The Toxic Society: Celebrity Culture

Yung-Ching, Yang
Writing 140 Sec 64715
Amanda Weldy Boyd
Assignment #5
2013/04/25
The Toxic Society: Celebrity Culture
“Gangnam Style,” popular K-Pop single released by Psy, musician, received unexpected feedback from the whole world which brought up a novel trend of outrageous dancing gesture and distinguished music style that people were crazy about. Pop singers can be so influential to society boundlessly nowadays that they create a whole new fashion trend or culture for people to follow whenever they release a new album or any public delivery. However, in the past, music performers might not be considered public figures that everyone admire or look up to. For several centuries, providing singing services to entertain people was considered
as a viable way of making a living, especially for those disadvantaged families. With low social status but talented performing ability, artists were out entertaining audience while public despised them as tools of amusement. Although the transformation of singer’s role elevated their social status into celebrities, role models and opinion leaders to fans, instead of focusing on their music, artists tried to build up their perfect image while mass media excessively provided celebrity exposure and urged public’s needless admiration towards singers, which drew out more social issues for the society.
Due to the simplicity of access to communication network and internet, music performances are not limited privilege of upper class but entertainment that shared by everyone, which create a connection and common language between people with diverse race, class or background; thus, growing popularity of music performer makes them role model that people admire in contemporary culture.
As technology advanced, the easiness of access to music through television, Internet increased the exposure of the artists. The globalization and infinite boundary of mess media also reached the same result by spreading music to all over the world and connect people together, which gained more popularity to these performers. Specifically, MTV, American cable television channel which was originally served as channel that oriented in music, increased their multiplicity by having more shows about artists personal life or celebrity reality show, such as Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life. Increased number of shows about celebrity news showed people’s growing interests towards artists’ personal lives which gradually developed into an adoration and esteem. However, mass media brought people’s fond of singers into different extent, excessive admiration. In order to gain higher viewing rating, media world overly glorify performers and it urged people starting to view them as role model, hero or charity representative, etc. Instead of focusing on their talent, audiences examine and judge every aspect of music
performers, which introduced celebrity culture in modern society.
As celebrity culture developed, people’s fascination with celebrity was irremediable. The percentage of entertainment covered in news magazines doubles while pages about national affairs seemed to decrease. The incline of people’s less focus on national affair showed that celebrity culture had in depth impact on people that over consumption of celebrity’s activities became major social issue yet was paid attention to; in addition, that fact that reporter would rather spend more time revealing gossip of celebrities, which is other people’s privacy, than address more national issue always showed the waste of public resources. Moreover, “Entertainment Tonight,” entertainment television news show, and People, celebrity-interest magazine, disseminated and deepen celebrity culture into people. In order to get exclusive gossip among celebrities, People magazine hire paparazzi to invade other’s privacy, which is absolutely immoral. People’s obsession of celebrity discouraged media to emphasize on singer’s song but instead paid more attention on needless information towards celebrity individual life.
Not only mass media, artists themselves eager to build up perfect public figure instead of dedicating their work only on music in order to live up people’s expectation on them and keep up the celebrity culture. Since every feature of celebrities was examined and imitated by the public, singers tried to build up perfect public image in order to avoid criticism. Pink, American songwriter and musician, instead of only compose songs, has supported twenty two charities worldwide; her hard work for Australia’s Royal Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals especially stood out because of her criticism of Australian wool industry of overkilled mules. That fact that Pink participated in transnational charity showed the boundless impact of celebrity and the hard work of celebrity try to maintain their public images. Although, on the surface, it might seems like maintaining public image benefits artists by pushing them contribute to the society, it showed celebrity’s purpose of volunteering is not simply about giving away but instead it’s a tactic to glory their own image. For example, instead of volunteering in United States which she can physically devoted to her charity work, Pink chose to go to Australia only to be the representative of the organization. Pink’s action revealed her careless of the actual charity work but instead just want to create worldwide fame that she did contribute back to society. However, people did not seem to realize or care about their “artificial” public image and still maintain their admiration to their “hero.”
The excessive idol admiration as a result of exaggerated media efforts could bring social issues which might outweigh the benefits brought by the celebrities.
One possible harmful influence of celebrity worship is their fascinating identity might blur or cover the wrong doings and send the wrong message to their followers. The glamorous appearance of pop stars appeals to most of the teenagers. Based on a recent Newsweek poll, it shows the 40% of nine and ten year old kids had tried to lose weight and 53% of the girls were not satisfied with their current body image; obviously, kids were influenced by the skinny images present by the star celebrities. To the extreme extend, the numbers of people suffering eating disorder have increased to over five million people in the states. Pop singers’ association with drug and alcohol is on the media from time to time. Teenagers might think that taking drugs and alcohol is a cool thing to do and makes them special. Media often reveals the luxurious life of pop celebrities such as mansions, fancy cars and jewelry. This might direct their followers to the pursuits of material desires. As a result, in order to avoid those wrong behaviors, celebrities should try to downplay their higher social status and promote healthier image. Moreover, people have to separate their performance from their behaviors. We can admire and appreciate their achievement, learn from their success and pursue our own goal in life, but overly obsess with celebrities’
behavior would lead to negative impact and consequences.

Work Cited http://teenink.com/opinion/entertainment_celebrities/article/82342/Celebrities-and-Their-Influence/ http://www.iasc-culture.org/THR/archives/Celebrity/7.1BIntroduction.pdf http://voices.yahoo.com/is-over-consumption-entertainment-celebrity-11654706.html?cat=4 http://mcgraw-hill.co.uk/openup/chapters/0335218806.pdf ftp://chello080108068103.23.11.vie.surfer.at/Seagate_Backup_Plus_Drive/1)%20Marion/Uni%2011.%20Sem/Social%20Net/8.%20Vo%20Stardom%202.0%20YouTube-Stars,%20Celebrity%20Journalism,%20Performing%20Self%20und%20die%20Expansion%20des%20Starsystems/31937_1.pdf http://www.go.asia/pink/