Saturday, January 23, 2010

Brangelina splitting up. World topples off its axis.

Michael Jackson dies. Tiger Woods is apparently being treated for sex addiction. Jay Leno is given yet another chance to define mediocre entertainment for a shrinking audience that doesn't seem to know better. Yes, folks, pop culture is a messy place these days.

And now...reports are emerging that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are separating. (Sniff). I believe it because I read it on the Interwebs.

I guess the supermarket tabloids will have to find a new supercouple to "cover" in their pathetic world of made-up journalism. Pity them.

As I gaze at my wife across the living room and drink in the simple pleasures of a quiet life in the burbs with the woman I love more than life itself, I find myself wondering why so many folks worship those who will clearly never get it. The world really does have its priorities reversed.

You'll excuse me if I now return my focus to the real important stuff. If only everyone did the same. Then maybe there wouldn't be more Brangelina-equivalents waiting in the wings.

Your turn: Why do people care so much about the personal lives of celebrities? Where's the appeal? (Because I'm failing to see it...feel free to enlighten me.)

14 comments:

Tracy S. said...

I have often wondered that myself.

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Why do we care about the glamorous life of celebrities? Because it makes up for the hollowness and drab of our own lives.

kenju said...

The people who give so much importance to the lives of celebrities have little in their heads with which to occupy their thoughts.

Anonymous said...

I think for me, the fascination lies in seeing what they've traded for fame and fortune. We don't have money - in fact, we struggle most months to make ends meet. But we understand love, commitment, the importance of heart and mind over the sales value of flesh on film. The real challenge is to bring our children up to recognize what is real and distinguish it from the fantasy of film, photo, fashion and celebrity worship. I hope the relationship that me and my husband work hard to grow and nurture and protect will speak volumes to our daughter.

utenzi said...

They're very pretty. And rich. That's the best I can come up with.

Tabor said...

Unfortunately we all have a little bit of compelling interest in train wrecks...being so glad it is not us even though our lives can be more of a struggle and less exciting.

Carina said...

My reaction to the "news" was exactly the same. First, Thank God for my real-life relationship with my real-life husband, and second, why am I supposed to care about these people?

fredamans said...

Really, what is the world coming to that this is the information we crave and care about.
Shouldn't we be more concerned with the end of time?
Who cares about Brangelina. It's not like they were meant to be anyways.

Tracie Nall said...

I have never been able to figure that out. I have also never bought a tabloid or watched that TMZ show, so I'm probably not in the norm.

Pam said...

i often wonder that myself. i will admit to having, you know, the typical teen crushes and obsessions back in the day lol and even now i have crushes on some actors, but i'm realistic. i know that my world is not defined by the celebrities and that most of us will never really know them.

i agree w/ whoever said we're attracted to train wrecks. i'm not one of them though. once i read something, i'm like ok, and move on. seriously, we don't ever really know what's going on w these people, their personalities, just what the media lays on us.

Anonymous said...

I heard it here first!

Train wreck? Yes, some of that.
And perhaps a fascination with how the other half(?) lives.
Those poor children.

I believe that one of the best gifts I've given to my sons is that I love their father and am fully committed to him.

Mojo said...

I thought they were already past tense. Who was I thinking of then?

Back in ... 1980? '81? (I'm sure somebody can tell me.) When Prince Charles and Lady Diana were tying the knot on international television my wife at the time was glued to the news of the impending royal nuptials. And when she finally said "Charles and Diana are getting married today" I thought she was talking about one of her soaps. When I got the "you've-just-grown-a-third-eye" look for that question, I dug the hole deeper by asking "Oh, is this someone you know then?"

"The royal wedding??"

"Oh. That. Yeah. Okay, enjoy. I gotta go to work."

This of course solidified for her that romance in the world -- and more to the point our apartment -- was indeed dead.

The irony of which, in retrospect, makes me laugh my butt off.

Pearl said...

a few people enlightened me. because our lives are flat, because their lives are flat, because of trainwreck spectacle.

and so we have something to talk about that doesn't harm the people we actually know and care about yet we can have some common reference points wider than our local circle to talk far and wide with currency?

Pamela said...

who?

ha ha ha ha.