OPINION

How Celebrity Dictates Life
by Katie Norman, St. John's NF

Long gone are the days when a person did just as they wanted to. I am not talking about peer pressure or influence. I am speaking of the immersion of western society in the idea of celebrity.

What is a celebrity? At first images of movie and music stars pop into my head. Yet politicians, television news anchors, clothing designers, talk show guests and even magazines have taken on the role of celebrity. In the past 100 years celebrity has replaced religion as the real mover and shaker of this planet.

Celebrity dictates appropriate hair colour, body shape, dress cut and behaviour for both men and women, young and old. It is human nature to gravitate to and strive for what you find attractive. People have a natural yearning to try and reinvent themselves. It would be a hard task to try and find someone who isn’t jealous of another person, even if it’s simply over the fact that they have nicer tulips than they do.

Celebrities’ influence is neither a positive or negative thing in my mind. Often it simply provides inspiration to strive for what you want. If you see another person living your dream, I believe the fear is removed and you are more likely to follow it because the path has already been trailblazed. In a nutshell the fear of the unknown has been removed. This is a positive aspect of the submersion of life in the ideals of being a celebrity.

Celebrities do not simply exist. They are created. The real brains behind the appeal that draws us all in, are the fashion designers, hair and makeup artists, publicists, producers and media behind the pretty faces.

Few people are lucky enough to be able to sit on the bleachers above the red carpet and watch the celebrities with their own eyes. For everyone else we get our taste of the glamour through glossy magazine pages, television interviews and official web sites.

The real secret to celebrities is not about clothing or hair though; it is about how they carry themselves. I believe that this is what most people envy. It is how they are portrayed that draws the masses, not what they actually do. Through makeup, airbrushing, editing, and real marketing smarts that an everyday Joe turns into the object of the green-eyed monster.

The real secret to celebrities is not about clothing or hair though; it is about how they carry themselves. I believe that this is what most people envy. It is how they are portrayed that draws the masses, not what they actually do. Through makeup, airbrushing, editing, and real marketing smarts that an everyday Joe turns into the object of the green-eyed monster.
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