Why are we bombarded with 'Celeb news'?

lufties

Honestly its nice sometimes to be lighthearted and imagine that you had the life of a 'celeb' with all the fame, glitz and glamour attached to it, but really it is just crazy that the media shoves this stuff down out throats.

Personally I couldn't care less about who ronan keating and michael fassbender are going out with, or how many kids chris hemsworth is having. Most of us don't know these people so why would anyone want to know about them. At the end of the day they are humans like the rest of us.
So I wonder why do the media feed us this daily as 'news', perhaps people are just brainwashed? I really don't understand it.

Akrasia

This!!!

One thing that drives me Nuts! is when I'm watching a film on tv and they interrupt the film to bring 'celebrity news'

WTF! I don't give a sh1t about who's having a baby or who's dumped who, or what someone was wearing. Put the film back on!

whiskeyman

lufties wrote: »

So I wonder why do the media feed us this daily as 'news', perhaps people are just brainwashed? I really don't understand it.

Not all media are concerned with c'lebs.
Change your paper / news site...

galah

one is a soccer player (possibly?), the other one sounds German, and the third I've never even heard of in any context. Ignorance is bliss...:D

o1s1n

I'm not bombarded with celebrity news at all. Pick your news sources a bit better OP.

kneemos

Chris Hemsworth is new.

lufties

galah wrote: »

one is a soccer player (possibly?), the other one sounds German, and the third I've never even heard of in any context. Ignorance is bliss...:D

I went on the independent website this morn and saw all this sh1te. Time to never visit it again. Its really really pathetic.

lufties

o1s1n wrote: »

I'm not bombarded with celebrity news at all. Pick your news sources a bit better OP.

Fair enough, but that's not the point, the majority of media outlets have sections devoted to this nonsense.

Staplor

Blame Ron Burgundy:

“Why do we have to tell the people what they need to hear? Why don’t we tell them what they want to hear?”

o1s1n

o1s1n wrote: »

I'm not bombarded with celebrity news at all. Pick your news sources a bit better OP.

Same.

I haven't a clue about any celebrities, have absolutely zero interest in knowing about them either. I sit at break in work and one or two of the girls will mention a dress the kardashians or cheryl cole was wearing, they've usually seen it on the daily mail website.

I don't see it, I don't buy celeb magazines (or any magazines for that matter) I don't buy tabloids, I don't watch expose or watch any news programmes that include "celeb" news. I am blissfully unaware of what is going on in David Beckham's personal life. The only one I have an interest in at the moment in Michael Schumacher as I was a mega F1 fan during his reign, but I don't quite count that as the same thing.

So yeh OP, you don't need to be bombarded with it, you're choosing media sources that bombard you with it. Change them.

deadeye187

lufties wrote: »

Honestly its nice sometimes to be lighthearted and imagine that you had the life of a 'celeb' with all the fame, glitz and glamour attached to it, but really it is just crazy that the media shoves this stuff down out throats.

Personally I couldn't care less about who ronan keating and michael fassbender are going out with, or how many kids chris hemsworth is having. Most of us don't know these people so why would anyone want to know about them. At the end of the day they are humans like the rest of us.
So I wonder why do the media feed us this daily as 'news', perhaps people are just brainwashed? I really don't understand it.

Its to keep the dumb, dumb! Its so cringe this garbage that is on sometimes!. I say it reaches out to lowest common denominator! Well once the person is of age!

PS. Its to distract people to whats really going on in the world!

hedgehog2

Independent have a hardon for that lad from mullingar in the boyband,any reality tv star including a list of bottom of the barrel clebrities who they wine and dine all to msssage that ego of the muppet that is barry egan.
On another note look at rte player the programs always have some misery twist attached to the core,the radio talk shows are full of cranky presenters and negativity and then they spin you trash news of celebrities living it up to make you feel like crap.There are people stetting these agendas,dont buy into it.
Been doing my best to avoid all news unrelated to my career for a long time now.

o1s1n

deadeye187 wrote: »

Its to keep the dumb, dumb! Its so cringe this garbage that is on sometimes!. I say it reaches out to lowest common denominator! Well once the person is of age!

