The collective self-esteem of the unwashed middle class horde must be at an all time low-ebb, because the degree of adulation heaped upon people of marginal talent (and that's me being generous) is, at this point in time, truly unsettling. People cried when The Beatles first landed in America. Now people cry when Kim Kardashian visits Australia. Somewhere along the road, we lost our way.
Is it all that surprising, though? People, young people in particular, have always been given to hero-worship. Musicians, actors and sports stars are placed on pedestals too high for themselves to even live up to because their contributions to their given fields enrich our lives. Fuck, I'm guilty of this too: In my darkest, secret moments, I've been known to consider Thom Yorke as something a little more than just a man (wow, isn't that a shock?) and frankly, you're always going to like people or things that provide you with joy or stimulation. Why wouldn't you? Of course, there's a fundamental separation between the adoration of someone talented and someone who is simply famous (or infamous).
The argument could be raised that people like Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton are talented, but their talent doesn't lie in the sports or arts or sciences. You could very easily make the argument that the modern career celebrity is, in fact, a marketing genius. Their product is their image and their job is to get said image everywhere possible, to get people to give a shit about their very existence by virtue of their existence. And judging by the borderline-spastic reception Ms. Kardashian received upon arriving in Australia, it's fair to say; there are a lot of people giving a shit.
It's open season for anyone who desires celebrity enough. The "information superhighway" as Al Gore so clumsily put it is now the Trash Superhighway. A non-stop, unfiltered source of anything you want, and if you want notoriety, it's never been easier. Consider how many leaked sex tapes launched careers in the lucrative market of reality television and indefinable celebrity. Break your name into the cultural consciousness and then ride the wave of people's recognition. Still, it begs the question; these people provide virtually nothing by way of a product, so why the wild adulation?
Consider this; it is harder now than ever before for a young person to achieve home ownership, financial stability and, one could even argue, true emotional maturity. How can we? The cost of real estate is climbing steadily higher and higher, the job market is becoming increasingly cutthroat and some sort of qualification is required to even be considered for any "career" job, so the days of turning 18, getting a job and striking out on your own are dead. The school years are dragged on into this marathon of qualification-acquisition, independence becomes too much of a chore to deal with right now and maturity gets cast aside as youth creeps into the late twenties.
The "career celebrity" is of a similar age to this prisoner of life's financial mire, but their lives couldn't be more different. The celebrity can own their own home, can buy anything they like, can get paid exorbitant sums just to put in face time at a party. The celebrity doesn't have to stack shelves and pull all-nighters, they can saunter through life on the back of simply being themselves, or a camera friendly version anyway. Ever wondered about the duck-face and the make-up obsession that seems to be creeping into the photo albums of young ladies, or the adulation of meatheaded, douchebag behavior demonstrated by young men? Watch Jersey Shore, there's your answer.
This cult-like adoration of those who can be as immature and irresponsible as they feel like for no reason other than their name is recognisable shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone with even a passing understanding of the challenges of trying to vault the purgatory of the twenties and leap from childhood to true, independent adulthood, but it also doesn't make it any less irritating. We live in a world where Steven Wilson is less well known than Paris Hilton. Think about that.
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