People with no lives are frustrating my own

Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan

Ancient Mariner
There is truth to that statement.  The way capitalism works is that the loudest voices are heard.  Unfortunately, sometimes those loudest voices happen to come from the lowest common denominator.  Take a look at shows and sensationalized news that bring you the boring and ridiculous lives of pitiful celebrities.

Why are people so pre-occupied with celebrities and their wild antics?  More importantly, it is worrisome that so many individuals seem to have no personal lives that they need to follow closely everything their favourite celebs do.  Even more worrisome is the fact that news stations are broadcasting so much of Anna Nicole “I-have-done-nothing-with-my-life” Smith and Brittany “I-shave-my-head-‘cause-I’m-crazy” Spears.  I’m tired of hearing this crap when I should be receiving real news that matters.

Frustrated
 
I don't think Britney Spear's current situation should be news. Having said that, I feel great sympathy for her right now. She appears to have some kind of serious problem with drugs and/or alcohol. As someone who has had those problems himself, I know to a great extent what she is going through - and it is sheer hell. Obviously, the bottom I hit wasn't covered by the media, so that aspect of her situation is something I can't relate to. But acting crazy due to the (apparent) influence of mind-altering chemicals? In and out of institutions? I know all about that. I feel nothing but sympathy for her right now.

As for Smith - what has happened since her death is not her fault. Whatever your opinion of her life, it's tragic that those around her (especially that fucking judge) are taking advantage of her to get their own fame.

Genghis Khan is right. Celebrity gossip is disgusting. Not necessarily the content of the rumors themselves (though that is also frequently disgusting), but the fascination some people have with it. My least favorite cable networks is VH1, who keeps promoting this kind of shit with their worthless celebrity reality shows. Seriously - who on earth gives a flying fuck about Hulk Hogan's personal life? It might not be so bad if VH1 had been founded for this purpose, like the E network was. At least E has stayed true to their scummy purpose. VH1, like MTV, started as a music network. And like their older sibling, they have almost entirely abandoned music. The people who made VH1's programming decisions should be beaten with a large wrench.
 
Agreed there mate, most classic channels like MTV seem to go to a downward spiral. For me, reality stuff can have its moments, but then again, it also degrades people in some form. It's all gossip here, there, from yesterday to tomorrow.
Just like Bruce's outlook on this, that people watch this channels to no whats going on in some celebrity's life and stuff, something like paparazzi.
People, even big shots need their own personal space, and the right to do what they want, even if the motives maybe truthful or questionable.

I don't really know, but MTV may be on its way to a lost cause. Headbanger's ball was real missed.
 
The finger of blame points fairly and squarely at the people with an insatiable appetite for gossip of the celebs. A simple solution is for us all to stop reading "Hello" and such crass publications.
 
"Hello" CRASS?! I'd have to disagree and not just because my mom reads it lol. But one is being in the know of high society and the other is freaking out over brittany's shaved head.
 
All that empty, meaningless stuff on the TV and the press is for the masses, to keep them ignorant and entertained and not thinking about politics.

This method goes back to Roman times - 'Panem et circenses' ,  'Bread and games' .
 
It´s the same situation here.
When you turn on the TV I´m used to expecting crap...that´s why I don´t watch it.
People seems to care more about some celebrity who broke her/his finger nail or dyed her/his hair recently, than a (shall I say REAL?) person who´s dying of hunger or any other REALLY important issue.
As Urizen said, it´s all about "Pan y circo" which translated to english means "Bread and circus".
 
Since we're on the subject, get this - my TV broke down a month ago, and I still haven't done anything about it, and I don't care one bit.
Here I am not watching TV all this time, and couple of months ago if someone asked me I'd tell him I couldn't possibly cope being without it for a week, let alone a month.

There's a saying, 'He who's not here, we can do without.'
 
Urizen said:
All that empty, meaningless stuff on the TV and the press is for the masses, to keep them ignorant and entertained and not thinking about politics.

This method goes back to Roman times - 'Panem et circenses' ,  'Bread and games' .
Click to expand...

Bread and circus
 
Onhell said:
Bread and circus
Click to expand...

Interesting, here in the Czech Republic we have "chleb a hry" which is "Bread and games" in English. It seems translations differ (I do not know latin) :-)

It seems it is all the same around the world :-) I usually watch TV only when my wife turns it on. Then we see what a rubbish is broadcasted by our four TV channels and then we put there some nice bloody american action movie or the South Park or Red Dwarf :-)
 
Onhell said:
Bread and circus
Click to expand...

Bread and circuses (or is that circi?)