PS. Its to distract people to whats really going on in the world!

It's less about conspiracy theory/keep people dumb etc and more about making money.

This crap makes money. Why? Because a lot of people out there have a streak voyeurism in them. Couple this with the escapism which comes from reading about 'glitzy' lifestyles and you have a winning formula for lots of money.

I don't follow any stupid celebs but its always in my face

I know more about them than my own family

lufties

Deleted User wrote: »

Same.

I haven't a clue about any celebrities, have absolutely zero interest in knowing about them either. I sit at break in work and one or two of the girls will mention a dress the kardashians or cheryl cole was wearing, they've usually seen it on the daily mail website.

I don't see it, I don't buy celeb magazines (or any magazines for that matter) I don't buy tabloids, I don't watch expose or watch any news programmes that include "celeb" news. I am blissfully unaware of what is going on in David Beckham's personal life. The only one I have an interest in at the moment in Michael Schumacher as I was a mega F1 fan during his reign, but I don't quite count that as the same thing.

So yeh OP, you don't need to be bombarded with it, you're choosing media sources that bombard you with it. Change them.

Mucho respecto.

But I know I have a free choice to read it or not. If I want to read an article by Gene Kerrigan in the Independent, you have to scroll past all the 'celeb stuff'. Anyway with all due respect you are not addressing the point of the thread.
Maybe I should have changed the title to "why do the media publish this stuff' then.

lufties

o1s1n wrote: »

It's less about conspiracy theory/keep people dumb etc and more about making money.

This crap makes money. Why? Because a lot of people out there have a streak voyeurism in them. Couple this with the escapism which comes from reading about 'glitzy' lifestyles and you have a winning formula for lots of money.

This probably answers my question sufficiently, It also doesn't hurt those who advocate dumbing down of society too I'd say.

Brian?

Akrasia wrote: »

This!!!

One thing that drives me Nuts! is when I'm watching a film on tv and they interrupt the film to bring 'celebrity news'

I don't believe this had ever happened. They show scheduled nightly news in the middle of some films , but they don't "interrupt" films with celeb news.

In response to the main question, people are given what they want. If everyone stopped buying Hello etc. tomorrow the world may be a better place.

kneemos

The magazine racks are packed with the stuff.Saw seven or eight different different mags with Jordan in the cover one day.
There's obviously a huge demand for for it,even in serious publications like The Times.

Vinz Mesrine

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't follow any stupid celebs but its always in my face

I know more about them than my own family

How is that possible?

lufties

kneemos wrote: »

The magazine racks are packed with the stuff.Saw seven or eight different different mags with Jordan in the cover one day.
There's obviously a huge demand for for it,even in serious publications like The Times.

That's what I thought, I'm moving to the UK soon and it's kinda scary that the people there are so into this nonsense, I'm actually having second thoughts.:(

Gyalist

Celeb news sells and the media know this but it's bread and circuses to keep the majority of people distracted by things that are ultimately unimportant. If most people became aware that the system is rigged against them from the beginning, there would be revolution.

SEPT 23 1989

Gyalist wrote: »

Celeb news sells and the media know this but it's bread and circuses to keep the majority of people distracted by things that are ultimately unimportant. If most people became aware that the system is rigged against them from the beginning, there would be revolution.

+1

was just about to post the same point

when people are too busy cheering everything above they don't notice whats going on around them

lufties

Gyalist wrote: »

Celeb news sells and the media know this but it's bread and circuses to keep the majority of people distracted by things that are ultimately unimportant. If most people became aware that the system is rigged against them from the beginning, there would be revolution.

Good Post!

NegativeCreep

galah wrote: »

one is a soccer player (possibly?), the other one sounds German, and the third I've never even heard of in any context. Ignorance is bliss...:D

You don't know who Ronan Keating is? Sure you don't.

I hate when people pretend not to know famous people because they think it makes them look cool.

