Beauty and the Beast

[Mr.Shadow1234]

True, fable. and 'tis good I was born in '86, I have a lot of tats.

[Elaura]

I've been absentmindedly surfing recently and, like a centuries-old vampire trying to stay in touch with the world, I've been looking at what's popular and why. I found a site slamming Miley (and her whole family) for being trailer trash. People said she is ugly, has a big nose, buck teeth, a large, round head, and a voice like a man's or a "smoker's voice". They call her untalented. I'm not getting all that.

What I see is just a lack of sense and class, a mindless adoring public, and an equally mindless, classless group of people obsessed with calling her names. The excuse for the vitriol? "You're famous, you signed up for it."

What boggles my mind is that at the same time celebrities are losing their status as human beings with feelings, they are being financially supported and watched like never before. Their political views have somehow become important, their "marketed product" (whatever it may be) is filling their wallets and at the same time they are vilified by people who have never even laid eyes on them in person, but are scrutinizing them through the microscope of twitter, facebook, tabloids, both print and otherwise, and "reality" TV.

Why do people care? Why do people pay so much money to see, hear, smell, and taste these people? Once upon a time they were entertainers, now they have become virtual religious icons, with members of the different religious sects either hauling them up on pedestals and throwing money at them, or dragging them down . . . and throwing money at them.

WTF?

[Adul]

The Britney Spears episode on South Park has quite accurately portrayed this aspect of global and virtual culture. We're always looking for someone to mock and make fun of just to feel better about ourselves. It's quite barbaric, when you think about it.

The same episode also predicted with frightening accuracy that the next pop icon to receive that treatment would be Miley Cyrus.

[Mr.Shadow1234]

I agree with both of you, but when someone cries about how great Justin Bieber is, I just feel like-

[Elaura]

I'm not sure if wishing death on celebrities is quite the way to redefine what it means to be an entertainer; too many of them work their whole lives to become famous and then have nothing left and take care of that themselves.

I think we should just stop watching these reality TV side-shows (as a society) and start demanding some talent with our entertainment. Hell, even the sideshow freaks of yesteryear were talented. They would practice skills, sing, dance, and give people cards to keep. Even when sideshows only cost a nickel, people got their nickel's worth.

Now we pay what, $20 for a movie ticket, a couple hundred/month for cable/internet and we don't even get one dance number? I will often have insomnia and watch old musicals in the middle of the night. They were made when the "talent" had talent. They could act, sing, dance, play instruments, some could do it all. Nobody got paid for just memorizing a script. Certainly nobody got paid for just showing up and being themselves. God help them if they showed up and started spouting their own political and religious beliefs on stage.

I suppose the entertainment industry has always been a reflection of society, the trouble is, society has gone places I just don't understand anymore.

[Mr.Shadow1234]

Now that you said it, i really did not put much thought into it. But you think about it Elaura. Thousands of fans willing to see him, and all he does is spit on them. i do not wish death on him, but when you see Iron man approaching with a missile, first thing you do is get in your car/bike and drive as fast as you can, eh?

[Drakkmore]

One should be very careful about what one wishes for.
One day I saw in the news that Anna Nicole Smith was being sued over some diet gimmick that she endorsed, and I said to my self, "I wish that woman would go away, and never come back."
The next afternoon I was watching the news at a truck stop during a lunch stop, and there it was "Anna Nicole Smith found dead"!
I was a bit shaken about it, but not that much. I was more surprised that I had been granted my wish, but I never wanted her dead. I just wanted her to stop bothering me by being on my television.

[Mr.Shadow1234]

I suppose so, Drakkmore, sometimes what you wish does happen.

[Danniella]

I wish i would win in lotto... and wishes do come true