Celebrity Worship

I have never really understood celebrity worship.  Sure, when I was a kid, I crushed on Donny Osmond, Leif Garrett, Chachi, and Bo Duke.   Plus, I had this whole imaginary world in my head about Cher being my real mom.  When I got a little older, I was in love with Blackie (John Stamos during his General Hospital days, for you younguns!)   

However, by my teenage years, I outgrew that fangirl stuff, and I really didn't care about celebrities anymore. One time during high school I was at Magic Mountain with some friends, and they happened to notice Micky Dolenz standing across the walkway from us. For those of you born after about 1980, Micky Dolenz was in a band and tv show called The Monkees.  My friends walked over to where he was, and were acting like, well, a bunch of teenagers, oohing and ahhing over him.  I went and got in line for a churro.  

There were a couple of girls from my high school who became actresses (well, one was just modeling at the time, but started acting later, and has become very famous, and one I don't think did anything after graduation.)  Anyways, the whole school was gaga over them.  Me?  I thought it was cool for them, but I wasn't busting my ass trying to become bff's with them, like a lot of other people were.  Sure, they were nice girls- at least I think they were.  I wasn't cool enough to actually hang out with them or anything, but neither one of them ran away screaming when I crossed their paths!

I've gone through most of my adult years with a supreme lack of caring about the lives of most celebrities.  Living in Southern California the majority of my life, I've had opportunity to encounter celebrities quite a few times, and I just never really cared.  

Well, maybe except for that one time when I got to meet Mikhail Baryshnikov after seeing him perform. I got his autograph (the one and only autograph I have ever asked for) and I may have swooned just a little.  But come on, it was Baryshnikov!!

Don't get me wrong, there are certain people whose work I enjoy, so I'll see a movie, or watch a tv show specifically because they are in it.  And I'm happy to hear when good things happen in their lives, and saddened when bad things happen.  But that has pretty much always been the extent of my interest in the lives of celebrities.

It used to be that celebrities were out of reach for the common person.  We saw them on tv and in magazines, but there was a definite barrier between the famous and us regular folks.  Fans could write a letter to a fan club, and hope for a response, but it wasn't very likely to happen, and it surely would not come from the star themselves.  Social media has changed all of that though.  We can hear firsthand from our favorite stars, and many even interact with their fans on a regular basis. 

I was a bit shocked when I joined Twitter, and was actually responded to, and then followed by a few celebrities.  I don't follow many famous people, because ultimately I still really don't care.  The few whom I do follow and interact with, all bring more to the table than just promoting their latest projects, or showing off how utterly fabulous their lives are.  They share parts of themselves that make them seem just like you and I, or they use their fame in a positive way to help others.  Those are my kind of people!

However, I will admit that in the past year, being able to occasionally interact with these people whom I admire, I may have become ever so slightly star struck.  Not because they are famous though, but because of how they reach out and make a difference in the lives of others.  I have definitely gained a new understanding for celebrity worship. I get it a little more now.  At least some of it.  

What I will never, in a million years, understand, is the flip side of being able to communicate with celebrities through social media.  I cannot wrap my head around the people who spend time online and disparage, name call, insult, or flat out attack celebrities they despise.  I do not understand how somebody can treat another human being that way.  And I vehemently disagree with the idea that when someone is a public figure, they're "asking for it" by putting their lives on display.  I don't care if you dislike their music, acting, tv show they were on, sports team they played for, or the book they wrote!  So what if you adore their spouse's ex!?  How is berating another human being (famous or not) fulfilling and positive in your life?

Although I try to avoid it, I see this happen pretty much every day on social media- grown-ass adults acting like schoolyard punks, or members of the mean girls club.  And then we wonder why bullying seems to be on the rise among our youth?  Look at the example being set for them every time they log on to the internet!

I know I'm not going to change how people behave online, but it sickens me that so many people don't bat an eyelash as they insult another human being, and they actually take great joy in it.  It kind of makes me wonder if they would say such horrible things to someone's face. Or how they would feel if roles were reversed, or if it was someone they really cared for that was being treated in the same hateful manner.