it cant just be me...or can it?

[shootthebandit]

So all i keep hearing about is miley fucking cyrus and it got me thinking. There must be more of us out there who hate celebrity culture. Just everything about "celebrity" culture really fucks me off. I dont care if miley cyrus made an arse (no pun intended....ok i admit it) of herself at some shit award ceremony for who has the most generic pop music. I dont care when we see a picture of a celeb and told they are anorexic then a week later they put on a pound and are told they are obese. What sort of image is this for young girls and its not much better for young lads who are expected to spend all their time in the gym.

This is a culture centred around judging people and i cant stand judging people. Also why does culture feel the need to segregate us into different groups. Its just a way of judging someone without getting to know them first.

I cant stand how we put these people on rediculously high pedastalls, give them so much money and influence. Then we decide to make every aspect of there life a peep show (although some of them choose this). Then we wonder why they completely fly off the handle

Its a horrible culture to be part of. Its a culture that promotes bullying and vanity and discourages getting to know different people and opening your mind and broadening your horizons. Its a culture which discourages free thinking and encourages people to be sheep and follow the corporate trends

So i go back to my original point about miley cyrus. This is getting far more attention than the fact that a dictator is killing his own citizens with gas attacks and we (USA and UK) could be potentially be sending servicemen and women to syria and risking countless more lives BUT thats boring lets forget about that

This guy sums up our culture pretty well. If you like this check out one of his other songs called "get better"

 

[thesilentman]

I think you need soma. Come here, little guy. Come here....

OT- It's not just you. I think the better question is why is there such an emphasis on this in the media? I think that's the better question to ask first, as no one will admit to this when you spell it out first.

I hate this culture too. I dunno why I keep hearing of things that make me want to have my own island....

 

[SilkySkyKitten]

Yeah, it isn't just you at all. It's one of the primary reasons I don't even really watch TV anymore or pay attention to the news.

Granted, I end up missing the actually important stuff sometimes, and I become less versed in current events than I probably should be. But hey, at least I don't have to deal with all this "WHO IS BRITTNEY/MILEY/[small]*insert celebrity here*[/small] FUCKING NOW? AND WHO DID HER DRESS?!?!" nonsense all the time.

 

[Little Woodsman]

I think you need soma. Come here, little guy. Come here....

OT- It's not just you. I think the better question is why is there such an emphasis on this in the media? I think that's the better question to ask first, as no one will admit to this when you spell it out first.

I hate this culture too. I dunno why I keep hearing of things that make me want to have my own island....

Nope OP, not just you...this is why I pay no attention to pop culture or the paparazzi.
Make that a large island silentman, I'll split it with you.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Yeah I don't understand it either. But then again I haven't watched TV for 3 years now.

 

[Korolev]

Well.... yeah. But it's the culture the affluent countries chose. The same thing is happening in China - it happens everywhere when you get enough money. The population becomes lazy and distracted by pleasures and entertainment. There's no "conspiracy" to "dull the masses" - the masses willing choose - no, even better, they CREATE this culture. This is what people want. It is. It's not the job of the entertainment industry to raise taste and values - they just respond to them.

I've never hated celebrities. They don't earn a cent more than the public is willing to spend on them. We value entertainment. We value it tremendously. Why do pretty actors get more money than scientists? Because the people spend their money on entertainment more than they do on research, because people want to be entertained, and really there's nothing wrong with wanting to be entertained. We all want to be entertained, and entertaining people is pretty hard work. I couldn't do it!

By the way the US and the UK are NOT going to be sending your average soldier to Syria. They've already explicitly ruled that out. They're going to do what they did in Libya - bomb from the air and let the Syrian Insurgents do the fighting for them on the ground. It worked well enough in Libya. They MAY send some special forces on the ground (The British sent their SAS into Libya, I believe, and I wouldn't be surprised if the US sent some of its SEAL teams or its famed (but surprisingly inept at times) Delta Force into the country for covert ops) but the vast majority of the foreign intervention will be carried out with air-power alone. When you have fighters on the ground willing to take the land for you, there's no need to send your own troops. Assad's edge is that his side has tanks and jets and artillery. Use planes to take that stuff out, as they did in Libya, and you'll find that his military edge will evaporate, just like Gaddafi's.

