Just putting out a discussion topic to you all. I’d love you to share your thoughts – in the hope that we can all help eachother – either by broadening our perspective or perhaps (if we’re sharing similar thoughts) letting us know we’re not alone in our thinking!
Questions to Ponder:
- How do you feel about “celebs”?
- Do you want to read about their lives every week in mags, or would you rather hear/read about REAL people (think “Australian Story”, Sunday, or Current Affairs programs)?
- Do you buy certain magazines because of the celeb/cover story?
- Are you intrigued by celebrity “reality” shows which show us how they supposedly really live?
- Why are we so obsessed with celebrity gossip?
- Does the constant feed of information about their lives help you in any way?
- Does it take you outside of your own reality for a while, or does it leave you “wanting” – wanting their bodies, their clothes, their paycheques, their husbands/wives, their lives and wishing you could have even five minutes of their fame/glory?
- What makes someone a “celeb” anyway!? Isn’t it just what the media decide to take hold of/expose us to on a fairly constant and frequent basis until they are top of mind enough for us to consider them famous (for now, at least?).
I know how I feel about these topics, but instead of sharing first as I do in my regular blogs, I’m going to just put it out there to readers first. One Style Counsel Online member – Sue – has already shared her opinion on my community forum (below). I promise to share my thoughts (for what they’re worth) as soon as a few of you have shared yours! I don’t want to hog all the pages on here ya know! 🙂
REMEMBER – There is no wrong or right here! Just share your thoughts, regardless of what you may fear others may think of you.
And also remember one of my favourite sayings: “OPINIONS ARE LIKE BOTTOMS – EVERYONE HAS ONE!”
Big Al x
This is the comment from Sue – a member of the Style Counselonline community. She posted this on the forum and I thought it was very insightful and worth sharing….
Hi Al,
I do have an opinion on this one and an even bigger bottom!!
I don’t buy weekly magazines any more for the very reason that they are full of ‘celeb’ gossip and not a lot more. I love the movies (go at least once a week) and also music and I am just like most others, interested in what the actors/singers/musicians are REALLY like, what makes them tick and what inspires them…not who they slept with this week etc.
What I really enjoy most of all though is inspiring stories about ordinary you and me type people and so yes, I rarely miss Australian Story and also Talking Heads both on the ABC. I like to be blown away, made to take time for reflection on what makes ordinary people do extraordinary things and how we can be inspired to take a leaf out of their book and maybe push ourselves to do more with our precious lives.
On that note I must say I get a lot out of reading these stories as much as watching them on the box. I have quite a little library of inspiring stories!!
Ah, that was a nice way to start the day off Al…..a bit of food for thought, thankyou.
Sue
I am not celebrity obsessed. I have a couple of other issues we could talk about. When you get to the topic of BDSM let me know. (I’m teasing). Srsly, I’m not wowed by celebs.
Me either Ron. Mostly I get far more inspiration from the real people I meet regularly through my work/life. With or without teeth, holes in their shorts ‘n all! 🙂
I can’t remember the last time I bought a magazine or watched a program based on which celebrity was being featured/exposed/exploited or whatever other term we can use. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I purchased a magazine or a newspaper for that matter.
I am totally with Sue on this one and I honestly have so much going on in my life and the life of my family/friends to not have the time nor the inclination to get caught up in the fodder that is regularly feed to the masses and called “news”!
My only confession is that I do base (well, mostly) my movie selections on who stars in it but to my behest as, over the years, it would seem that I have missed some cracking movies only to have received the odd “I told you so” 🙂
I have and continue to be inspired by so many “ordinary” people who, unknown to themselves most of time, do extraordinary things.