I don't really care about celebrities too much but I do read the odd thing on entertainment.ie about certain famous people.
They're just rich, more interesting and better looking versions of us so that's what makes people want to read about them. They entertain us with their various talents and that makes us want to know all about them.

I also hate the fact that people seem to think that others are dumb for having an interest in celebrities. Just because someone reads the odd thing about them doesn't mean it's ALL they do!

Gambas

Gyalist wrote: »

Celeb news sells and the media know this but it's bread and circuses to keep the majority of people distracted by things that are ultimately unimportant. If most people became aware that the system is rigged against them from the beginning, there would be revolution.

I find that I'm able to avoid celeb gossip reasonably easily, by not watching crap tv or reading tabloids or mags.

But it is next near impossible avoiding appallingly bad conspiracy theories, because their proponents see them as a grand unifying theory (aka The Truth) that they can spring on you from just about any topic you can imagine.

eviltimeban

I agree with the OP; as for the Independent, their "Independent Woman" section is ALL 'celeb gossip' - is that what the Independent think all women are interested in, and interested in only? Very condescending.

I HATE celeb mags and gossip. Its mindless. The celebs love it though, especially the Coleen Rooney / Peter Andre types, who seem to live their lives on the pages of magazines. "Kate's New Look" and "Michael's Heartache" and all that. Rubbish. I wouldn't mind, but these people have done nothing, NOTHING to deserve the attention. If it was an article about Paul McCartney, or someone talented, then fair enough. But its not.

I think the REALLY famous people, like the Brad Pitts and so on, try to shun it as much as they can. You only have to see Hugh Grant and his reaction to paparazzi to see how irritating it really is when you *don't* want to be on the pages of these magazines. If you do, then its there for the taking. Step out of some night club - snap. Walk down the street holding a latte - snap. "Latest heartache" - snap. Well done, former Big Brother contestant. You've achieved your goal.

The publications are to blame really. If they didn't publish it, no one would read it. Like the centre pages of the Metro - a paper I've grown to hate - is all that "guilty pleasure" BS. Why bother? Why not expand the film / music / book review section or something? Sport is well represented, so why not the arts? Why the column inches devoted to the celeb rubbish?

anncoates

I'm not bombarded with it?

Depending on large breasts count, I simply don't read or watch it if I choose not to.

_Redzer_

kneemos wrote: »

Chris Hemsworth is new.

I go for a bit of Chris Hemsworth right about now.

biko

lufties wrote: »

So I wonder why do the media feed us this daily as 'news', perhaps people are just brainwashed? I really don't understand it.

They do it for one reason, people buy it.

People like celebs because it's like having friends you can talk about with other friends
"Did you read that Kim Kardashian might be pregnant?"
"Did you read that Solomon Kalou might join Liverpool?"
Women buy glossy papers/magazines about certain celebs. Men buy sports papers/magazines about other celebs.

Men and women both watch and read about Big Brother.
Pure celeb idolatry.

DeanAustin

o1s1n wrote: »

It's less about conspiracy theory/keep people dumb etc and more about making money.

This crap makes money. Why? Because a lot of people out there have a streak voyeurism in them. Couple this with the escapism which comes from reading about 'glitzy' lifestyles and you have a winning formula for lots of money.

Exactly this. People, usually women, love it. And if it makes them happy then fair enough. I try not to pay too much attention. My missus thinks my obsession with football is equally stupid. Horses for courses.

I do laugh at the people who think this puts them in the loop though. I remember one friend talking about Hugh Grant talking to Liz Hurley when he was seeing someone else and the friend pitched it as "And the new girlfriend doesn't even know he's talking to Liz".

Also makes me laugh that someone can't admit they know who Ronan is and another talks about the "that lad from mullingar in the boyband". Easier just to say Niall Horan. I have zero interest in the fella (although I'm delighted to see him do well) but everyone knows his name especially if they know what he does and where he comes from.

SlipperyPeople

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKboLTwzFTs

Jack Gleeson on "I hate Celebrity Culture"

Surprisingly good.

Half an hour long though