Of course, this military intervention will not end the War. It'll topple Assad, sure, but like in Libya, merely getting rid of the Tyrant will not make the land into a magical happy-place.

Look - you may think that we in the West are all dumb and don't pay attention to politics. Sure. But that's true of EVERY country. I know plenty of Chinese folks and Singaporean Folks and Malaysian Folks. They are just as, for the most part, disconnected from the serious politics as anyone else. My Chinese relatives? They don't give a DAMN about Syria. They watch their Hong Kong Pop Talent Shows and they couldn't give a fig about the Middle East. Those Indian students who are in my Medical Class? They don't care about the NSA stuff - they're busy studying and dating each other. Most people of EVERY COUNTRY THROUGHOUT TIME have not cared about the "big stuff" unless it directly impacted them or they were in a war-time or crisis situation. That's human nature - if we can avoid looking at the nasty stuff, most of us will! Remember that line about Bread and Circuses? That line originated during the Roman Empire/Late Republic Period (I can't remember exactly). It's been going on for a whiles.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I just googled Miley Cyrus to see what you were talking about. Honestly I didn't even hear of this before you mentioned it. Goes to show all you need to do is watch less TV. At least nobody I know talks about this.

 

[Drummodino]

Yea I hate it too. As a result I don't watch tv or listen to the radio anymore. I don't consider myself hipster or indie, but I just cannot stand the mainstreampop music, reality tv etc that the masses seem to lap up. My biggest pet peeve at the moment is my sister (who I'm currently living with) constantly watches big brother on MY tv. Nothing worse than coming home from a long day to that crap.

 

[Erv]

I view it as a form of trolling on the mass media level. On the internet, if you say something mildly intelligent or stupid, nobody cares. You have to be extremely intelligent or stupid to get any attention and since intelligence at that level is very rare, most trolls of the "casual internet troll" or the "TV news editor troll" variety, intentionally try to be as retarded as possible.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

I make it a point to never click on those. That's really the only thing you can do to try and stop it, if you weren't already. The onion did a brilliant article on it that pretty much lays out why things are this way.
http://www.theonion.com/articles/let-me-explain-why-miley-cyrus-vma-performance-was,33632/
It's one of those "reality is fucking depressing, but it makes sense" reads, but this is the state of the 24 hour news cycle right now.

 

[Zhukov]

I don't actually know who Miley Cyrus is, but Youtube's front page really really wants me to know that she's been twerking someone.

...

I don't know what "twerking" means either.

I must be getting old.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

My biggest reaction to most celebrity news is "This is vaguely fascinating", but then that's my reaction to nearly everything.

I can't be arsed to get mad at celebrity gossip no matter how stupid it is. It's an inevitable result of evolution creating the most loony thing ever, the human brain. The culture isn't something that can be changed by conscious effort. It's too large and too thoroughly ingrained. It's a giant blob of confusion and opinions, congealing now and then to give glimpses of the only truth in humans, insanity.

In the grand scheme, it matters approximately as much as the dictator. None of us have the ability or willpower to change either one in the slightest.

That video bugged me a bit, too. Think for yourself? That's impossible. There is no such thing as thinking for oneself. Every thought is the product of experiences and past input from the world we've lived in.

Also sorry if that whole post sounded incredibly pretentious and nihilistic. I've been watching a lot of movies and documentaries about space.

 

[wadark]

With no intended pun to the name of this fine website, it is escapism, nothing more. It is something which a person can read/see/whatever to escape the mundanity or misery of their daily lives. But whereas many of us get escapism through games, movies, books, or other works of fiction or information, this form of escapism comes from real life, and from turning the world of these individuals (celebrities) into glorified human cock-fighting (thanks to The Newsroom for that great descriptor). The fact that it is 'real' makes it all the better for the people who use it for their escapism.

And when so many people decide that that's where they want to get their kicks, then that becomes what sells. And with news media outlets, their chief fault is running what sells. This crap sells, so that's what they run.

 

[viranimus]

You might be a little off there. Certainly several things you say are spot on and accurate but I think what sort of explains this is perception and spectrum

This is getting far more attention than the fact that a dictator is killing his own citizens with gas attacks

That is all in where you chose to look. Trust me, There are ample numbers of people fixating on the geopolitical strata with just as much fervor. You just have to look elsewhere. If you look at the "boob tube" then you cannot really be surprised when what is reflected is boobery. Its been quite a long time since television was reflective of reality, seriousness, or substantive value.

