This is a thought
I've had before, so I apologize if I've posted about this previously.
I've noticed that
posts and discussions about celebrities are often dismissed as trivial. While
it's true that many of the topics surrounding famous people are the
conversational equivalent of fast food, there have also been celebrities who
have both intentionally and unwittingly sparked discussions on important social
issues. Events in the lives of the Hollywood crowd have inspired conversations
about addiction, asceticism vs. excess, women's rights, same sex marriage,
domestic violence, and more. Unfortunately, many of those subjects have been
presented in a sensationalized way, and not all of the dialogue has been
productive. Sometimes it's been seized upon as an opportunity to air out
ill-informed or even destructive viewpoints. As frustrating as that is, though,
the same could be said for any topic or event. Anything that compels people to
talk will expose some highly objectionable ideas, but it also sets the stage
for in-depth and helpful insights to be shared. (The stage isn't only for
acting.) For this reason, I'm not so quick to dismiss any celebrity-inspired
talk as shallow. Famous people are often viewed as stand-ins for the rest of
us. That can be objectifying, but it can also mean that we relate their
struggles to our own. As long as we recognize the humanity of public
individuals and are able to connect the trials they face to larger social
issues in a way that facilitates progress, I don't think that talking about
their lives is counterproductive.
