Is Celebritism dumbing down humans?

Sorry, I've lost interest in your position and don't enjoy long debates when I know the outcome will be the same.

I'd rather go back to the point of my topic and the damage celebritism is doing to our culture.

BBB

I was young when those girls were screaming and I thought they were stupid.

BBB

So what? You have just assumed the answer to your question, and now you want to argue with people. I know of no good evidence that people are "dumber" because of their fascination with celebrity.

I'm surprised that you wrote "I know of no good evidence that people are "dumber" because of their fascination with celebrity."

Does that apply to students?

BBB

I am questioning your point. I don't believe that celebritism is doing damage to our culture. It is a part of our culture, and of cultures in general. It's not fair to say you don't enjoy long debates and then immediately continue the debate.

At least tell me specifically what you think the damage is. At worst it is enjoyable as meaningless entertainment, and there is nothing wrong with meaningless entertainment.

It applies to people. That's why i wrote people.

I've noticed that student age children tend to become more shallow in their learning, their interests, and developing curiosity about the world they live in if they waste time devoted to the pursuit of celebrities. My next door neighbor is a teacher and she agrees with me that there is a big distraction via celebritism in her students of all ages. She said that student's attempt to copy celebrities' behavior are not helpful to their education.

BBB

I can give counter-examples. My very intelligent teen aged nieces are big Lady Gaga fans. It doesn't seem to have hurt their learning or their curiosity. My teen aged sons are very much into sports, both playing and watching. This has been a clear net positive for them (and they are both intelligent and have multiple interests).

I think being a fan of celebrities is a near universal part of childhood. My boys use sports stars and teams as part of their social development, as did I and as did most men. I have not seen a teen aged girl who does not have a music or movie star poster somewhere in her room or locker.

This is human nature, and we evolved with these traits because they have social value. A wise teacher will learn to work with human nature, not against it.

I didn't like BBB's attitude of dismissal about other opinions in the topic she started, but I tend to agree with her on some points.

I don't know if the search for celebrity and fame is part of human nature -thinking about the desire to trascend life, be remembered-, but it certainly is part of the Western culture. Since the Greeks, at least (think of all the "inmortal" champions of the Classic Olympics). Celebrity and fame are possible, because other people see the famous ones (the "celebrities") as different from the norm, usually for good reasons (great artists, political leaders, scientists, athletes).

What happens today is the creation by the media of a sort of disposable celebrities, use'em & throw 'em, like paper tissue. The epithome of them are the "Big Brother" celebs, who are often birdbrains with no talent in anything. They have nothing on them except the fact of them being "famous" (though they're usually only known by the people who follow certain media). Following their petty lives is now a form of "entertainment".

Gossip news happens to be a relatively inexpensive media product with a big financial turnout. All you have to do is hook enough people into following petty lives, and bingo!

This is social impoverishment, as Italian thinker Umberto Eco wrote.
"What was behind classic gossip: an element of social cohesion... the gossipers somewhat participate in the problems of the gossipees. But that works only if the gossipee is not present (otherwise it would only be an aggression), and it gives a sense of power to the gossipers... and a sense of belonging.
On TV gossip, instead, the gossipees are the first ones to know. In fact, TV has killed gossip, which had important social functions.
Myths are formed by classic gossip. The tragic poet put the spectator in a state of mind of the one who just learns a gossip... and this had a cathartic effect on society.
Myth takes human beings that are superior to us and, gossiping about them, tells us that, in the end, they're very much like us. TV gossip takes people like us and, gossiping about them, tells us that, just because of it, who should take them as divinities."

So the quid is not about whether or not celebrities are to be adored or admired, but about whether or not they deserve the fame. And in the later years we have assisted to a convoluted construction of fake celebrities.

Very interesting perspective Fbaezer, especially the idea of disposable celebrity.

I still find it a bit difficult to tell the difference between entertainer and bird-brain. There is a long tradition of the jester, or fool, as entertainer. The first winner of Big Brother, the naked gay guy, had undeniable value as entertainment and maybe as some sort of social commentary in the jester tradition. I must admit I stopped watching after that.

Then there is the entertainers like Lady Gaga who certainly increase their fame through scandalous behavior, but I believe she has undeniable talent.

Of course, there are the examples like Paris Hilton who even I would have a hard time arguing that they deserve even the standard 15 minutes of fame. I would guess that most celebrities today have some exceptional talent or achievement that warrants fame.

The question that interests me is how different the 21st century is from earlier centuries. There were courtesans in earlier times and people who were only famous because they had the money to buy extravagant life styles. And there were people who gained fame by scandalous behavior.

Of course, it is difficult for me to judge any time other then my own.

Fbaezer, I understand why you didn't like my attitude of dismissal about other opinions in the topic I started. I have more limited physical and mental stamina to continue a repetitive argument these days. Posting is not as easy for me as it once was.

BBB

No prob., BBB.

lol Celebritism is not a word so I would say yes.