That said, of course when some mouseketeer abortion encounters a fatal flaw in her Disney programing and goes haywire it will bleed over into other theaters of media. Most commonly the internet, but if is audacious enough it can even spill over into other outlets.

These are all elements of "mainstream media" These idols and divas are all essentially tools of mainstream media so it stands to reason that mainstream media invariably is vested in examining and even perpetuating such things. Such is a product of having entirely too many programming blocks to fill and no where near the content to fill it. So if you cannot fill it yourself, find the nearest and most reliable train wreck and simply wait for it. Thing is, its not even celebrity culture as the culture manufactures its own celebrity.

So knowing that mainstream media is essentially that gawking at a train wreck to appeal to the lowest common denominators and being aware of where it frequents, then it becomes easy enough to avoid. To even pay enough attention to it to be bothered by it is giving it entirely too much attention. While it does not actually vanish, much like a troll, if you Ignore it long enough what actually vanishes is your personal care for it. As is apparent there are far more important things out there.

TL;DR
Mass Media is only an arguably irrelevant and optional part of the culture.

Its a horrible culture to be part of. Its a culture that promotes bullying and vanity and discourages getting to know different people and opening your mind and broadening your horizons.

I find myself both confused and curious on this. How does bullying get promoted or even get brought into this equation? How does all this vanity and judgement connect to the celebrity culture? Im asking because it really seems like quite a glib stretch to try to connect all this as causality when these things have far more intricate and numerous sources.

 

[SonicWaffle]

Most people of EVERY COUNTRY THROUGHOUT TIME have not cared about the "big stuff" unless it directly impacted them or they were in a war-time or crisis situation. That's human nature - if we can avoid looking at the nasty stuff, most of us will! Remember that line about Bread and Circuses? That line originated during the Roman Empire/Late Republic Period (I can't remember exactly). It's been going on for a whiles.

Sir or madam, I applaud you. It's really, really tiring to constantly hear about the dumbing down of culture and how stupid people "nowadays" like to distract themselves from reality with the idiot box. Even more grating when you hear it on an online forum dedicated to video games; a lot of complainers will proudly assert they don't know what a Miley Cyrus is and are thus superior to the brainwashed masses, but will still be able to tell you all the scandalous news the gaming industry is currently putting out. Ken Levine was seen twerking on Peter Molyneux at PAX, it's a bloody disgrace!

We've always sought to escape from our lives. Some of us choose video games, some of us watch celebrities, and both groups will wonder why the other is taking their choice so seriously. We might laugh at people making a big deal out of something Miley Cyrus did, but what do you think they'd say if they knew how gamers reacted to literally any piece of news we didn't unilaterally approve of?

I don't know what "twerking" means either.

I must be getting old.

I had to google it the other day. Basically means to jiggle one's posterior, as far as I can tell, because apparently A) that needs a name and B) we didn't already have one.


OP: Get over it. We all had to. People like things that you think are stupid, but this does not make them stupid. It doesn't make you any smarter than them. This kind of thought is pretty much a legal requirement for being a teenager - you may even be compelled to use the word "sheeple" at some point, but seriously, resist the urge - but it goes away as you get older and gain a little perspective.

 

[piinyouri]

Wha...Miley Cyrus, you mean the honky tonk mullet man's daughter?

Gah, I have no idea what she did/didn't do and don't much care.

Her father did an exceptionally great job narrating a doc about the Appalachian railroad builders and the mountain culture in general that I found really fascinating.
Random but I thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[Queen Michael]

This is why I hate gossip magazines, actually. Spying on people like that isn't okay, no matter if they're celebrities or not.

 

[bliebblob]

Oh it's certainly not just you (protip: it NEVER is for ANYTHING).

Fortunantly there's a rediculously simple solution: just don't bother. Just skip any and all celebrity news and marvel at how much more interesting say, a newspaper, suddenly becomes. This also has the added benefit of indirectly using your wallet to vote against all tabloids and whatnot, which is a nice feeling, even though it's never going to be enough to actually make them disappear. After all, as ol' Socrates said: strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people. And boy are there a lot of weak minds.