In Chapter 16, McQuail discusses what influences choices and behaviors of the media. On page 420 he asks, “what content, presentation, and circumstances help draw and keep audience attention.”
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-01-28-britney-spears-economy_N.htm
In a society where media and technology are the priorities of our lives, people have to wonder why. Why are we so engrossed in the lives of celebrities? Why are we constantly looking on gossip websites or watching entertainment based news shows? No one really has the answers to that, except that people are interested and hooked. It’s becoming an obsession to watch the lives of celebrities, especially those who are constantly in the news. Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Brad and Angelina, and most especially, Britney Spears. A celebrity, whose last album bombed, who hasn’t had a good record in over four years, and who hasn’t done much of anything except become a tabloid queen.
In an article, it mentions how profitable Britney Spears is. Paparazzi and tabloid journalists are getting paid big bucks just to follow her around, or watch her mess up her life once more. The more she messes up, the more money paparazzi and journalists makes. As for audiences and readers, the more that is shown, the more people want to know. Why is she doing the things that she does? Why is she suddenly talking in a British accent? Why was she sent to the hospital twice in one month? Audiences want to know why this is happening. They want to know what is wrong with her. They need this information to either discuss with others, or to divulge in their guiltiest pleasure. Because, let’s face it, the entertainment industry has been a topic of conversation for everyone these days. And Britney Spears? She’s a guilty pleasure to most. The once good singer is gracing magazine covers more than any other celebrity in the industry.
As for television shows such as Access Hollywood, E! News, or Entertainment Tonight, she is mentioned at least once every single day. Once again, some people just live for this type of news casting. While most are getting sick of the constant Britney talk, others, such as celebrity followers or paparazzi live for the information.
And why?
Today’s society is so engrossed in the lives of others, either as an interest, a fun topic of conversation among friends, or even as a way to escape their own lives. Our television viewing or magazine buying is profiting the singer and the tabloids, that it’s just going to keep happening. As long as Britney or every other tabloid celebrity is around, people are going to keep reading/watching and more money is going to keep being made.
So, are you as celebrity obsessed as some people out there? Do you really care what happens to Britney Spears?
6 comments:
Though I don't like admitting it, I can be pretty celebrity obsessed (and of course the best place to admit that is on a public blog!). For the most part, I just read headlines of the tabloid websites and on the fronts of magazines, and whatever story I want to find out more about I will read (the pictures also don't hurt).
One reason I believe people are so in tune with celebrities' lives is because, on some level, "ordinary" people want to believe that it is possible to have the "perfect" lives that celebrities appear to have. The looks, successful careers, money, good-looking spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends, everything. And when the celebrities come across some drama, well, of course that's juicier than hearing about the discounts at a local supermarket. We can escape our problems and realities by fully immersing ourselves in someone else's. We're all so quick to put celebs under a microscope and judge them when we should probably be more focused on our real-life dramas that are being ignored.
I also think that we are drawn to celebrities because we like the idea of being known to people out of our immediate social circles, by individuals we don't know. Making a name and being famous is alluring for some.
I can't get away from Britney Spears...I really want to, but the media doesn't let me. Unless The History Channel or C-SPAN is on, chances are the Britney Monster will rear its ugly head. As much as Britney's actions become cause for news stories, the media also feed into her and encourage her to keep on acting as she is. They make her the news, and to an extent, force me to care. It's like publishing a serial novel in a newspaper chapter by chapter with a cliffhanger at the end of each. The story might not be the best, but I need to know if the characters can survive another week! She seems to get more coverage than the presidential candidates at some points, and people think it's amusing that there are more votes on American Idol than the Elections. Well, in a culture like this, how can anything else be expected? (I apologize for the soapbox, it's been a long week at the Polling Institute.)
There is so much more I want to say, but I will get those thoughts straightened out first ;)
I think in today’s society technology is so prevalent that people are able to get their news at the drop of a dime. Celebrity’s lives are so much more elaborate and exciting, or so the average person thinks, that people want to know what celebrities are doing every second of every day. I think it has gotten to a point however, that has spun out of control. Does the normal person really care what Britney Spears wears to Star Bucks? Never mind that, do we really even care that she goes to Star Bucks at all? I’m not sure of anyone who does which is what boggles my mind that pictures of her drinking a latte will make money.
I think the reason that everyone is so obsessed with Britney Spears is because she is so unpredictable. If you saw someone walking down the street with a bright pink wig on you would stare at the person and wonder what they were on. When someone with so much fame and so much fortune does the same thing, you can’t even help but wonder what she is going to do next.
I think people in today’s society are so obsessed with celebrities because people always want what they can’t have. Now a day’s people are so obsessed with having money and having the nicest cars and the nicest houses and celebrities are what shallow minded people strive for. I think the media is largely to blame…when people have free time at their house they sit down and watch TV. Well if you live in America and you watch television there absolutely NO escaping celebrity gossip. I think the problem comes in when you honestly try to avoid hearing about Paris and Lindsay and Britney but when CNN is covering the Britney Spears custody case you know there is a problem with society. It’s not NEWS. It happens to MILLIONS of people every day. They fight for custody over their children. I don’t know who is producing these news segments and who is actually allowing these people to call Britney Spears haircut NEWS. It baffles me.
*I don't intend to offend anyone who does have an interest or obsession with celebrities, and I apologize in advance if you are unintentionally offended
Celebrity gossip is ridonkulous. (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ridonkulous)
I must be forcing myself to live under a rock or something, because I have no interest in Britney or Brangelia or other celebrity "news". I honestly don't understand the continuing fascination with celebrity's lives, or why some people are completely obsessed.
