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Marcia Johnson

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Why do we worship people (athletes, actors, musicians, etc)?

I think that the value of athletes, actors and muscians is overrated. How is the cost of a ticket to a theater performance, concert or professional athletic performance justified? Why is it that so many people are willing to pay so much money to watch events such as this? Is it that something is lacking in our own lives or selves that we think we should pay more than $100.00 per event to watch someone sing, dance or play a sporting event?

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    Dylan Gonzalez

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    Jan 22 2012: (Coming from the perspective of an angry teenager) I feel that living vicariously through those that we idolize is the closest thing to actually being them. We choose to build these people up and put them upon a pedestal, thus allowing them to have this "God-like" status. And when opportunity allows, we magnify their faults in order to boost our own self-esteem (the whole "I'm not as bad as that" factor). Why do you think we pay no attention to a homeless person's degradation but our attention zeros in on "So and So's tummy bulge"?

    Obviously we use these people as a tool to satisfy some sort of need. Perhaps we get some of the benefits of being these people without actually being them. Perhaps we give these people so much power over our lives because we do not want the responsibility that comes with empowering ourselves. I personally feel that worshiping celebrities is the equivalent of drinking "near beer". We get a taste of their "fabulous" live's without the actual feeling of being them.

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