'Celebrities'

[KittyGlitter]

To me, the UK media seem obsessed with so called celebs who don't actually do anything or have any talent for something. I wonder if other countries are like this or is it just the UK?

[howlin_wolf]

Quiet Kitty! You'll spoil it! This way, there's a chance for all of us!

[jno]

other countries have celebrities too, and many are strictly local heroes. I don't think it's quite true that people are famous for nothing at all (except Chantelle, who is the exception proving the rule; and she's now celebrated for winning CBB); it's more that they once got into the news for doing something, however minor (it could just be being seen on the arm of someone really famous), and live off it forever.

[KittyGlitter]

LOL howlin_wolf, you can have your 15 minutes of fame. Stick with me, I have contacts ;-)

[delboy3]

America is worse, I gather, but I hope they don't have anyone as bad as Jade Goody.

[feebal]

I think talk of our obsession with celebrity is overstated. Sure, it seems that the celebs on Big Brother are talentless, vapid, naval-gazing, whining, self-absorbed, passive-aggressive, vulgar, inane, pampered, vain, ridiculous old bores but....oh dear, I've forgotten my point.

Well, the point was that we've always had celebrities (Nell Gwynn, Beau Brummell, Molly Malone, Greyfriars Bobby, Lady Hamilton, Dick Turpin) and sometimes they were merely famous (or well-known) for very minor achievements (selling oranges, dressing in a camp fashion and bitching about people, selling oysters, being a dog, being someone's bit on the side, being a criminal)....yet people have always been fascinated by them and tittilated by their exploits. And they've always sold newspapers - or pamphlets in the old days.

It's the same the world over. In Spain, they still go mad for bullfighters. But flick through the channels and it's the same mix of giggling blonde bimbos and wrinkly comedians as over here. Probably, among some of the remotest, least civilised tribes on the planet, they will make a celebrity out of the one with the biggest breasts.

I think it's just human nature.

[Stu in USA]

Dellboy, America has Jessica "I don't eat Buffalo" Simpson and Paris "I'm so hat" Hilton. These and many others, far worse than Jade and they pop up in movies!

[Octavius]

The UK media are only feeding the public obsession. I mean, there are actually people out there who buy Heat magazine et al

Not to mention News of the (World??)