Landon Jones is the founder and former editor of. people magazine. In 2015, he received the Henry R. Luce Award for Lifetime Achievement from Time Inc.
Below, Landon shares five key insights from his new book. Celebrity Nation: How America Evolved into a Culture of Fans and Followers. Listen to the audio version read by Landon himself on the Next Big Idea app.
1. Celebrities are at war with heroes.
Like many of you, I thought celebrity culture was an interesting distraction, superficial, uninteresting, and sometimes ridiculous, but not harmful. But that was before it turned into a profit-making enterprise, a celebrity-industrial conglomerate. Celebrities have become a weapon of public distraction that affects us all. Entertainment was moved to a central room. An “aha” moment for me was when focus group participants were asked who their heroes were. They couldn't come up with anything.
They had no heroes. How could that have happened? Society needs heroes and has sought them out. Heroes are our founders and builders. A hero is someone who does great deeds or dreams great things. But now they are gone and celebrities are taking over the space once occupied by heroes.
A celebrity can be defined as a famous person. We may never ask our heroes to do the things that celebrities do: sing, dance, act, or crowd into the spotlight. This competition observed between celebrities and heroes is a central difference to keep in mind. The protagonist is making a sacrifice. Celebrities are selfish.
2. Celebrity culture relies on new and evolving technologies.
Scholars agree that the first famous person was Alexander the Great. why? Because he was the first mortal to put his face on a coin, and that coin was new technology. This is a continuation of the picture book. Suddenly, people's faces were appearing in books, and leaders like Napoleon appeared. Then came Lindbergh and Einstein on radio and teletype.
“The protagonist is making sacrifices. Celebrities are selfish.”
The golden age of film gave birth to Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, followed by television stars. Since then, over 100 reality shows have been produced. Next up, of course, is smart media. Smart his media has become the primary technology supporting today's celebrities, especially those without a proven track record.
3. People who worship celebrities are at risk.
Research shows that people who idolize celebrities have particularly problematic relationships with social media influencers. These risks include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and spending far beyond your means. My biggest concern is my children. When children, particularly in the US and UK, are surveyed to reveal their Christmas wish lists, the desire to be famous or famous tops the list.
The worst thing is that celebrities exclude them from the community. Studies have similarly shown that the value assigned to prestige has increased and the value of community has decreased.Thirst for fame is not a problem we-it is myself.
Celebrity worship is an individualistic value, while the values of community, family, and tradition are diminished. Research shows that people who are most interested in celebrities are least likely to engage in politics, least likely to protest, and least likely to vote.
4. Celebrities themselves are at risk.
Celebrities today may be suffering from a very real diagnosis known as acquired situational narcissism. There is no medicine for that. Acquired situational narcissism is a condition that afflicts people in positions of power, such as movie stars, politicians, and professional athletes.
They choose men who are hungry for public attention. For them, life becomes a performance. How do they escape the pressure? Many use drugs. The list of celebrity deaths from suicide and drugs is long. Perhaps surprisingly, given their relative wealth, a celebrity's life expectancy is 13 years less for him than for those who don't have to deal with the darts and arrows of fame. Even more alarming, female celebrities are faring even worse, dying 21 years earlier than the average American woman.
“The thirst for fame is not the problem. we-it is myself”
There is also the possibility that celebrities will defiantly flee. People who violate normal standards may be promoted. Among them are the likes of Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, but also Calamity Jane, Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt and even Malcolm X. But the difference now is that celebrities these days owe less to ability and talent than to fame. As we all know today, with enough perseverance and a social media following, virtually anyone can become famous.
5. The community itself is at risk.
What have we learned through all this? First, that prominent politicians have been replaced by community organizations. They can go from zero to high-level positions in no time. The best example is the former president. We've also seen it with celebrity politicians coming out of the woodwork come election time. Voters, the people who used to go bowling or work in voting leagues, are now sitting at home watching TV or hunched over their smartphones and social media.
Celebrities filled the space vacated by citizen participation. In short, celebrity worship promotes individualism and narcissism at the expense of community and democracy. These days, every organization and company has a vested interest, so some companies may be almost impossible to attack. Some celebrities seem too big to fail.
After all, celebrities are ultimately the core of the ecosystem that powers social media, nightlife, entertainment, fashion, publishing, and television. If you can carefully negotiate this thicket and gain the confidence to approach celebrities naturally and honestly, you probably have a chance. We need to find hope in young people like Greta Thunberg and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa who are interested in helping others. With them, there is hope.
To listen to the audio version read by author Landon Jones, download the Next Big Idea app now.