I do see how some people might put celebrities up on a pedestal, and watch it like a hawk, just waiting for their prey to make a false move. Maybe that's what feeds this celebrity gossip thing? Some people see these successful, attractive and skilled individuals make mistakes and let their status take over...and those people revel in it. They want them to do crazy things. To me, it's all a sick fascination that I hope I will never understand.
On a positive note, I think it can be good to want to learn more about celebrities. What's wrong with learning about how Josh Holloway became an actor and eventually landed a role on LOST? It really does all come down to how the media is used and how the public determines what the media gives them. People want the dirt on celebrities so that's what they'll be getting--for any price.
Bridgette and I should start a "Celeb Gossip is RIDONKULOUS" club. Application and evaluation necessary for membership. Likewise, I do not mean to offend anyone. But Bridgette, as well as a few of our fellow classmates, in my opinion, are right on the money when they say it is sickening to watch media and celebrity gossip absolutely envelope people's lives. Not to mention celeb gossip has manipulated news stations and otherwise reliable news sources such as CNN. I had CNN on the other day and the main story was, of course, Miss Spears her majesty, and in the smallll tiny, miniscule ticker tape at the bottom of the screen were political headlines and Iraq updates. It was clear the priority story was NOT the soldiers overseas or the history making campaigns currently taking place, NO. It was whether or not Spears could drink Starbucks while hospitalized. Seriously?
SO, it is easy for me and my new cool club to sit back and watch people drown in the pool of celeb news, but it’s not so easy thinking about how and when media and audiences will shift gears – because they probably won’t. How can we hope for a change in this tidal wave trend of celeb news obsession when there is no escaping it? It’s everywhere! Even in my college courses! McQuail even says in chapter 16 that “media use is an integral part of everyday social interaction and experience” (p.394 in 4th edition book – I think it’s different in the new edition) If media use is crucial to our everyday life, but all that is in the media is crap, then how do we get around it? We don’t. Looks like my club is going to have to picket.
On a cynical note, the positive of celeb news is that it teaches kids how NOT to be. Generations prior, media often hid imperfections or protected the protected the lives of their select precious celebs. Now, it’s a free for all. If the Pope sleeptalks we will know about it. As a result, audiences and consumers can choose on a very personal level who to respect and look up to in the business. It is almost a good thing Spears is so messed up. Not that I wish any harm on anyone, but it is very threatening to the average person to see such graphic and vulgar consequences of her lifestyle. Hopefully people can look at the likes of her and take the higher road.
I have no problem admitting that I do get enjoyment from celebrity gossip. I do it as a deviation, which ties me in with the uses and gratification theory. When I'm bored or I am trying to procrastonate, I'll be more than willing to turn on E! and hope something about Britney pops up.
Unfortunately, I don't get much time to watch TV. But, when I do, I usually turn it to E! or MTV where celebrities are prevalent and you are filled in on their lives. I find it interesting to see what the richest .5% of the Americans are doing with their lives. I not-so-secretly love Britney Spears (more so her music than her recent behaviour...) and keeping up with her charades is just as much of an entertainment as going to the movies.
Celebrities understand that their lives are in a fishbowl. There are plenty of celebrities that stay out of the limelight and gracefully avoid the bulk of the drama. Some, though, realize that they can capitalize on their fame and make it out to be like a second occupation. With this form of entertainment I am exposed to, I am able to diverge away from whatever I want to run away screaming from and focus my energies on the shenanigans of pop culture icons. You have to love America!
I think that celebrity obsession in our society and celebrity obsessed entertainment news are direct products of one another. The chicken or the egg theory definitely applies and I’m not sure if the media or all of us who are consuming it are to blame, but we definitely enable one another. I agree with what everyone is saying about the lives of celebs being more glamorous and outrageous than most of our lives, providing us with entertaining news about these people who we don’t even know on a personal level, yet we know every time they leave their homes and where they go, what they're wearing, and if their babies are riding shotgun unbuckled with soda in their bottles (really Britt...?) It makes a lot of sense that we want to see this type of "news" on television and in our magazines because of the use and gratification theory that McQuail breaks down for us. Diversion is huge in the way we consume our media. The stuff we want to see/hear isn't what necessarily affects our lives or what is important, we want to see/hear what is entertaining, and that's usually celebrity gossip. We indulge in this type of entertainment news and it becomes an obsession... so why wouldn't our media outlets provide the fastest, most juicy celeb gossip for us, winning the race to exploit celebrities is what makes the $$. The more they provide, the more we consume, and with messes like Britney running around it isn't very hard to get our attention. I have never gone on Perez Hilton and until now I never thought about why. I'm sure its super entertaining and keeps you up on the latest gossip, but judging from the amount of times I hear "Yea, I saw that on Perez!" a day... it’s also very addicting. I guess I choose not to make time in my life to search for entertainment news, but somehow I always know about the latest Britney hospital visit or who's pregnant this week. The news always finds its way to me. It is strong evidence of how powerful the media is in our lives, which is why it’s pretty scary to me what our society deems newsworthy these days. We consume under this diversion that allows us to escape from our lives and get entertaining dirt on celebrities. It probably also has a lot to do with the fact that entertainment news isn't usually as depressing as it is humorous, while most other newsworthy happenings in our society are often crime and disaster which is depressing to hear about. Any form of entertainment is going to provide diversion from that.
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