The Celebrity Culture

Originally prepared for a denominational report and also published in denominational magazine, the Record.

One of the obvious features of contemporary society is the presence of the celebrity culture. The individuals identified as celebrities usually come from the arts world – actors, singers, and musicians, although others may be sportspersons or individuals connected to fashion or other walks of life that allow high public profile. What identifies them is the place they are given by observers and the interest engineered in such by the actions and words of the celebrities, even if many of these actions can be categorized as idiosyncratic, unhelpful and even lamentable. Of course, not every activity by a celebrity can be classified so – some of them are involved long-term in helping fight various diseases and others have set up charitable trusts that should survive them if the financial system does not collapse. (In order to clarify subsequent descriptions, the terms ‘observers’ and ‘audience’ are used to portray those influenced by the celebrity culture. Other terms such as ‘participants’ could have been used. In fact, the number of possible terms is many.)

It is not clear when the celebrity culture began – athletes and philosophers were famous in ancient Greece and, jumping over three millennia to the nineteenth century, we find that Charles Dickens went on tour of the United States to promote his writings. Nevertheless the development of the celebrity culture was speeded up in the twentieth century by the onset of suitable media such as magazines, television and the cinema (since the 1980s, it has increased even more rapidly because of the availability of CDs and DVDs, not to mention the opportunities afforded by satellite and cable television channels and the Internet). In the past, observers and celebrities had to travel to meet one another; now observers in their own living rooms can meet their favourite celebrities many times a day.

It is important to note that contemporary celebrity culture is not an isolated movement – alongside it are consumerism and hedonism (love of pleasure). We live in a society where many values of previous generations have been abandoned. Usually such contemporary trends come under the umbrella of that slippery and ubiquitous term, postmodernity. Whatever way we wish to describe the contemporary western world it is obvious that there are a variety of powerful trends at work, sometimes running with one another, at times hostile to one another. So at any given period, the celebrity culture may be linked with other trends influencing public behaviour.

It is recognised by many commentators that previous periods preferred heroes to celebrities (this is not say that the equivalents of contemporary celebrities did not exist at such times, but in the main they did not have the opportunities to achieve public recognition). In earlier times individuals were admired because of benefits they brought to society, perhaps at the cost of their lives or by giving a great deal of their time to help others. It is not denied that the private lives of such heroes could be as sinful as those of contemporary icons, but they generally were not as shallow or self-centred as many current celebrities.

One has only to spend a short time in a newsagent or bookstore to discover the pervasiveness of the celebrity culture today. Scores of magazines and books detail the opinions, impressions, activities and intentions of the famous (perhaps even infamous) stars of our time, without giving any evidence that they have any particular qualification for stating their thoughts, apart from being recognisable by the public. In addition, celebrities regularly appear on television chat shows where they inform the watching audience about their eating habits, their sexual preferences, the football teams they support, and various other personal details – without such celebrities the audience figures would decrease markedly, a factor that ensures the continual appearances of celebrities. They even appear on television programmes usually connected to serious issues, such as BBC’s Question Time, where despite often revealing that they have little understanding of the topic they still receive hearty applause from the audience (that is until they reveal they have a political party line and then the applause diminishes).

Advertisements would not be so interesting to the target audience if the actors were unknown, and many a person has purchased an unnecessary item merely because it was commended by a celebrity – how many of the audience check out if the celebrity personally owns the advertised make of car or uses the advertised after shave lotion or perfume regularly?

Of course, the celebrity is not the only participant in the game. As Ellis Cashmore observes, ‘Consumers know that the accomplishments of many of the people they follow are insubstantial and that their effects on society are inconsequential…. We know these things: we just choose not to dwell on them for long or see them as reasons to stop following them. It’s more enjoyable to participate in the joys of celebrity culture’ (p.5). The famous may be in the spotlight, but how long they remain there often depends on the whim of the observers. If shallowness marks many of the celebrities, curiosity followed by boredom marks many of the audience and often the period in which a celebrity is famous is relatively short unless he or she can maintain public interest, which they frequently do by claiming to have had previously unrevealed experiences that intrigue the observers and retain their interest. Yet, for every individual whose fame persists, there are several who were in the limelight for a short time and then disappeared from the public gaze, replaced by the next set of celebrities.

Many books and articles have been written on the celebrity culture with the intention of identifying underlying reasons for its popularity. The pursuit of celebrity can be seen as a search for significance in a world that undervalues the normal, regarding it as mundane. Or the actions of a celebrity can be perceived as an expression of individual choice, with the celebrity possessing the right to inform others of his or her gifts, experiences and interests (and the audience also exercises its choice by listening to the celebrity). The celebrity culture can be regarded as a valid form of escapism which allows the public to get away from the stress of everyday life and instead provides some relaxation and fun for pressurised people.

