The Fame Game

“Shock horror: Exclusive photos of Amy Winehouse buying coffee from Starbucks!” Question: Who cares?! Well, apparently us.

Today it’s said that teenagers are far too obsessed with celebrities. That Lindsay Lohan’s favourite colour is more important to us than the effects of global warming. But give us a break. It’s true that the rich and fabulous have a huge impact on almost every part of our lives; from how we dress to the films we watch; influencing our career aspirations and the diet we choose, and determining the music we listen to and the gossip we indulge in over MSN. But this is really such a bad thing and is it all our own fault?

It’s the age-old question of the chicken and the egg. What came first – Paris Hilton or the need for It-girls? Or to be more per specific the need to read articles on sex tape scandals? Well, whichever came first there’s definitely a demand now. Closer’s 2006 circulation figures were a record 590, 211 and Heat came a close second with 579,883. But it’s not all shocking revelations such as Winona Ryder’s favourite brand of socks, the problem seems to be that they encourage readers to see the celebrity lifestyle as the ideal lifestyle that we should all aspire to. And you’re got to admit that’s just downright narrow-minded and greedy. While the details of celebrities’ private lives may be thrilling to some, these magazines seem hell-bent on convincing the entire general public that not only do they need to know – they have a right to know. The emphasis being on how lucky stars must be to be able to have anything and everything they desire. The fact that these people may be really good at what they do is not what’s important, especially if they’re stupid enough to wear last season shoes to a premiere.

Shows such as X Factor encourage this ‘Cinderella complex’. People with limited or no talent at all throw themselves unashamedly at the camera in the hope that Simon Cowell will wave his high-trousered wand and make all their dreams come true. The idea of being famous for nothing more than being in the public eye comes mainly in the form of the reality show. Big Brother is an obvious example, where random, attention-seeking idiots sit on their arses and ever so often pick a fight with each – and this is entertainment?! When did being able to have your picture in the paper for being outrageous, ignorant or just plain ugly, become more important than having real talent?

So yes, we are fascinated with the lives of the rich and famous but hasn’t this been happening throughout history? The main difference though is that now there are more ways to access teens than ever before. Icons such as Elvis and Frank Sinatra were the subjects of endless fascination long before Britney Spears. Back in the 1950s, the marketing types finally gave teenagers their own identity, a group separate from their parents, and fans of Bill Halley, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, huge icons of popular culture, started spending what little money they had on records and leather jackets, any way to bring themselves a little closer to their idols.

Celebrities are no longer just people to idolize; they have become a brand. Now we too can buy a piece of Catherine Zeta Jones and stick it in our bathroom cabinets (her Elizabeth Arden sponsorship). More and more celebs now are bringing out clothing lines, make-up, perfume ranges – the list goes on. Thanks to part-time work and Saturday jobs we’re got more to spend and companies know that a famous face will open more purses than a nobody. It’s just another way for us to be more like our idols and what’s so wrong with that? Isn’t that what we all want? Someone to enthuse over, someone to emulate – a role model. While our parents may like to think that they fit the bill, clearly for any self-respecting teen they just don’t. We want idols to be aspirational not ordinary.

Furthermore it’s fuel for our social interactions; gossip is international and a big part of the cement of our relationships. We use it as a connection to our friends and the cult of celebrity excludes no one from information if they look hard enough. Stars have become our global neighbours and gossip mags, the people talking over the back fence.

Personally, I think we get far too much grief about celebrities – I mean who doesn’t want a bit of escapism every now and again. And it’s not all bad. Fame gives us heroes, excitement and something to talk to friends about at breaks. But to those who will buy an ugly and expensive bag because Kate Moss has got it, those who think the height of success is winning Big Brother, those who spend all of their lunch money just to find out about Britney’s latest meltdown – three words.

Get a life.