What is it with celebrity gossip?

[jake-the-peg]

We've got a thread going in News about this gagging order some celebrity has got to stop the newspapers printing lots of lurid details about the married woman he's been sleeping with.

Apparently this gagging of such an important story is terrible!

And now the thread's run off on tales of football managers kerbcrawling - to the apparent delight of many otherwise sensible ABers!

Can someone explain to me why this should be so interseting because I really don't get it

[LazyGun]

Prurience and vicarious living by brain dead couch potatoes mostly :)

[shaneystar2]

Because this is the culture we live in unfortunately Jake.People are obsessed with this sort of thing ..just have a look in shopping !! Every wants the dress that so an so was wearing on such and such whilst people starve in doorways.
It is not in the least interesting in fact it is downright boring. I could not care less who sleeps with who and if he is then good luck to him ! Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. Net curtain twitchers spring to mind .

[jake-the-peg]

I'm not trying to look down on people here I just don't get the attraction.

Is it a "knowing something you don't know" kind of a kick?
or is it a kind of pleasure at seeing rich and famous people struggling with their lives?

I suppose I'd better not give up the day job, I'd never hack it as a papparazzi

[dawkins]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossip

Mostly Jake I think it is about community and validation. My Gran was a terrible gossip (and quite two-faced) I think that being able to validate her feelings (and prejudice, and jealousy) with her neighbour made her feel more accepted and less guilty. Is it any wonder that sooner or later people found a way to exploit this through gossip columns and the like? Much in the way that religion gives people a sense of community I believe that gossip does the same.

[mikeyp]

I'm afraid I can't help you jake, the idea of celebrities is lost on me as well. I personally can't see much of merit in most celebrities, and hence don't value their opinions or actions particularly highly. Certainly no more highly than a random person I meet in the road.

I tend to dislike it if a celebrity does something morally wrong though, since I know there are people who are influenced by them, and the celebrity knows this too and should behave responsibly.

I think what Dawkins said is very true, I sometimes chat about my housemates annoying habits with others. Knowing that what they are doing is actually annoying, rather than me just being annoyed unecessarily, makes those 45 minute showers they take a little easier to bear!

[Octavius]

Yes lost on me too, it does seem that people really feel the need to be in the loop on celebrity gossip. I think this is triggered by the feeling that if you don�t know who is doing what with who, where, when and how, that you are somewhat out of date and uncultured. This is fuelled by the media and magazines such as Heat! It is almost as if we are meant to be interested � I mean you can never see ex-Big Brother �celebs� falling out of a nightclub too often can you?

I used to pick up a copy of London Lite or TheLondonPaper every evening, but they are so full of this celebrity spotting tedium that I no longer bother. Especially as for the last 2 months or so, Peter Doherty has featured in them linked to some story or other. I think even on one occasion � obviously on a day he wasn�t arrested � that they had nothing to write about him so they created a �dress like Pete� article. How low is the bottom of that barrel?

[Buenchico]

I can't really answer your question, Jake, but I thought that I should post to state that I'm just as confused as you by why anyone should be bothered about who's being unfaithful to who and with whom.

Although it's not directly relevant to your question, I thought that some of the intelligent contributors to this thread might like to see the Press Complaints Commission Code of Conduct. All of our national newspapers (or should that be 'comics' where some of them are concerned?) have agreed to abide by this code. I wonder how many editors could truthfully say that they always keep within rules 3 and 4?:
http://www.pcc.org.uk/cop/practice.html

Chris

[jake-the-peg]

Oh that's really interesting Buenchico!

Especially the bit about no-body should be pghotographed without their consent

I see that items 3 and 4 are subject to a public interest exception.

This must be why the papers are forever trying to plead public interest means what interests the public

[LazyGun]

Aye, thats why the papers are always claiming Public Interest JTP.

Thing is, there is a big difference between what the public is interested in, and what is in the public interest.All too often, when the papers claim the latter, its really the former.

I stand by my first answer :)

[Miss Inquiry]

Hands up, I have to admit I am one of these people who reads celebrity gossip. I am by my own admission incredibly nosey and watching what others do fascinates me, it's not just celebrities, I would be happy sat in a Costa all day watching people go buy. Equally you will find me avidly watching the news daily, attending lectures on Criminology after graduating a few years ago, helping my best friend with her doctorate or planning visits to Madagascar to save Lemurs. I am interested in loads of things and can see each thing for what it is, and its individual importance and relevance.

I read this (by my own admission) celebrity cr@p, as a break from all the sadness, poverty, hierocracy, hypocrisy, brainwashing, etc.. you find all over the place, and it is just as bad! It makes me laugh to see the odd celebrity manipulating the media and also the media manipulating them. They feed off each other.

If you don't like it don't read it, ignore it, it will soon be tomorrows chip paper.

[snotneck]

When I get to power, 'celebrities' will be hunted with dogs.