or is it? Can we teach our children who the chancellor of Germany is before we explain the history of the Madonna? If we fail to do this, America will become a nation of uninformed celebrity worshipers who are numb to the more important realities of the world.
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