Does having too much information about public figures distract us from important issues?
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| Source: NY Daily News |
With more daily active Twitter users than actual people in the Philippines—100 million users against 98 million citizens to be exact—it is evident that social media has permeated our society and seeped into every facet of our daily life. Not only has this revolutionized the way in which we form relationships and interact with one another, it also has completely changed the way we receive information – news travels instantly. Therefore, the reality that we live in creates this urge for novel information to be released constantly and rapidly, as even this morning’s headlines are “so three hours ago.”
This overriding need for information has led to the media’s insatiable appetite to discover groundbreaking facts about the public figures that we hold in such high esteem. After all, there isn’t anything more captivating than a star athlete or esteemed politician falling out of grace. In some cases, the cause of these scandals can be pinned upon the individual himself. For example, most would consider Tiger Woods and his own actions to be the sole reasons for his sex scandal. Consequently, the blame can’t be placed on an outside party. However, in the case of the recent mass celebrity nude photo leaks, dubbed as “The Fappening”, the public was outraged and responsibility was not consigned to the celebrities whose lewd images were released. This begs the question of whether or not private information of celebrities diverts us from the aspects of their character that we should focus on. Tiger Woods is still an extremely talented golfer, and not the hot-blooded nymphomaniac many believe him to be.
Let’s take America’s reigning social media queen, Kim Kardashian. One can argue that Kim’s entire career is built upon her willingness to share the intimate, personal details of her life and is this reason why she is so relevant to our current society. Paradoxically, her initial platform to fame was a private “home movie” that she did not originally want to release. Even for someone as candid as Kim, it is unimaginable that she would willingly choose to share the now infamous video. Despite all the success she has accomplished since that video, she’s still viewed as “trashy” or “low-brow”. Does this create an unfair prejudice towards Kim Kardashian? Yes, it probably does. But is this prejudice justified? We are taught at a young age to forgive people for their past mistakes and offer them a second chance, but today it seems we cannot forgive celebrities for their past digressions. We regretfully know too much.
On the other hand, we can argue that the reason we condemn our public figures is because their actions are condemnable in any circumstance, regardless of their notoriety. Although being a celebrity places you on a higher pedestal than your average Joe; cases of assault, rape or any other criminal activity are still damning in any community – no matter how big or small. When Chris Brown violently attacked then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, legions of fans unleashed a frenzy of scathing comments deploring Brown’s actions. Would the reaction be any different in any civilized society? Sure, the scale of hatred would be miniscule in comparison to Brown, but an act of domestic violence is still a horrendous thing to witness or commit. Headlining a major concert tour or starring in an international blockbuster doesn’t change the fact that a crime is still a crime, and people’s perspectives of a person ultimately change after he or she is convicted.
Ultimately, the increasing availability of information begs the question of whether or not prying into notable figures’ lives is just a natural part of fame. Jennifer Lawrence, a victim of the “Fappening” nude photo leaks, doesn’t seem to think so, as she recently stated in a Vanity Fair article “Just because I’m a public figure, just because I’m an actress, does not mean that I asked for this. It does not mean that it comes with the territory. It’s my body, and it should be my choice, and the fact that it is not my choice is absolutely disgusting.” As noble as her statement may be, it is too idealistic to be put into action. Unfortunately, the demand for nude leaks, celebrity sex tapes and scandalous TMZ videos is only growing. Therefore, private information about public figures is not distracting, but necessary to satisfy our overpowering desire to see celebrities commit mistakes and to remind us that they are human after all.
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