Time and time again, we've been witnesses to the ultimate stupidity of celebrity fame. Some celebrities believe their own hype, constant PR and marketing. Amplification of their personalities through the constant media barrage does lead to corrosive and corrupt behavior, often giving those in the public eye a license to behave like complete morons.
Take, for example Kanye West, an all-around egomaniac, who storms on stage at the VMA's in the middle of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech and suggests that Swift shouldn't have won the award. The award he thought should have gone to Beyonce for what in his mind was the best 'video of the decade.' He was booed offstage with a stunned Swift still standing in shock, unaware of what to say or do next.
Later that night, Kanye blogged that 'he is a fan of pop culture' as a sorry excuse for his ignorant rant. I imagine he is not a fan of intelligence or respect since he didn't seem to have any for himself or the two women that he insulted and embarrassed. Mind you, I have never been a huge fan of Taylor Swift or Beyonce, but I do respect the perseverance and hard work it takes to get to such a position.
In The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America, Dr. Drew Pinsky says some celebrities are 'dysfunctional, in that they suffer from the psychological condition of narcissism.' His research suggests that these traits were evident even before the fame, and fame seems to have amplified their behavior.
Dr. Pinksy writes:
Celebrity narcissists aren't egomaniacs with high self-esteem. Rather, they are traumatized individuals who are unable to connect in any real way with other people. They are driven to attain fame, with its constant stream of attention, flattery, and empowerment, because they need the steady trickle of adoring recognition to take the place of any kind of real self-love or self-respect.
Mark Borkowski suggests that fame is corrosive because it 'distorts the views and values not only of the people who are famous but also of those around them.' Hmmm. Well that's not rocket science. Perhaps this also has something to do with the fact that Kanye was allowed to get on the stage, even though he really had no reason to be there.
Fame is a fascinating thing and does a fascinating thing, not only to those who are famous but to all of us. There are some whose reality is distorted even when they get a blink of their 15 minutes plastered over TV or conventional media (sound like a reality star you might know?).
Having someone know your business seems to be what it takes these days and it seems we're all desperate for everyone to know our business, even at the risk of our reputation. (Be Careful what you tweet.)
Celeb antics don't stop at crazy stunts; sex always plays a huge part.
The latest thing to pass my desk is Shakira's video "She Wolf." Now, who told her that un- coordinated jerky gyrations that resemble Elaine's white girl dance on Seinfeld was sexy? Barely clothed, sure a little sexy, nude bodysuit while contorting the body to flexible sexible positions...ok sure, not a wild stretch of the imagination as to how many pubescent nauseous youth are downloading the music and video illegally. So much for sales.
I get it: times are tough and demand is high for irrelevant mindless content. I mean, what else would we talk about if we didn't have Kanye's idiocracy?