Haters Anonymous...

[hollywoodgot2be]

Wow! If I were a boybander I don't know that I could remain quiet about my personal business. Some of the comments from column by Perez Hilton of page666 are beyond obnoxious. They are just obscene.

Comments

[hollywoodgot2be]

Sure...from the poor little rich girl to the modest hard worker...most celebrities do represent the American Dream. The majority of them may not be as poor as their publicist would like us to believe but that is what they represent. That anyone who works hard and gets a little lucky can make it in this world and get uber-successful. Bill Gates is a celebrity as well as Oprah Winfrey, Colin Powell, Jerry Springer and OJ Simpson. Celebrities these days aren't really based on talent but on their well-knowness and while we do have segmented categories of celebrities (politicians, religious leaders, actors, musicians, etc.) they are all celebrities and in many cases represent the American Dream.

(When I say American Dream that is kind of unfair...it is actually the capitalist dream. Capitalism has created a way for it to not defeat itself in democracy by utilizing a dream in which anyone who works hard can partake of its mind-numbing wealth. In actuality that's not the case.)

While I understand that many actresses are based on looks rather than talent...it doesn't matter. Somehow, someway these people have worked their gift (talent or beauty or brains) to be able to grab a piece of the fickle public attention. And they've stuck. That takes some kind of work and while it may not be there's someone is working overly hard to give them the image of succeeding against the odds.

[morethanimagine]

Somehow, someway these people have worked their gift (talent or beauty or brains) to be able to grab a piece of the fickle public attention

Thank you for the clarification. I've been thinking about this since I read your post last night.

In terms of acting - which I think I used as an example - you're right, many successful, multi-millionaire actors do represent the American Dream. I was expressing prejudice against beauty as the basis for success. You're right however that it doesn't matter whether the gift is beauty, talent or brains.

I would distinguish the American Dream and the Capitalist Dream, even though both often end with same result (riches, monetary/career success). And I think it's the increased focus on those who've achieved the Capitalist Dream as opposed to the American Dream that contributes to people's lack of respect for "celebrities." That, the "easy" money of Reality TV, the increased physical "perfection" of many celebrities and the enormous media attention on celebrity partying etc (which maybe the public demands, but I think that's chicken-egg argument). The appeal of the American Dream has always been that anyone could achieve it through hard work.

The farther away celebrities of every genre move from the American Dream to the Capitalist Dream, and the more distant and unattainable their successes seem, the more celebrities become people to watch as entertainment rather than as inspirations. Take Paris Hilton - yes, she may have to work very hard to remain in the public eye, but the truth is that she started out rich and she started out with connections. That's yes, a dream many people wish they lived, but staying in the public eye (as hard work as that may be) is not the American Dream.

People respect Oprah Winfrey because she truly represents the American Dream. She came from such humble beginnings and worked up the ladder to the point of enormous success she lives today. People may not believe that can achieve what Oprah has, but they can identify with her and I think that's key.