Is the US too obsessed with celebs?
There are dozens of websites, TV shows, and magazines on these people. Their lives are mostly ruined from being followed around all the time. Should we put more time and effort into more important things?
Yes
Side Score: 57
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No
Side Score: 14
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But there were celebs who told people to vote for McCain, too! Side: No
Well that's true for experienced voters and the like, but a lot of newer voters basically followed the crowd or listened to a celebrity and I even know many new voters that did so, my brother included! Sadly, I was only 17 and I had no chance of countering their votes other then getting other people to listen to me. ;) LOL Side: yes
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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? Side: yes
So does that also mean you think we should look down on those who fail to do such things? Even if their heart and soul are full of goodness and light? What if the person who "dropped out" wasn't a celebrity either but still full of goodness and light and love of humanity and all the world and out of that they did many good and sweet things for many people? It is that, that truly changes the world in ways more profound than we can possibly imagine. I still agree though that we are totally obsessed with celebrities. Side: No
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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. Side: yes
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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/ Side: yes
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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. Side: yes
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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. Side: yes
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. Side: yes
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. Side: yes
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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. Side: No
"Natural" or "normal" do not equate to "healthy" and "right". Whatever the source of such fascination, even if it is some quirk of human nature that would in other circumstances be useful, it is at present far from edifying or helpful - quite the contrary. It diverts what could otherwise be useful time to mindless diversion ("mindless", not "diversion", being the operative word), it encourages a materialistic and envious culture, and of course it hardly leads to much happiness for those whose lives are so inordinately scrutinized. Side: yes
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