Why are people so interested in private lives of celebrities?

1. 81

   kallini2010posted 12 years ago

   Why are people so interested in private lives of celebrities?
   
   Who are we to judge?
   
   

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2. 78

   ii3rittlesposted 12 years ago

   I think it comes down to the fact that people are not happy with their own lives. They pick and choose certain celebrities to follow. Those who they love, those who they hate. They soon become part of their lives. They will read rumors, look at pictures, gossip and become so entangled in the entertainment industry that they block out how unhappy they are with their own lives. They soon know more about certain celebrities, then their own neighbors. It's like a great song that sucks you in and makes you feel what they are feeling. They will worp their own life around the life of someone who they see as perfect in an attempt to feel less hateful of their own life.
   
   The media has become a distraction to everyone. Hollywood is the biggest ticket. It's all about making money and Hollywood is just that, walking advertisement.
   
   Where this, buy that, don't eat this, lose weight like that...
   
   Think about it. The media has control over 75% of the population with just Hollywood alone.

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3. 60

   uncorrectedvisionposted 12 years ago

   I couldn't agree more. It is dissatisfaction with our own lives, some feeling of inadequacy or the desire to see another stumble - indicating yet another personal flaw - that leads so many people to subscribe to People magazine.

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4. 80

   shimlaposted 12 years ago

   To a degree I think they live vicariously through them, enjoying the fame, fortune and fantasy of the stars as if by association they breathed in a little of it themselves. People also love to see shooting stars fall - tall poppy syndrome/envy. It's weird when the identification is so strong that people develop real neuroses built on adoration and believing they actually have a real relationship with these people they've never met and know only in a one-dimensional sense through the media.

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5. 70

   Angie Jardineposted 12 years ago

   Believe me there are many, many people who are supremely
   dis-interested in what these legends-in-their-own-lunchtime are up to.
   
   It's only the media who find celebs a soft target on slow news days that feed the myth that we are all desperate to know what they are doing.
   
   Having said that the prurient and impressionable are always with us ...

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6. 68

   Dexter Yarbroughposted 12 years ago

   Many people are caught up in the lives of celebrities because they have no lives of their own. They hate what they have become.
   
   As has been stated, the media fuels this gossip and many feed off of it.

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7. 53

   karatekidjmtposted 12 years ago

   Because they desperately need a disraction from their (what htey consider to be) shallow and mundane life.

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8. 60

   Kaniel Loughranposted 12 years ago

   Because most people (generalizing for the average of the 300 million Americans) have boring, monotonous, predictable lives. Get up, go to work, earn a little, come home, wrangle the kids, cook dinner, pay bills, have your home foreclosed, etc. Sometimes living vicariously through a rich, successful person breaks that monotony of life. Some people like to pretend they are multimillionaires who are having lavish lives with side affairs.

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9. 72

   platinumOwl4posted 12 years ago

   This only occurs when people have no life of their own in some instances. On the other hand people are trained to worship celebrities and attempt to emulate them. This is big business.

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10. 0

    .josh.posted 12 years ago

    That's a good question, and I personally wish people weren't so wrapped up in the lives of celebrities. My partner goes on Perez Hilton's site on occasion, and it infuriates me (i.e., knowing that she's contributing to his traffic, and thus supporting the pathetic work he does).
    
    The truth is, while we love to say that people who follow celebrities do it solely because they have no lives themselves, I don't think that's actually always the case (in fact, I'm quite certain, as I believe my partner and I live a rather exciting life). Some people just find the stories of celebrities more fascinating than others; perhaps it's a fault, but we all have them.

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11. 73

    jmartin1344posted 12 years ago

    Fantastic question... one of my biggest pet peeves is people who are obsessed with that kind of thing...
    
    I actually can't explain it...but I agree that part of it must be boredom with your own life...
    
    But people put celebrities on a pedestal that is so unjustified especially when a lot of them are not great people at all...

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12. 62

    FacebookPokerChipposted 12 years ago

    lack of excitement in our own lives leads us to look elsewhere..

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13. 60

    makusrposted 12 years ago

    Because we love to read about things which we may have loved to do but can't do.