The above reasons could be regarded as acceptable, although only in a sense. In contrast, it is possible to assess the celebrity culture from other perspectives and these will reveal disturbing aspects. There is no doubt that the celebrity culture is an expression of power over the public (not in the sense of coercion but in the sense of influence). Management of prominent businesses, for example, know the financial benefits that can be accumulated by the endorsement of products by celebrities. Children, as many parents are aware, are affected by advertisements and television programmes in which stars appear. The celebrity culture has also contributed to the trivialisation of the notion of leadership (instead of a leader having a plan, he or she is reduced to having an opinion, or alternatively a person with an opinion, no matter how ludicrous, is regarded as a leader). Further, the desire for fame has become a goal in itself in the celebrity culture. In the past, fame (as opposed to infamy) was an accidental by-product or consequence of an action (for example, a researcher discovered a cure for an illness or a soldier showed bravery in battle and such became famous as a result); now the action, whatever it is, is merely a step to fame and adulation.

Responding to the celebrity culture

The presence of the celebrity culture has to be recognised by the church. It is likely that members and adherents are affected to some degree by celebrities, and it is inevitable that most individuals we contact through evangelism will have been influenced by the celebrity culture.

There are several ways of reacting to the celebrity culture. One response is to act as if it did not exist. The obvious criticism of such a reaction is that it is a failure to critique biblically a powerful influence that participates in the shaping of current thinking and living. Not only is it a failure to critique a powerful influence, such a reaction ignores the outlook of many we are trying to reach with the gospel. If we make no effort to understand them, we are likely to fail in communicating the gospel to them.

It has been observed that the celebrity culture has features similar to religion, with the celebrities playing the role of the gods. Cooper Lawrence, in her book The Cult of Celebrity, observes that celebrity possesses the equivalents of omnipresence (it is everywhere), omnipotence (it influences all kinds of movements) and omniscience (it gives its opinion(s) on all types of topics). Of course, an idol in order to be effective needs worshippers and celebrities have them in their wide range of fans (they come from different backgrounds and social levels but are united around their interest in particular celebrities) who hang on every word said, sung or written by the celebrity.

Our initial response to the linking of celebrity culture and idolatry might be to suggest that the notion suggests a peculiar imagination in the commentator. Yet we should not be surprised at the presence of idolatrous features in the celebrity culture. Humans were made to worship God, and when they fail to worship him, then they will worship someone or something else. In the gospel we have the way by which celebrities and observers will find real worship.

We should also recognise that many of the observers in the celebrity culture are crying out for meaningful relationships in which they can express approval and esteem for those deserving of admiration (for many people, the television is not a piece of furniture but a means of seeing friends and characters they admire). It is an important aspect of authentic human nature to think positively about other people. In the gospel we have the message that can give such outlooks to individuals – by the transformation that God’s grace performs in wrecked lives such can find relationships in which mutual love and appreciation become the norm.

Connected to the longing for relationships is the longing for certainty. As has often been stated, one of the distinctions between moderns and postmoderns is the suspicion the latter have for the assured benefits of technology. Despite its many inventions, technology has failed to provide security; indeed it has contributed to the sense of insecurity whether in weapons of mass destruction or in information held on data systems that can be stolen. For the celebrity culture, technology is useful in the present because it conveys the message of the celebrity to the observer. Sooner or later, the observer will realise that the celebrity culture is no more able to provide certainty than it is to create meaningful relationships. The church has a message for such in that Jesus can give meaningful relationships in the present (with other Christians on earth) and hope for the future (with other Christians in heaven).

It is also true that a longing for significance is part of the celebrity culture. This longing can be expressed in the celebrity’s search for fame or in the observer’s decision to identify with the celebrity. The gospel offers real significance to such. It tells them that they are significant as image-bearers of God, that he is able to use them in his service for the benefit of other people and so give them meaningful actions to engage in, and that through grace they become forgiven members of his family.

Other aspects of the celebrity culture could be commented on. Yet enough has been said to show that its presence is an opportunity for Christians to take the gospel to those who are looking for authentic relationships, for certainty about the future, for real significance, and for the experience of worship for which they were created by God.

Conclusion

It is inevitable that the celebrity culture will affect to some degree every institution in society, including the evangelical church. Therefore we should be on our guard for its appearance, even in our own denomination.

It is hard to deny that many Christian conferences come close to exhibiting aspects of the celebrity culture. Pastors and church leaders, including worship leaders, are sometimes elevated to a position of prominence that is hard to justify from the Bible. Usually this is not the fault of the pastors and leaders themselves. What is wrong with elevating Christian leaders into celebrities (even if we do not use that word)? Firstly, we are in danger of ensuring disappointments for the future. No leader is perfect and each has flaws. Second, focussing on gifted leaders can mean taking our eyes of Christ.

The fact is, the church has the true Celebrity, a real Hero who deserves endless adulation from all His followers. Jesus is the one who has the perfect story – He is the pattern for us to imitate and to present to the world with the aim that they will see his Beauty as well. He is a Role-model about whom we will never have a reason to be ashamed. Whatever else we do, we have to ensure that we don’t hide His Glory. His path to Glory was the road of humble service, prepared to be a Nobody, and because He made that journey, His Father exalted Him to the highest place.

Suggested reading

The list of possible titles is long, but here are ones that were helpful:

Ellis Clashmore (2006), Celebrity Culture, Routledge.

Marine Hyde (2010), Celebrity – How Entertainers Took Over the World and Why We Need an Exit Strategy, Vintage Books.

Cooper Lawrence (2009), The Cult of Celebrity, Skirt.