Assignment 5-2, part two.

QUESTION: Why does our culture reach out for heroes and celebrities? What do we gain in our lives as a result of this interaction?


ANSWER: Our culture chooses to reach out for heroes and celebrities because we are looking for a way to compensate for excitement and fantasy that we are lacking. Simply put, heroes and celebrities are a way to escape the dull and boring daily life that most Americans have. We gain a bit of an escape … a “mental vacation”, if you will.

Celebrity life is infinitely more interesting than the regular life of a wife and a mother. The daily “grind” of diapers and dishes seems to be far less interesting than the worries of choosing just the right designer jeans for the club each night, doesn’t it? So it would stand to reason that many women choose to follow celebrity life as a way to experience a wistful escape from their daily “ho-hum” life.

And I speak from experience.

One of the current “hot sites” on my hit-list is perezhilton.com, and I have to admit reading it daily. I love reading the snippets of information about the jet set, and seeing what’s “in”. Admittedly, my social status and fashion know-how has taken quite the hit since I have a job that requires a lot of energy and thought (and a child that helpfully added more than a fair amount of weight). I enjoy taking a few minutes just to see what the celebrities are up to.