Topic > The distorting impact of reality television on society

No matter where a person goes in the United States, they will not walk the streets of New Jersey or New York long before hearing about the latest scandals with Kim Kardashian or Miley Cyrus. If a person enters a public store, he will immediately hear a discussion about the latest American Idol stars from passers-by. While we scoff at the antics of celebrities, but at the same time we can cultivate an almost fanatical desire to be as if not more famous than the people everyone is talking about. It is quite human to feel envy, jealousy, and desire; we all want to be seen favorably. We roll our eyes when someone repeatedly claims how beautiful or smart a celebrity is, but even a skeptic can't help but yearn for the admiration that celebrity has received. Why do men train? Why do women use such large quantities of cosmetics? Why are people so determined to be worshiped? The response to an individual's thirst for fame may vary, but it is inevitable to assume that the individual wants to be the center of attention. We want to be admired, favored and loved as much as the celebrities we adore. Reality television has moved to show the “perfect” lives of our celebrities and how happy they are compared to ordinary people. Neoliberals and authoritarians have realized how our fanatical love for our celebrities can be used against us, so much so that they quoted Frank Furedi from his academic journal on the topic of celebrity culture in which he stated in the abstract on his first page: “Celebrities often provide an alternative source of validation. The tendency to entrust authority to celebrities represents an attempt to circumvent the problem of legitimacy by politicians and other figures.” Through celebrity neoliberals and