VA: Celebrity Worship and the American Dream
Jun 14th, 2007
(11 votes, average: 3.36 out of 5)
Loading ...I don’t really write much about Paris Hilton or Brad Pitt or whoever because I care even less about their day to day lives than I do about yours. I […]
Original post: Celebrity Worship and the American Dream
I am deeply offended at this statement: “Furthermore, I strongly suspect that every single person who subscribes to People Magazine or US Weekly is a fucking retard.”
I have a son who is retarded. He can’t help it, he’s done nothing to deserve it. He has a rare condition that caused brain damage known as tuberous sclerosis. It’s not a joking matter. And yet here you are, comparing him to people who would read People or US Weekly. He would never stoop so low. Your statement is an insult to anybody who is retarded. As if they would willingly read People Magazine. Rubbish.
As for the American dream, I’m a big believer that happiness is indeed not something that money can buy. Don’t get me wrong, having an extra $50k a year would make us happier because we’d stop going into debt on medical expenses and shit like that. But I’d be very happy to own a 4 or 5 bedroom place out in the country. Or like 10 bedrooms if some of my family wanted to live out there. Well, not my parents, they’re totally fucking nuts.
Sad but true: Everyone’s life revolves around “status, material belongings, and artificial relationships.” Yours too, V, whether its meaningless subscriber counts or pissing off mommy-bloggers.
Umm Dear Sweet Tits,
How is that you claim you have no fucking interest in celebrities yet you are like a fucking paparazzi encyclopedia of the lives of Paris, Lindsey, and the like?
Do irony much?
For more on this topic check out Cintra Wilson’s “A Massive Swelling…”
A little outdated, but still relevant to the discussion at hand.
@LOLCAT:
It’s kind of hard NOT TO know about paris, lindsey, et al. assuming you have you ears or eyes.
@LOLCAT
Umm… research? This IS the Internet.
Thank you, V. Thank you for putting into words my feelings verbatim.
I hate the entertainment news with a passion. People I work with or my friends know not to bring it up around me, less they receive my scorn. I’ve gotten several dirty looks when people start talking celebrity news and I blurt out, “Who cares?! What does it matter!”
I think most people do in fact realize the problem is with the lifestyle, not the individual. People are smarter than you think, and just because they read Us Weekly does not mean they “would give up their lives to watch [celebrities] live theirs.” Talk about an overstatement! Maybe people just find that stuff mildly interesting. Look at all of us - we read your column all the time even though we have no idea who you are (at least I don’t.) Just because someone finds another person’s life interesting doesn’t mean they have something seriously lacking in their own life. It just means they’re curious.
Impressive - I still can’t keep Mary Kate and Ashley straight. Maybe the toilet clutching thing will help me to remember that Mary Kate’s the one that pukes. I bet I’ll forget by next week and they’ll meld back into one. Thank God.
I am convinced that I’d be better able to handle fame and fortune than the latest freak show batch. Maybe not. In any case, I’ll probably never get to test my theory, and I ain’t pissed off about it.
BTW - thanks for the link to Wide Lawns. What an amazing writer - what an interesting life!! (Even if it’s made up - which I don’t *think* it is…), it’s still a hell of a read!!
@Nerdmaster
Chill out, there’s more than one type of retard;
1. Mentally Handicapped
2. Retarded - Stupid, moron, idiot, reads US weekly and people, etc.
Just like there’s more than one type of gay, homosexual, and gay used as an adjective to insult someone when they do something of disapproval to others (the insult most teenagers use).
“Just like there’s more than one type of gay, homosexual, and gay used as an adjective to insult someone when they do something of disapproval to others (the insult most teenagers use).”
I can verify this. Fags.
sunny: If you find that stuff mildly interesting, you should have more than enough with what the mass media tries to shove down your throat all the time. If those magazines are what I think they are (that is, their only goal is to follow celebrities’ lives in-depth), that I have to agree with V - that is for those willing to spend their own money and time to keep up with how someone else spends their money and time. Which, I guess, can be considered a type of retard.
I ordered some magazines once when I was having an “episode…” then when I tried to cancel them, the bastards wouldn’t let me. I tried. They said no…. I chalked it up in the “just the way it goes” category.
shadowbird: you’re right in that one can find enough in the media to keep them well informed. However, I know many people who subscribe to those magazines so they have something mindless to look at when they are at the gym, on the train, etc. Its like a mental break for them. Does that make them stupid, like V says? I don’t think so.
You know V., I think you are pretty much 100% right on this issue. I got so sick of being told who does what to who with what and so on. I got sick of being a mindless zombie sitting in front of a tv. I canceled cable tv. I stopped watching movies. I’m on the verge of throwing out my 32″ tv.
Granted, I spend almost all of my freetime online, and yes I do play World of Warcraft most of the time. But I’ll tell you what. I get more enjoyment out of playing a stupid game than I do watching some idiot box.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who realized that the American Dream is no longer the same version as my parents’. I’m happy renting a two-bedroom apartment/half house on wide open land. I’m happy that I don’t mindlessly follow what media tells me. I’m happy I can make my own decisions and still think straight without mindless crap from the tv messing with my head.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some shows/channels on tv that are amazing, and you can learn a lot from them (Mythbusters, History Channel, etc). I just refuse to pay $60/month for 2 channels and more football/NASCAR coverage. I have Sirius satellite radio. I listen to NASCAR/football and surf the net. Of which, btw I’ve learned more on the net than anything else.
I think instead of being called retarded for reading People and US and watching mindless tv, it’s better to call these people SHEEP. That’s all anyone is who wants the life of a star on $7/hour salary. This is the whole reason why the debt in this country is as bad as it is. Granted, there are some (like me) who suck at money, but most people want to have the latest and greatest things because they think it will make them happy.
How’s this for a MY dream….
I don’t want a big mansion, I just want a small, simple Dome house that is energy efficent (much better than ordinary homes), solar electricty mixed with wind power, 10+ acres of land not connected to any utilities and satellite internet service.
This is my dream. Nobody else’s. Get your own dream and stop being sheep. Throw out your tv’s, stop reading utter trash and stop caring what other people think or how they live. It’s your life, make the most of it in a way that will make you HAPPY and not fake.
Good. Goooooood.
You don’t think anyone else has that dream? I can GUARANTEE you there have been thousands if not millions of people who have had that dream before you my friend. Just sayin’. No. Slayerboy thinks for himself 100% of the time and came up with the idea of energy efficient dome homes. Hmmmm…
Also, quit kissin’ V’s ass. She said she doesn’t like it.
Ditto Reflex - Slaverboy, that dream is not so unique. And just because a person reads people or us weekly doesn’t mean they wish they had the life of a star. Most of the people i know are much more grounded in reality then you give them credit for, so how about not talking down to them because you think you know more.
When I use Messenger, this thing pops up with the news ‘headlines’. For the past couple of days, one of the top 5 stories has inevitably been about Paris Hilton; “Paris Hilton leaves jail!”, “Someone steals Paris Hilton’s garbage!”, “Paris Hilton breaks a nail!”…
I mean, that’s news? At least, with US Weekly etc, people make a choice to buy and then read that crap. More power to them.
But to have Paris Hilton stories sandwiched between genuine news? Come on…
gw3aiu0g6m24cht2