| When the Hilton sisters emerged about a decade | | | | Of course, it is only human nature to be curious |
| ago, they represented a new breed of celebrity. | | | | about the lives of others. And in today's society, |
| Noted not for their talents or even their beauty, Paris | | | | unfortunately, being famous often means being the |
| and Nikki became famous for, well, nothing. We knew | | | | subject of such curiosity. Famous people have things |
| where they were going and what they were doing, | | | | that we don't have, or at least things that we don't |
| but we could never quite figure out why. | | | | think we have, and many of us imagine them living |
| Soon, however, the Hilton sisters and similar | | | | outrageous lives. We believe that they have access |
| celebrities seemed to be all over the place. Unlike in | | | | to things that we do not - money, travel, etc. - and |
| the past where actors, models, artists, musicians and | | | | we wonder what such access must be like. |
| the like were admired and followed, it seemed as | | | | But our interest in the personal lives of celebrities |
| though now we were following around Average Joes | | | | goes beyond mere curiosity. Today, reports about |
| with no other talent than outrageous antics. Reality | | | | the lives of the rich and famous are especially |
| television because extremely popular, and we soon | | | | ruthless. And as much as we'd like to blame the |
| spent more time watching "real" satellite TV instead | | | | media, we are the ones who most buy into it. We |
| of comedies, dramas and other fictional programs. | | | | enjoy seeing others suffer (to a certain extent). It |
| Nowadays, reality television and outrageous antics | | | | makes us feel better about our own lives, |
| have resulted in a new media atmosphere - one that | | | | sometimes, to take pleasure in the problems of |
| entails the dogging of celebrities today more than | | | | others. |
| ever before. Whereas ten years ago we followed | | | | This is especially true in the case of the famous, |
| only the Hilton sisters in their real-life events, today, | | | | whom we often feel have unmerited advantages. |
| we follow all celebrities in such a way. Tabloid | | | | Seeing a seemingly ungrateful actress unable to get |
| magazines and gossip news programs play big bucks | | | | work makes us more comfortable with our own |
| to photographers and paparazzi to search out the | | | | employment struggles. Noting the lines and wrinkles |
| rich and famous day in and day out. Capturing them | | | | on the skin of the supposedly flawless stars on our |
| in interesting and often awkward positions (to | | | | high definition televisions helps us to feel better about |
| subsequently talk about and often judge them) has | | | | our own appearances. |
| become one of America's favorite sports. | | | | There are, of course, many factors involved in our |
| But what is it that interests us so much about the | | | | obsession with celebrities. What is sure, however, is |
| lives of the rich and famous? There is no one single | | | | that it does not seem to be going away any time |
| factor. | | | | soon. |