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14. 60

    cejaeposted 12 years ago

    You got me - I think the values of the world are upside down.  Too bad some of the wonderful teachers don't get the recognition they deserve.

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15. 60

    mortgage-newsposted 12 years ago

    Sadly, it's just a distraction for the negative issues going on in their lives.

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16. 62

    selfdefenselessonposted 12 years ago

    Because they are bored with their own lives.
    
    Why do watch Tv? Because you are bored and need to be entertained to get the day go by.
    
    Why do you read gossip mags? Because you are bored or want to have something to talk about.
    
    It all pretty much leads back to boredom. Not to say it's wrong. I love entertainment. It sure hell makes my 4+ hours flights more entertaining when watching a favorite tv show than not.

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17. 61

    wedmedposted 12 years ago

    Maybe they lack interesting events in own lives?

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18. 58

    JasonStrothposted 12 years ago

    I guess because we want to be like this people. We want to at least be like them. They are successful in  craft and of course, famous. That is why we search for their information like real names, follow their projects, their friends and the like. We make them as our model on how we would like to live our life.

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19. 65

    mcgreg28posted 12 years ago

    Because it takes their minds off their reality. Some ppl find comfort in knowing that other ppl are going through the same things as they are or maybe others' lives are as messy as or even more messy than their own.

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20. 81

    Barbsbitsnpiecesposted 12 years ago

    People are interested in celebrities' private lives out of envy, I'd say, and jealousy. Dissatisfaction with one's own life needs an outlet, and in America we make our celebrities rock stars and role models, so we have people to envy and follow vicariously, as well as complain about and scrutinize when our own lives aren't going well. We spend far too much time at those activities.

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21. 85

    gmwilliamsposted 12 years ago

    People fantasize about celebrities living more glamourous and exciting lives than they do.   In this culture, celebrities are deities who live glorified lives as opposed to the masses so the masses worship celebrities and live vicariously through them.  This is why gossip and entertainment magazines flourish.   People worship celebrities and imagine that they are THEM.

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22. 59

    MG999posted 12 years ago

    Many people (I am not one of them) see celebrities lives as "ideal," and are curious about them.

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23. 71

    Rehana Stormmeposted 12 years ago

    Why would people read about a certain celebrity's weight loss story? They probably want inspiration for their own weight loss...
    
    Why are people so interested in reading about a celebrity's drug addiction problem? They probably want to feel better that their lives are not that screwed up.
    
    Why are so many people interested in the private lives of celebrities? It all comes down to...they had nothing to do, they were bored, they are curious; or like someone said they're trying to vicariously live their dreams through that celebrity.
    
    That being said, I think there are a lot more people who are more interested in celebrity scandals rather than say, a good deed done by a celebrity. Why? I guess it just amazes us that any celebrity would be so dense as to get themselves into nasty trouble just for fame, money or no reason at all.
    
    Personally, I'm not very interested in the lives of celebrities - although I did follow the royal wedding, Kim Kardashian's wedding (which I found to be awfully disappointing and boring lol) etc. But for the most part, I try not to visit celebrity gossip websites so that I can focus on my own life instead of feeling envious of another celebrity. Besides, I think it can be a waste of time really - because how is it going to help you as an individual?
    
    The bottom line is, celebrities provide us with some form of entertainment in our otherwise 'normal lives.' It's up to us to decide whether we want to be interested in all their scripted moves to gain money or, focus on our own lives and 'be your own celebrity!' :-D

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24. 73

    mobiasposted 12 years ago

    Why shouldn’t they (we) be? I would guess 90% of the 'average Joe/Jane' population raises kids, works like I dog at multiple jobs, keeps the house going with repairs, mow's the lawn, drives the kids around, eats regular food (or worse, fast food) and drives a medium to average vehicle to do these things in....every day. It can get booooring. It's not glamorous, it doesn't excite our inner most desires to LIVE and be stimulated!
    
    Enter the most visible Fantasy - the Celebrity!  They (seemingly) get to do the exact opposite! Whether it is in all actually all fun and games is probably dependent on what stage of their careers they are in, how established they are, how impulsive or self-indulgent, or likewise, how modest. We all get a short but needed thrill out of keeping up with the Kardashians, or Clint Eastwood, or Oprah, or Lady Gaga. What they do in their off-time tends to rub off on the rest of us, whether it’s what they are buying, what they are wearing...or where they are dining. The more respected celebrities, demonstrate moral responsibilities, and try to champion causes for good organizations or charity's. If able, people can do well to take the lead from their cue!

