13 Jan 2012

IT'S OFFICIAL, THIS IS MY FIRST RANT OF 2012.

Well, I bet that's put a few of you off stopping by but visitors or not I just have to get this off my chest.

I confess that as much as I hate the whole culture of celebrity ..... and here's why (or at least one reason why).........

Way back when I was a girl when asked what we wanted to be when we grew up the answer was very often (for us girls at least) a nurse or a vet or a teacher or, perhaps most glamorous of all, an air hostess. How unlike today when so many of our young people seem to want to be famous for, well, being famous.

Which brings me back to today's celebrity culture.

Despite part of me loathing myself for it, I admit that in previous years I've getting well and truly drawn into Celebrity Big Brother (CBB) which for those of you who don't know is a game show in which a group of contestants known as housemates live in in isolation in a house which films their every move but I digress ........

My problem with this years CBB is the contestants, the so-called celebrities who number

  • 2 soap stars
  • A Hollywood 'star'
  • A rugby player
  • A self proclaimed all-round entertainer *
  • A pop singer
  • No less than 4 glamour models
  • A young man made 'famous' by being asked to leave another reality show after it turned out he had a drug habit and, aged, not yet 17, claimed to have slept with more than 90 woman, having 7 of their names tattooed on to his bottom ..... classy, eh?
  • Another young man who is best known (make that only known) as, and I quote ........ a womanising rich boy who 'starred' in yet another reality show
  • A woman whose only real claim to fame is her having had an eight year affair with her husbands brother who just so happens to be a professional football player

..... (Click HERE to see just who is who)

OK, I'll give you that the Hollywood star could be classed as a celebrity as could the soap stars, the rugby player, the pop singer and the 'all round singer-come dancer-come actor, as after all, believe it or not, it is generally accepted that they have a talent (even if, as in the case of the singer/dancer/actor, it seems to be the ability to do the splits and generally be annoying).

Not so the glamour girls who basically make their money being photographed wearing very little if not less, the man (and I use the term loosely, very loosely) who admits he's famous for his outrageous behaviour nor the rich womaniser and, certainly not, the woman having an affair with her brother-in-law.

Now I know this isn't a show aimed at youngsters but, like it or not, some do watch and what kind of a message is this sending? Yes, whoopee! its great to earn your money taking your clothes off for a living, and what better way to make your self known than to sleep with someone already in the public eye such as a famous football player?

Oh I don't know perhaps its just me becoming old and grumpy/grumpier but what really puzzles me is when did we start celebrating those individuals famous for these (and similar) activities and these activities alone as opposed to/alongside those with a genuine, recognisable talent?

What says you?

* NB. Having sat in my draft box for a week now, I always give myself a cooling-off period before I publish my rants, I'm led to believe that the all-round entertainer was evicted from the house this Wednesday.


20 comments:

Patti said...

I'm with you on that, people who are celebrities even though they have zero talent, drive me absolutely bonkers.

Alexia561 said...

This is why I don't watch reality shows, as the participants are usually talentless braggarts, desperate to get on TV.

When I was growing up, most girls wanted to be a nurse or teacher....I didn't want to be around sick people or kids, so I was a "challenge" for my guidance counselor. Ha!

serendipity_viv said...

I am with you too. I can't believe they are being classed as celebrities and think they are celebrities. It is a joke.

Sheila (Bookjourney) said...

I have never watched this show but can see why you are all up about it. I wish they would just stick with the every day jos.... I like Survivor and hate it when they put celebs in and repeat people who have already played....

Kimberly said...

I remember when reality shows first started they were so cool. And while they weren't 100% real, they were more "real" then they are today.
I think in order to be a celebrity you have to be famous for something. Anything.

Unknown said...

I don't watch CBB, but I have watched parts of it when people I live with have been wanting to watch it. What I've noticed with that show, and other shows with "celebrities", is that the "celebrities" aren't usually what you would class as celebrities, but more people that you might have heard of that want to become more famous, or "z"-celebrities as I call them (from "a" and "b" celebrities...)

Katie Edwards said...

I'm with you on that! I once heard someone being described as "Former 'I'm A Celebrity' Star." If that is their greatest claim to fame, then that proves the lie of the programme's title, doesn't it? How can you aspire to be someone who doesn't DO anything to aspire to?

carol said...

But what real celebrities would want to make fools of themselves on a show like that?

Joan said...

great rant
looking forward to your next one
how about a rant a month lol

i watched the first episode of cbb
haven't seen it since

Suko said...

It is sad that we "celebrate" these sort of people. Do we, really?

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

Not a reality show person. I think the closest I come to it is Hell's Kitchen which they compete to become the head chef of a huge restaurant. Perhaps that doesn't count because they all have to have some sort of talent to get on the show. LOL

I don't like the whole famous for just being famous. Don't get it. Don't want to.

Golden Eagle said...

I've never heard of nor watched CBB, but I agree with you. I don't see the point in people who get attention just because they're "famous".

Jinky said...

So glad I took up reading!! If only a majory of people do the same then none of these kind of shows make it on air. :)

Kelly said...

Pretty much the only celebrity shows (and reality shows) I enjoy are those featuring celebrity chefs. (though I did enjoy a few seasons of American Idol). I've never understood the fame of people like Paris Hilton, the Kardashians, etc. Is it just because they come from wealthy families? Whoop-de-do. I'm not impressed.

Off now to check out the link you provided to who these folks are...

Jenners said...

It is just as bad over here with these so-called reality TV shows with "celebrities" that are mostly known for being outrageous. It is sad but people watch it.

Maude Lynn said...

Just the other day, my eight-year-old daughter told me that she wanted to be famous. Terrifying.

BookQuoter said...

Don't watch reality shows at all. Not even one. I guess I have saved some gray hairs.

BTW, I do ask this question multiple times a day when I see children ages 12 and up - and you would be glad to hear that they still say they want to be teacher, nurse, vet, engineer or the like.

Kalyan said...

Can't agree more with your thoughts...these kind of shows are so common in every country these days...here they don't even think twice before bringing adult stars to the prime time audience just to increase the oomph factor and most other contestants will only be some one event wonders, who had their way courting some controversy.

The Bookworm said...

I agree with you on that one, most of these so called celebs have zero talent. *Kardashians* *cough* *cough*

Betty Manousos said...

couldn't agree more!

i don't watch reality shows at all. they just drive me crazy!

xx