absolutely. i agree w/ muds. celebs are making girls feel self-concious and therefore, the girls go on diets nd if they arent perfect, they think that they r ugly and have low self-esteem.

Yes, look at how many people who voted for the first time for Obama just cause celebs told them too.

Yes the US is way too obsessed with celebrities. Most are false icons for younger people with all their trying to get skinny and such. My main saying is Reject false icons. I think this world is too focused around celebrities.

I've always wondered why people tend to idolize people that they don't know just because they celebrities. I haven't the foggiest on this one, they really don't contribute anything of real value to society. Why do we idolize them instead of scientist that actually change the world? Why are we obsessed with dancing dropouts than people of real achievement?

Yes, our society is too obsessed with celebrities. Look at any grocery checkout stand and you will find 10 or more magazines with the latest gossip. You can not escape celebrity news- its everywhere. I just think its sad for all the young people out there who feel they have to live up to these unrealistic expectations.

If you don't believe me, take a look at this:

http://www.createdebate.com/debate/show/Is_TMZ_the_best_celebrity_gossip_site

and this:

http://www.createdebate.com/debate/show/Matt_Damon_s_take_on_Sarah_Palin

and this:

http://www.createdebate.com/debate/show/Who_is_the_badest_Celebertiy

and this:

http://www.createdebate.com/debate/show/Does_Paris_Hilton_instill_in_people_the_ desire_to_get_a_PHD

I think we are. I think that the United States cares a lot about celebrates and not enough about the people who keep this nation running efficiently.

The masses of sheep called the population have always needed some sort of idols to look towards. Why? I have no idea, but I think it's bull crap. All I know is, you are no better than a sheep if you need to emulate other people to gain direction.

YES

This is bad because if celebrities want to have a good career, they usually have to be liberal. And people that are obsessed with these liberal celebrities are going to be brainwashed with liberal views.

There are multiple shows on TV- any even entire channels- dedicated to celebrities, not to mention websites, radio stations and shows, and newspapers and magazines! Yes, we are way too obsessed with celebrities.

I think that we put celebs on pedestals just in order to enjoy watching them fall to make ourselves feel better. It is sick... Some times I catch a few moments of those shows on TV when I am making dinner, and it just seems to voyeuristic and obsessive to me.

Yes we are, but England and all their rags are worse. I get tired of hearing about celebs. I do like it when they use their position to support good causes though - I just don't care what they are wearing or who they are dating.

Yes...YES! They have been pedestal material for quite a while now and we are obsessed with their comings, goings, bad stuff and good stuff that happens in their lives. I personally don't think it's a great thing unless they are a fine humanitarian to boot.

For some reason, America is one of the only countries in which the world revolves around celebs. Personally, I think it's because we're so egotistical. We look to celebs for advice on everything, although many know nothing. Clothes. Money. Exercise. Restaurants. Make up. The list goes on and on...

We need to evaluate who we are looking to as role models. Not only youth, but I see the same in many established adults. It is America's bandwagon. Jump on or get hit.

I think people in America idolize celebrities, try to be them, try to make themselves be as fabulous as those they see on tv come off too be. It's not healthy nor is it right, because people decide to take pride in the things that they aren't, more than they are.

There are always obsessive people, and the obsessive people can follow celebrities because their personal lives are so well documented, and can be easily accessed through the internet, on websites that are devoted to celebrities, and through TV shows that have no other content than following celebrities around and commercials. There are few other things in the world that you can engross yourself in as much as the lives of celebrities.

Yes, but that's because Americans are more into entertainment than culture or academics or anything non-entertainmentable.

Americans who are obsessed with celebrity lives though are due to the fact that they envy them, yet, they don't even know them as a "person." You figure someone who looks beautiful, scores the next most beautiful celebrity, lives in a mansion, and makes 50 million dollars a year, has got to be the most wonderful life and you couldn't want anything more than that. Just totally a false perspective and seems like no one is really grateful for what they have. But hey, all the mags and blogs and sites and shows on celebrities are definitely scoring a ton of income from these type of people.

I think so. We celebrate the high achievement they get, and it becomes our role model. However what we consider high achievement is rooted in the material, it is built on materialism. The more materialistic accomplishments, the better: more Money, more Cars, more Big Houses, more Gold, etc. In other words, the celebrity is the exemplar of materialism and materialism is what we value so much.

This is wrong, though. I do not accept the idea that materialistic achievement is what makes someone great. We don't have anywhere near that much attention paid to someone with a wonderful heart and soul who tries to bring light and happiness to others and to help them in troubles and who actually loves all the world, who upholds a high standard of morals (as in actually practicing them, not just talking about them), and more. Yet I believe it is these things that are what make someone great and certainly not the materialistic stuff.

Americans are no more or less obsessed with fame and celebrities than any other country or culture. It is natural for humans all over the world to fantasize about the rich and famous. By obsessing over what So-and-so is wearing and what Such-and-such said or how Someone-or-other does things is perfectly natural. There is a theory that such fascination is left over from a time when information was scarce and formal teaching was unheard of. By involving ourselves in the details of those more successful, we have always hoped that we could pick up on that "secret" or "magic" they have and learn to apply it.