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25. 61

    mariefontaineposted 12 years ago

    I think that a lot of people have so many issues in their own lives that if they begin to follow the life of a celebrity and realize that "perfect" people have issues too...it gives them some sort of comfort and also allows them a hiatus from their own plate full of stress and duress.

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26. 38

    edhanposted 12 years ago

    Curiosity kills the cat.
    
    People are always looking for something exciting. Their personal lives maybe dull and fill with boredom. So when comes to gossips, it turns out to be an adventure where people like to probe and discover more.
    
    But if we look at ourselves, we too can make our lives exciting and soon all these venture of celebrities will fade. Another reason will be people are trying to make money by giving some juicy news as it can be viral as it spreads like wild fire. This increase in readership means more money into their pockets.
    
    If one takes a hard look at themselves between celebrities, it is no difference except we make them to be popular.

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27. 84

    justateacherposted 12 years ago

    I am just nosy and want to know what people are up to...I am always curious and feel that if the info is out there, I'm going to read it...then I feel bad because I see some article about some celebrity who really just wants to keep their private lives private...but basically for me, I'm just nosy!

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28. 69

    hubsyposted 12 years ago

    Because the lives of celebrities give a glimpse into the life of someone who supposedly has it all. The definition of celebrity is someone that celebrates life, everyone is a celebrity, its just a matter of knowing it.

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29. 81

    bryteyedgeminiposted 12 years ago

    I have often wondered the same thing, I think it is for the same reason people watch soap operas or reality shows, it makes for a good distraction from ones own life. Personally, I find all of the tabloid celebrity junk completely annoying, when they start paying me the way that those guys get paid maybe I will feel differently, but for now, the fact that they get so much money and attention for sneezing it just silly.

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30. 0

    feelhungryposted 12 years ago

    Because they have nothing else better to do? lol.
    
    I love the songs/movies by the people who are called as Celebrities. But, I never really a huge fan for any of them. ;-) Because I think there is no point. I better spend the time with the people around me.

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31. 58

    Jeni Wilsonposted 12 years ago

    I think there is more than one reason for this.  For a start, celebs live totally aspirational lives - they are rich, they are beautiful and people will do anything to please them.  They command enviable power in our society. Humans by nature are attracted to that, even though these attributes in the celebrity world are usually superficial. 
    
    Also, the way celebrities are packaged by the media dehumanise them.  It is easy to build them up, root for them and then tear them down in the same way you would for characters in a movie, because they are not real people to us. That gives us a temporary surge of power (think of what looking at "cellulite circles" on a model does for a woman who feels insecure about her looks). The reason why people get more into them than fictional characters is that their lives become interactive soap operas.  It's happening in real time, all the time. 
    
    Escapism, consumerism, feelings of inadequacy... there are so many things working here which, as most people here have said, distract some people from their own lives which they may not be all that happy with.  Our society is not set up to appreciate what we already have, but to aspire to get more and more.  Those who buy into that mentality will always be obsessed with celebrities and celebrity culture.
    
    General interest (such and such has just had a baby, how sweet) is fine and normal, as we do have interest in people in in our 'real' lives that we may not know well.  But the way which we are encouraged to delve into celebs lives, with no limits to what see, causes it to be addictive (I used to watch E! and read Perez daily) gives you a short-lived boost, and is damaging to self-worth, self-esteem and general wellbeing.

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32. 79

    aravindb1982posted 12 years ago

    Its simple in my opinion - There is a false sense of some "celebrity rub off" by simply "keeping in touch". Knowing something about someone important makes one feel important!

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33. 61

    Cuttersposted 12 years ago

    Celebrities are regular people to they just happen to stick out more than the rest of us. I have in my life met many. I do not faint or stumble upon my words or even ask for a autograph. I behave the same as I would if I had met anyone on here. I think people wish they have what these celebrities have and they know they can never have it so they pretend to live through their minds . I dont know for sure I am just saying.

