Saturday, September 09, 2006

Star Gazing

It always amazes me how our society is obsessed with the cult of celebrity. Not saying that I'm entirely immune but I just think sometimes we go too far.

I thought about this a bit this week for a couple of reasons. For one the Toronto International Film Festival started this week and Toronto is full of big name movie stars premiering their work. Some folk here go crazy over the fact that you can walk down certain streets and see movie stars dining on the terraces or shopping with the hoi polloi and they go out of their way to just go hang around those areas hoping to catch just a glimpse of said stars.

To me that's just a bit too much. I mean just for a glimpse? Come on now. that's either stalking or idol worship if you ask me.

I've seen a few stars in my time just walking down the street but I don think I was overawed or anything. Actually funny story was when I was chatting with a friend on Bloor a few years ago and Steven Seagal pulled up in his monster SUV. We looked up she said "Hey is that Steven Seagal?" Yep I replied, then we just went back to our conversation while his SUV idled just in front of us.

But celebrities, I mean its not like I'm paparazzi and will get paid for photos of them or anything. They walk by or drive by, they look familiar, I recognize them, I walk on. Big deal. Well unless its someone like Halle Berry or another hot looking star but even that aint preferential treatment cause if I see a hot non-celebrity lady walk by I would do I'd definitely have the same reaction.

Anyway regarding celebrities its as my mother would say "dem aint no different ta you, dem duz still have to put da pants on one leg at a time and dey duz still have to go in the bathroom to relieve themselves just like you."

Another reason I thought about the celebrity thing this week was two of the big celebrity news items; the whole Tom Cruise baby thing and the Paris Hilton drunk driving business. Maybe its because I really don't like either of these celebs that much but I thought what a waste of newsprint to be focusing on these stories. Then I thought about all the trivial stories we hear about celebs and the whole industry that has grown up around celebrity gossip. Truly fascinating to some but is it really newsworthy? Do I really need to know what clubs they go to or what restaurants they eat at or what they bought at the store?

The Press made Paris Hilton a star when she had done nothing besides make a movie of her getting it on with some guy and If I see one more story about Sienna Miller, whose actual contribution to film or art escapes me, just because she's linked to Jude Law and he cheated on her with the nanny I think I'm going to go ballistic. I mean if getting horned by the nanny made you a star you know how much women would be celebrities right now? Chupse!

I'm more interested in what movie or what album someone is going to put out next than what they do in their everyday life. So he/she has a drug problem, big frigging deal so do 20 other cats I walk by on the street every day. I should actually be more interested in and receiving news about those guys on the street corner cause they are broke and they might try to rob or break into my home to get money for their fix and are a potential danger to me as opposed to the star who can just call up a celebrity pusher from the comfort of his plush couch in his big mansion and pay for his fix with a black card.

Do I really care which man/woman said star has on the side or how pissing drunk they got last week? Is it really newsworthy sorry I should say is it really worth talking about because they are celebrities? I think not.

7 comments:

Melody said...

Nowadays, most anybody could join de papparazzi, & seek some celebrity-photo $. Caribbean people seem unfazed @ celebrities. Others seem 2 B more 'frighten'.

eemanee said...

"If I see one more story about Sienna Miller, whose actual contribution to film or art escapes me, just because she's linked to Jude Law and he cheated on her with the nanny I think I'm going to go ballistic"

well thanx for clearing that up for me. I see her in sooo many mags and just today i was asking myself, "who is she? was she in a movie or something?"

nahmix said...

lol @ the Sienna Miller bit. Other than the connection to Jude Law, we really wouldn't know her name.

I have to admit though, I like seeing celebs out and about, especially when not attending some glam event. I lived in LA for 7 years and when I went to certain places, I'd see a few. It always tickled me though because each siting was a reminder that 9 out of 10 times when the make up artist was away, most celebs are some regular looking UGLY people!!!! And that my friend is priceless.

Unknown said...

I just can't get it why people make a big deal about celebrities and what they do off-screen (ie personal lives).

I agree with Nahmix, they are just some regular ugly people, except they have a lot of money and almost everyone knows them.

Abeni said...

I guess we just fascinated with how the other side live.Nowadays,I could care less though but I'll admit Suri is cute:)

Gela said...

Yeah, we caribbean people love to act so cool like we not phased sometimes. Well, I see our local celebrities in my supermarket all the time. Beenie Man, Prime Minister Portia, Sheryl Lee Ralph when she's in Ja. Have yet to buck up one of the international one up close but you're right, so tired of them. What's the big deal in seeing Tom Cruise's baby? Yawn.

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Haha, what your mother says is what we say here too, must be a Caribbean thing as Gela said.

I think about this too, how the media can make ordinary people into big stars.