I won't really go into details regarding my views on the celebrity subculture or our abyssmal Western civilisation; it pretty much conforms to the views of those above, especially those based in the British Isles.  The only time I watch a mainstream TV show is Have I Got For News For You, which is decidedly against so-called celebrities (except Boris Johnson! :P)
 
My biggest gripe about the tabloids' recent focus on Anna Nicole Smith and Britney Spears is that these stories have pushed aside the far more interesting story of the astronaut love triangle.  :wub:  Now THAT was a fascinating scandal!  Every detail of that story -- the trenchcoat and wig, the BB gun and pepper spray, and who will ever forget the oversized space diaper -- got progressively funnier as it came to light.  It's not all that surprising that a borderline mentally retarded redneck like Britney Spears abandons all personal dignity; but this was a freakin' astronaut!!  Best story of 2007 so far, and it will be difficult to top. 
 
Hi All,

I've *no* idea why people are so fascinated. I don't read *any* celebrity magazines & don't feel I'm missing anything. I shaved my head once & nobody thought I was on the verge of a breakdown, nor was I on the front page of every paper out. :innocent:

I *did* see something in the paper about some "celebrity"  having 300 people w/ them at some big event or other. I wonder how many of those people were proper friends of theirs?

NP: R.L. Burnside ~ Little Babe
 
I'm not sure where the blame should be put - the celebs that for years try to be noted by media, just to start complaining when they get what they worked for; media for emphasizing the celebrity events instead of proper news (after all, people are being killed in Iraq every day, while we're getting spoon-fed on Brittany's hair cut :halo:, Anna-Nicole's tragic family circumstances, the Beckhams' in the USA etc, etc; or us for bying the crappy magazines, tabloids or watching crap tv shows like big brother etcetera. There are some really interesting sociological mechanisms going on here with our facination with celebrities (some seem to be living through celebs instead of getting a life of their own) and the ...craving of making the private public (as in people having sex on tv). Warhol talked about 15 minutes of fame in the 60s. Maybe it took 40 years to get through?

I hate all the tv shows about make-over this, make-over that, surgically enhanced this and surgically reduced that. Imagine if there was a way to surgically enhance the mind instead? Make people focus on important things instead...

When I watch tv I watch shows like House or the West Wing, and the news every night. And during the hockey world championships I'm stuck to the tv for all Sweden's games of course. Yesterday we beet Finland, again :yey: :yey: :yey: Other than that, most stuff on the tv is crap, usually.
 
I agree w/ you, other than Top Gear which the world has to stop for, & a few others, there's not *that* much on that's good anymore
A lot of the best stuff is/will be on dvd *anyway*.

I don't know where the blame should be put. The magazines are only there because people buy them &  me choosing not to won't make any difference, not that I'm too bothered since *I'm* not wasting money on them.
 
Anomica said:
There are some really interesting sociological mechanisms going on here with our facination with celebrities (some seem to be living through celebs instead of getting a life of their own) and the ...craving of making the private public (as in people having sex on tv). Warhol talked about 15 minutes of fame in the 60s. Maybe it took 40 years to get through?

I hate all the tv shows about make-over this, make-over that, surgically enhanced this and surgically reduced that. Imagine if there was a way to surgically enhance the mind instead? Make people focus on important things instead...
Click to expand...

The saddest part is when young people (teenagers especially) take to their favourite celebrities and try to emulate them.  Imagine 12 years olds acting like pop divas.  (*Sigh)
 
I agree w/ you. I need to know what somebody *does* to even *start* admiring them. I think Philip Glennister [spelling?] is great, but I don't care what he has for breakfast or when he does his shopping or anything. & I'd have a bit of a hard job trying to emmulate him, wouldn't I?! :lol: :innocent:

Escapism *is* great, but there are limits :lol:
 
Anomica said:
I'm not sure where the blame should be put - the celebs that for years try to be noted by media, just to start complaining when they get what they worked for; media for emphasizing the celebrity events instead of proper news (after all, people are being killed in Iraq every day, while we're getting spoon-fed on Brittany's hair cut :halo:, Anna-Nicole's tragic family circumstances, the Beckhams' in the USA etc, etc; or us for bying the crappy magazines, tabloids or watching crap tv shows like big brother etcetera. There are some really interesting sociological mechanisms going on here with our facination with celebrities (some seem to be living through celebs instead of getting a life of their own) and the ...craving of making the private public (as in people having sex on tv). Warhol talked about 15 minutes of fame in the 60s. Maybe it took 40 years to get through?

I hate all the tv shows about make-over this, make-over that, surgically enhanced this and surgically reduced that. Imagine if there was a way to surgically enhance the mind instead? Make people focus on important things instead...

When I watch tv I watch shows like House or the West Wing, and the news every night. And during the hockey world championships I'm stuck to the tv for all Sweden's games of course. Yesterday we beet Finland, again :yey: :yey: :yey: Other than that, most stuff on the tv is crap, usually.
Click to expand...

Thoughtful, poignant and eloquent... all I noticed however is that you actually bothered to spell out "etc." :p :smartarse:
 
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