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34. 57

    Mohammad Wasimposted 12 years ago

    Sorry. I do not want to be a judge. Only to put a personal view.
    Cause for celebration indicates personal satisfaction , reflection of encouraging to others , motivating for the next  success and to enjoy the success with friends are always necessary in human life.

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35. 59

    kenhubsposted 12 years ago

    I think it's because most people's lives are not as eventful as those of your average celebrity. Also, some try to visualize themselves living the celebrity's life, while some others simply have nothing better to do.

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36. 80

    terrektwoposted 12 years ago

    I think as most people are not as rich and successful as said celebrities it is feeding their secret wish for them to fail and be miserable. Bitterness over the fact that they have so much and the masses have so little, they want celebrities to deal with misery like some do on a daily basis trying to make ends meet.

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37. 55

    sexualharassmentposted 12 years ago

    Maybe because they treat the lives of their idols as their own.

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38. 0

    khmohsinposted 12 years ago

    Because they think that these celebrities are their ideals....

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39. 88

    suzettenaplesposted 12 years ago

    I think people have a natural curiousity about others.  I think sometimes we live vacariously through celebrities.  I don't so much judge as observe how they live their lives.  As in the Swartzennegers - how do they react to divorce?  How do they handle sad, embarrassing, and  scandalous situations?   I, for one, look at their situation and think, "well my life could be worse,  or "there but for the grace of God go I."  I look at Maria Shriver, someone I admire and look up to and think, "well, she's had it worse in divorce than I did."  I don't wish anything worse or bad to happen to celebrities, but sometimes their situation helps to put my own troubles into perspective when I observe theirs.

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40. 62

    Blabbergasterposted 12 years ago

    Because it is fun and often very funny! At the end of the day stars are just ordinary people like you and me!

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41. 60

    rohitworld90posted 12 years ago

    because they are celebriitites
    !!!!!!!!!!

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42. 56

    SpaceAgeposted 12 years ago

    I think others r curious since they know they'll never get very close 2 a celebrity. knowing about their private lives is the closest they'll likely ever get 2 actually knowing them personally.

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43. 72

    stephaniedasposted 12 years ago

    I guess celebrities are considered to be above ordinary people, which explains the fascination.

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44. 60

    mackyandersonposted 12 years ago

    They are just happy knowing the private lives of others. Or maybe they're just a fan of the celebrity that's why they wanted to know more about his private life. I guess it is their freedom to know something they wanted to know.

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45. 0

    vperryposted 12 years ago

    I believe it is to live a "dream" life through someone else.  Capturing all the photos we see of the celebs makes us believe they have some dream life, with tons of money, etc.  The attraction of that type of lifestyle has always been around.  Although most work hard for their money and money can't buy happiness, love or a good life, people overlook the bad elements that go along with having that type of money.  They see the fancy cars, the beautiful mansions and their faces always on tv, magazines, etc.  It makes their life seem much more enhanced than some truly are.

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46. 0

    skymasterposted 12 years ago

    Simply because they have nothing better to do. Although some celebrities might want to pass a good example to the community (anti-drug campaigns,education prototypes, humanitarian and peace acts) most of the talking is focused on who they slept with the last 2 year etc.

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47. 57

    patbessposted 12 years ago

    I think that celebrities have things that a lot of people dream of ie.wealth, access to cool parties,mansions,public recognition, worship, dream travel destination etc.. We see them on TV and movies and we think we know them and somehow want to know what their private lives are like.

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48. 60

    STMerrimanposted 12 years ago

    Plain and simple people reflect themselves onto these celebrity icons, Psychological archetypes they fit their own personalties around without realizing, thus it is imperative to know as much about the person as possible, its almost like an obsession Subliminal and Driving

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49. 52

    plinkaposted 12 years ago

    We are also interested in our neighbours' or our colleagues' lives, but the bizarre fact is that it's much easier to peep into the celebrities' lives, because they live in the spotlight.

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50. 60

    TIDSimonposted 12 years ago

    Celebrities thrives on attention.
    
    If no one is giving them attention, then there wont be any celebrities.
    
    So, the way it is, is the way it is.

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