Celebrity.
Just the word brings thoughts of fame, beauty and riches.
It’s safe to say that many of us dream of becoming one of the coveted few. Some of us spend countless hours waiting in line so we can try to catch a glimpse of these elusive figures.
Living in California, I feel a personal connection with most of the celebrities today. Everyone around the world knows that the most star-studded place in this country is Los Angeles.
There’s something about the City of Angels that lures the rich, the famous and the desperate. Well, all that tourism does wonders for the city’s economy, but what do I get from it? Am I willing to drive for six hours to catch a glimpse of one of my favorite celebrities in concert?
Yes.
There’s no denying how influential celebrities are. They start our fashion trends, our diets, and our new hygiene regimens. We allow celebrities to worm their way into our lives.
It starts at an early age, with live action shows geared towards children and pre-teens. Many kids adopt these celebrities as role models because they aren’t finding any in their communities. They see the illusion on television or in magazines and try to attain it.
This is destroying our society from the inside.
Everyone, no matter how educated or mature, gets sucked into this vortex of idolizing and yearning. For years, I hated my body because I wasn’t as skinny as Gwyneth Paltrow, as light-skinned as Natalie Portman or as gorgeous as Emma Stone.
Granted, there’s no way I could physically look like these individuals, but that didn’t stop me from dreaming or trying.
This isn’t just an issue for women. Men have to deal with it, too.
Most male celebrities are portrayed as tough, manly, attractive and confident. Any man who doesn’t have at least one of those qualities is seen as less than a true man.
The remedy to this problem isn’t just to inform people about how celebrities influence them.
We must go to the celebrities themselves.
Just because society puts them on a pedestal doesn’t mean that they have to be on it. They need to stay relatable to their audiences and not be some object of status and desire.
It’s not as hard as it sounds.
First, without compromising safety, celebrities should stop isolating themselves from their fans.
A few minutes of stopping by in a local bookstore or going to the store can work wonders with improving relatability with fans. Maybe a fan can recommend a good book series or vice versa.
If that’s too much, then during meet and greets, celebrities should give a little extra time to fans. Shake their hands, look them in the eyes and tell them a quick story while they’re waiting in line.
A small human gesture will go a long way.