Yep ... I agree that there will always be "celebrities" - people who are really, genuinely famous for their talent.  But I can't get my head round these "celebrities" who are famous for being famous (i.e Victoria Beckham - and to my mind, she's really dreadful - she has no talent), or famous for being stupid (Paris Hilton, etc)

LOL.    Yes, I think Jordan is a problem.  I'm concerned that little girls will want to grow up like her, and think that selling your life to the world's media is the norm.  It's not.  There's an old saying about "Not washing your dirty linen in public", i.e. not discussing your personal life with other people.  Jordan feels no shame in doing it.  I feel sorry for Jordan's kids - and I'm not saying she's a bad mother - it's just there's no part of her or her kid's lives that she hasn't sold to the press.  Basically, she's a tart and proud of it, and doesn't worry about how her kids will grow up/get treated because of it.  I'm not sure they're going to thank her when they're older.  As she's sold every nano second of her life, and square millimetre of her outer body, what part of her life/body is she going to next share with the rest of the world .... let's not go there ... Frankly, Jordan's a good advert for homosexuality - I'm gay - and proud of it.  

Many people who are celebrities have a common personality trait:  narcissism.  I read about half of a book by Dr Drew Pinsky about celebrity narcissism and addictions.  Very interesting.

Just when you thought Jordan/Katie Price's revelations couldn't get any worse ... she's got a book out just in time for Christmas.  I saw it in a bookshop this afternoon.  It's called "Standing Out:  My Look, My Style, My Life".  So for all you ladies who wish to look like Jordan, now's your chance - Katie will tell you how in her new book.  Betcha can't wait.

This isn't a new phenomena.  Duchess Gerorgina Spencer was one of the first, Lily Langtry was well known in the Edwardian period (even endorsing Pears Soap.)  I realized I was getting hooked on reality-type shows.  So, I limit myself to my two favorites (Project Runway and Top Chef, in the USA) and started living my life instead of watching other people live their lives. However, I find my time consumed by the internet.  Darn.

I think that it is so sad that people might be able to recognize all the actors and singers in the country, yet have no idea who Temple Grandin is. I took an Anthropology course over the summer, and was assigned to write an essay and powerpoint about how human diet has changed. I mentioned Temple Grandin's theory of how animals were domesticated. Not a single student in the class, or the teacher, has ever heard her name. Even my Zoology teacher didn't know who she was until I recommended the book Animals in Translation. And this woman is revolutionary to animal science! She actually convinced BF Skinner that the brain plays an important part in animal behavior, not just operant conditioning.

I do admire actors, because performing on stage and in movies is really tough, especially when the whole world will be watching you; but honestly, all they really do is entertain people. They might be able to help other parts of the world simply because they have so much extra money. But there are people of much lower income who have more important contributions for our society. But all people really seem to care about is their leisure and reality escape.

People are nosy, and they like a story, those are two reasons why people are fascinated by celebrity culture. There are many things that go into that, including being master of a subject. Shame it is such a vapid subject with such vapid material.

One of the major features of the success of some of the magazines which purvey this drivel is that they provide women (cos it's usually women read OK, Hello etc) an opportunity to tune out from the psycholigical trauma of a hard days work. So there are some benefits. Unfortunately those who are bored and idle use it to give their lives some meaning. These celebrities, especially those who came from standard roots, give people the feeling that they can also achieve ... or in other words, it is aspiration. People get their success vicariously.

In terms of male celebrity culture, that which involves women is based around sex. And even more unfortunately, that means women who are physically attractive and vapid, and therefore an easy lay (allegedly). So men are complicit in this too.

Interestingly there are few himbos, but they do exist. And it is also quite curious to see how they change. Said Peter Andrè is someone who seems to have been generally held to be a himbo. And I have no opinion to offer on his singing. But as far as I can tell, he seems to have come out of the depredations of his marriage break up quite well and looking fairly intelligent and responsible (from what I hear on the grapevine). He seems to be a good and caring father for instance.

There used to be a joke about David and Victoria Beckham ... how are they like a loaf of bread ... you can get them in thick and thin ... David being thick, and Victoria being thin. Curiously I think the cultural fascists got that the wrong way around. She is too damned thick to understand that she has absolutely no hope of developing a successful solo singing career. He on the other hand has made huge amounts of money, developed his talent well, and is generally held in fairly high regard nowadays. And the two of them are raising a family which the protect from the glare of publicity. So, perhaps not quite so vapid at all. Oh, and ehm, purely on a homoerotic theme ... have you seen THOSE Calvin Klein adverts ... ohhhhhhh my giddy aunt!

Lastly, the soap operas and things that include these celebrities. It has to be understood that television programmes are primarily vehicles for bringing the audience to advertisers (to take the Marxist viewpoint, but it follows well). So the programmes are carefully crafted and edited to ensure that they cause enough of a stooshie to keep people watching and buying, but not enough offence that people switch off. It is an edited version of reality. Which is why it all goes orbital when someone like Jade Goody says something she ought no to have said (although I rather think that this was a disgustingly manipulated event on the part of Channel 4).

Still vapid in my opinion!

Mind you, Jade Goody ended up being "forgiven" pretty much for her indiscretion once she got ill and later died tragically young of cancer. The documentary about her final days and her marriage conferred a certain degree of "sainthood" upon her.

No, I don't understand it.  Why are we considered the weird ones but they (rich and famous people) are the cream of society.  They dress weird and behave inappropriately, but they are practically showered with love, attention, and the gift of being taken seriously.  Yeah, I'm baffled.

I've seen pictures of Jordan and don't think she's even very attractive, and as for Victoria Beckham, she needs feeding up because the skeletal look doesn't suit her.