Celebrity Worship: Good for Your Health? - Dr. Paul J. Dean
Shira Gabriel, a psychologist at the University at Buffalo, conducted a series of three studies on celebrity worship, focusing specifically on how admiration from afar may affect the admirer's self-esteem. "It was seven or eight years ago during the Michael Jackson trial," she says, "and I was fascinated by the people who were obsessed with him, who flew to the trial and made banners. I thought, What would bring somebody to do something like that?" One possible reason, which Gabriel decided to explore, was the vicarious pleasure that regular people get from following the lives of famous people; for some fans, there is something uniquely satisfying about carrying on an intense, albeit unrequited, relationship with celebrities. "Perhaps some people who don't feel good about themselves and are not able to get what they want out of a real relationship because of a fear of rejection can feel a connection with a celebrity and get something positive out of that," says Gabriel.
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A question often intended to evoke feelings of identification and knowing approval can often point to more truth than one realizes. Such a question was posed by Time CNN: “Who among us hasn't fallen victim to a little celebrity worship? Whether the object of our affections are movie stars, athletes, poets or politicians (just look at how many Americans are getting a buzz off Sarah Palin and Barack Obama), we're hungry for information about them. We want to know what they're saying, what they're wearing, where they're going and whom they're with. Indeed, billion-dollar industries revolve around our indefatigable obsession with celebrities.”
The truth is that human beings are spiritual beings that have been affected by the fall. Such celebrity worship is not uncommon nor is it spiritually harmless: it is idolatry. Believers must be aware of such that their minds might be renewed that they might stop being conformed to this world that they might be transformed into individuals who do indeed live increasingly for God’s glory.
Aside from the questionable method of research employed in this case, the assertion is made that “new scientific research has found that celebrity-crushes are not only common but maybe even healthy: a study published Sept. 10 suggests that the act of celebrity worship may be a boon to some people's self-esteem.” On a worldview opposed to the Scripture, the definition of health is self-esteem. In reality, people need a proper esteem in regard to themselves if they are to ever see their need for a Savior and the esteem that is to be had in Him.
The fact that people derive “vicarious pleasure…from following the lives of famous people” is not surprising. Human beings have a natural desire to be part of something bigger than themselves. The problem is that we identify with and derive an ultimate satisfaction from the wrong things. God has set eternity in our hearts. Our identity and pleasure in an ultimate sense must be derived from Him. The good news is that we don’t have to shrink the kingdom of which we are a part down to the size of our little lives or even the little lives of celebrities. By grace through faith in Christ we can be part of the biggest kingdom there is: God’s kingdom. And, that’s ultimate.
Shira Gabriel, a psychologist at the University at Buffalo, conducted a series of three studies on celebrity worship, focusing specifically on how admiration from afar may affect the admirer's self-esteem. "It was seven or eight years ago during the Michael Jackson trial," she says, "and I was fascinated by the people who were obsessed with him, who flew to the trial and made banners. I thought, What would bring somebody to do something like that?" One possible reason, which Gabriel decided to explore, was the vicarious pleasure that regular people get from following the lives of famous people; for some fans, there is something uniquely satisfying about carrying on an intense, albeit unrequited, relationship with celebrities. "Perhaps some people who don't feel good about themselves and are not able to get what they want out of a real relationship because of a fear of rejection can feel a connection with a celebrity and get something positive out of that," says Gabriel.
read entire article
A question often intended to evoke feelings of identification and knowing approval can often point to more truth than one realizes. Such a question was posed by Time CNN: “Who among us hasn't fallen victim to a little celebrity worship? Whether the object of our affections are movie stars, athletes, poets or politicians (just look at how many Americans are getting a buzz off Sarah Palin and Barack Obama), we're hungry for information about them. We want to know what they're saying, what they're wearing, where they're going and whom they're with. Indeed, billion-dollar industries revolve around our indefatigable obsession with celebrities.”
The truth is that human beings are spiritual beings that have been affected by the fall. Such celebrity worship is not uncommon nor is it spiritually harmless: it is idolatry. Believers must be aware of such that their minds might be renewed that they might stop being conformed to this world that they might be transformed into individuals who do indeed live increasingly for God’s glory.
Aside from the questionable method of research employed in this case, the assertion is made that “new scientific research has found that celebrity-crushes are not only common but maybe even healthy: a study published Sept. 10 suggests that the act of celebrity worship may be a boon to some people's self-esteem.” On a worldview opposed to the Scripture, the definition of health is self-esteem. In reality, people need a proper esteem in regard to themselves if they are to ever see their need for a Savior and the esteem that is to be had in Him.
The fact that people derive “vicarious pleasure…from following the lives of famous people” is not surprising. Human beings have a natural desire to be part of something bigger than themselves. The problem is that we identify with and derive an ultimate satisfaction from the wrong things. God has set eternity in our hearts. Our identity and pleasure in an ultimate sense must be derived from Him. The good news is that we don’t have to shrink the kingdom of which we are a part down to the size of our little lives or even the little lives of celebrities. By grace through faith in Christ we can be part of the biggest kingdom there is: God’s kingdom. And, that’s ultimate.
posted by IABC | 7:58 AM
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