Celebrity

One day last week a New York City newspaper had on its front-page a headline and picture proclaiming that Tom Cruise and his other-half (whose name I’m insufficiently interested in to do a Google search to look it up) were expecting a baby. Now, if I were friends with the happy couple I’d undoubtedly be happy for them. Even though I never met either of them I still feel a general happiness for them as they prepare for their new arrival. But is it news?

I took a photojournalism class in college for an art requirement, and we were given the definition of “news”: whatever the editor thinks will sell newspapers. The picture of a smiling Tom Cruise certainly fit that description, but WHY does this sell newspapers? Why are Americans so engrossed with celebrities that they see a headline proclaiming that Tom Cruise is going to be a father and just HAVE to buy that newspaper?

This may seem a minor issue, but I can’t believe that there weren’t more important things to read about that day. There were laws passed, how do they affect me? Crimes were committed, how can I protect myself from them? Businesses succeeded and failed, how will that affect the economy? Our military is involved in Iraq, Afganistan, and elsewhere around the world, what happened? Iran and North Korea are threatening to build nuclear weapons, what’s happening there?

Worse than the fact of celebrities displacing news from the front page that actually has some effect on our lives is the fact that people actually listen to celebrities and take their opinions seriously, not because those opinions are coherent, informed and well thought-out but because they’re offered by celebrities. When Tom Cruise (and I’m really not trying to pick on him) offers medical advice on treating postpartum depression why should he be taken seriously? He shouldn’t, but some people probably did. When Sean Penn offers advice on foreign policy or when Sheryl Crow talks politics, why are they taken seriously?

Perhaps worse in the cult of celebrity are those people who are propelled into the public eye through events beyond their control and people assume that they are experts. The current media darling in this respect is Cindy Sheehan. Gold Star mothers get a lot of slack from me in what they say, especially in the days and weeks after they get their dreadful news. I can’t imagine the pain they feel. People who are in shock and mourning say harsh things. They may even continue to feel bitter toward the nation their child served and died for. But, the fact that you lost a loved one in the war doesn’t mean that you know whether or not that war is worth fighting or even if this country is worth fighting for. I’m not even going to get into what she’s doing to her son’s memory, that is between her and her conscience. I want to know what makes her an expert on foreign policy and military strategy?

Actors know about acting, if you want to hear an actor talking about what he or she knows watch Inside the Actor’s Studio. Gold Star mothers understand grief, if you’ve lost a child and want help coping with your loss I can’t think of a better person to speak to. If you need legal advice you don’t ask an actor who played a lawyer on TV, why do you listen to political advice from an actor who played a politician? A singer gets one vote just like I do, why should I vote the way that singer tells me because he’s famous?

It’s easy to blame the media, but the media only reflects what people want. If people buy newspapers with celebrity baby announcements on the front page then that’s what they’ll run. If people see such front pages, say “big deal” and keep walking they’ll start running real news. If people hear about celebrities discussing world politics on TV and change the channel then we’ll get some experts giving analysis on TV.

So I ask you, what’s more important to your life, what Congress did last week or what Brad Pitt did? Does what’s happening to Jennifer Aniston interest you more than who’s being considered for Supreme Court justice? Can you name more finalists on American Idol than you can your own Congressmen and Senators? Are you more familiar with People magazine than your own Constitution? Being an informed American takes effort, but if you can handle Fantasy Football you can handle following a Congressional election. If you can handle the alliances on Survivor, you can handle the Senatorial hearings on the Supreme Court nominees. The only person that can make that effort is YOU. If you’re more willing to write fan mail to a movie star than a letter about upcoming legislation to your Representatives, then they’ll do whatever they want and you have no one to blame but yourself. If you’d rather vote for American Idol than Senator, you have no cause for complaint when your Senator doesn’t represent you.