Celebrity Gossip, Identity, & Power

Left: Angelina Jolie Doll by Noel Cruz




Debord writes of the spectacle as a mode of relating to the world through representations and illusions. The consumption of entertainment and celebrities seems like an obvious manifestation of the spectacle, and thus socially harmful. But because of my allegiance (read: addiction) to celebrity gossip and consumption of celebrities, I cannot help but think that celebrity gossip is a fun, social, and perfectly acceptable practice.

Celebrity gossip is a lot like the spectacle in that we do not have real relationships with celebrities, but we do have relationships with the representations (including images, gossip, and professional work) of celebrities. Celebrities are, by definition, representations because they are known by the masses, but very few people have actually seen them in the flesh. They become almost supernatural because their existence as images, or representations, does not directly relate to most people’s lives. They are whatever images or movie clips one has ever seen of them, and thus they are different in every person’s life. While I see the Jonas Brothers as hilarious little curly-haired boys, most American pre-teens and young teens see them as gorgeous, talented, sexy men (ha!). Similarly, the spectacle is anything and everything that you know it to be- surely the endless amount of images and signs I have seen in my life differ from those of a boy born and raised in Greece, or even Montana. Basically, celebrity identities and one’s experience of the spectacle are all relative.

Celebrity gossip and identities are like the spectacle in that they are all a mode of relating to the world. My relation to the world is definitely tempered by my ideas and conception of celebrities. For example, I really do not like the recent leggings trend that has swept Hollywood, the country, and even the runway, the chief patron of which is Lindsay Lohan. As a result, I hardly ever wear leggings as pants. This may sound extremely trivial, and often times it is, but nevertheless, I recognize celebrity gossip as a dominating force in the construction of my social being. My incessant definition of myself against those identities is another way that celebrity gossip and identities act as a mode of relating to the world. Their money, fab frocks, and ridiculous vacations all over the world constantly remind me that I am far from their world- that I am a student at Williams College in Massachusetts with a very tight budget.

I am fully aware that I voluntarily involve myself in this world of celebrities by going to Perezhilton.com and Style.com almost everyday. But I do believe that celebrity power and gossip has become unavoidable for the average person. I think the day came very recently- CNN closely followed the mess that was (is?) Britney Spears. Uninvolved, uninterested elders know who Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are. It is ubiquitous: “the spectator feels at home nowhere, for the spectacle is everywhere” (Debord 23).

The most haunting parallel between celebrity gossip/ power/ and identity is the religious patronage that people give to this gossip, just like they do to the spectacle. Debord says, “the spectacle is the material reconstruction of the religious illusion” (Debord 17-18). I immediately thought of Madonna’s iconic song “Material Girl.” For those of you who haven’t heard this, shame on you. But here are some lyrics:

They can beg and they can plead

But they cant see the light, thats right

cause the boy with the cold hard cash

Is always mister right, cause we are

Living in a material world
And I am a material girl
You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl

First off, I think Madonna fans are pretty intense and the status they give her is surely God-like. But just like the spectacle, celebrity gossip is followed fervently with the utmost devotion. Quite honestly, I am probably more “religiously devoted” to Perez and Style.com than I am to any established religion. This is becoming more of a norm and totally acceptable, which kind of scares me, but I am a voluntary, educated part of the problem. My deep problem, that you may have already picked up on, is my mixed feelings about celebrity gossip and my fidelity to the ridiculous tales of their lives. I do not think there is anything wrong with it, but I get this deep feeling that everything is wrong with it, just like Debord thinks everything is wrong with the spectacle.