Why Do We Glorify Actors So Much? And Their Deaths?
 

Its really bizarre when you think about the way we make these regular people so glorified and larger then life, whose job at its core is to come to a studio and read lines from a script in front of a camera.

And then when they die we make an even bigger spectacle of their death.

OK so Christopher Reeve wore a big S and a cape as a character named Superman. Someone else wore the cape long before he did so he wasn't even the original Superman. What else did he do that was so exceptional that you know about without searching on Google?

Its fucking weird the way we do this. I've met lots of actors and actresses when I lived in LA for 16 years, and in person they are just regular people like you and I. They wear jeans. They pee and take a dump. They eat 3 meals a day. Most aren't even very smart as in genius level smart.

Now we all have to listen to day of worship for an actor that will be on all the morning shows, all the news channels, etc. etc.

Hahaha as I typed this CNN interrupts with BREAKING NEWS.

Anyone else burned out on this crazy ritual?

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

The cult of celebrity. Every culture has a variation of it.

http://www.thewb.com/THEWB/Images/Dy...-Y_2x3_240.jpg

superman lives on!

It's just the way society works. :winkwink:

that's what fame and 'movie stars' are all about.

We live to lift a few exceptional on our shoulders.

something for media to cash in on for a day.

because he got the kids in the special class to play outside instead of walking in during mine and pooping on my backpack

the Superman movies were great but it's his post accident moves that earned my respect he had so little yet fought so hard...

in Reeve's case, I think it was more of a shock since many felt he would one day walk again... maybe cuz he wore that big red s on his shirt... i dont know, but he had lots of faith.

we're an exhibitionist society by nature.

its because we grew up watching them on TV or movies and some of them, like Christopher Reeve were a here to millions

im just wondering when comedycentral is going to air that stemcell research episode of southpark

Why? What is the psychology of why we do this?

Its fascinating because I for one have never thought of 99% of actors as impressive contributors to society.

Granted, an actor like Robert De Niro, and a couple others on that level are truly outstanding unique individuals who really do define the word. But was Christopher Reeve on that level? In my opinion no.

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

campaigned for the rights of the disabled and had a loud enough voice to make a difference, fought to make people research his condition which will help everyone that went after him, possibly changed the nation's attitudes towards stem cell research (along with other people) and volunteered his own body as a guinea pig for new treatments.


I understand what you are saying as a whole and the answer is that it is an expression of our collective consciousness. People note the passing of some one well known in their communities and these people are part of our global community in that they are a name we all know. Just like people can talk to each other about where they were when Kennedy was shot ,when they heard the Challenger blew up or when the WTC was hit.

It is a ritual definitely but celebrity works in the following way:

People magnify either their noble traits or foibles onto a larger than life person and live through that person.

i dearly hope that if you do need to spawn your child is never disabled

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com...lt-250x374.jpg

I would like to remind everyone that George Bush killed superman by not allowing more stem cell research.

I guess my point is why do we elevate them to such stature in the first place.

You can't exactly compare John Kennedy to Christopher Reeve. That's what I'm saying.

The most insidious influence on the young is not violence, drugs, tobacco, drink or sexual perversion, but our pursuit of the trivial and our tolerance of the third rate.

It is a genetically developed thing. As $5 said every society has a cult of celebrity, and it derives from our development. Originally (thousands of years ago) 'celebrity' was in recognition of achieving something great, and thus earning your status within your society/tribe.

Today however, it has morphed itself to the point where you can be a talent-less fuck (like Paris Hilton) yet still be worshipped in the street. At the same time, the person who saved thousands of lives through his ingenious cure for some not so well-known disease will go unnoticed.

Keep in mind, I think Reeve's became more than a celebrity. He may have been thrown into a position of power by luck (as all celebrities are) but once there (even if it was after his accident) he still did something worthwhile. As a whole though, celebrities are simply lucky people who happen to portray the right image to sell tickets, or cd's.

because they entertain us. you may not think that stands for much but I'd like to see how happy you are without it.

Although I understand the larger point that you're trying to make, in the case of Christopher Reeve, I respect the work he did to push stem cell research.

What he did as an actor, surely, was pretty run of the mill.

however, his exploits after his accident were without a doubt worthy of all the respect we as human beings can give.

interesting post from a local GFY celeb ;)


:thumbsup :thumbsup



if you, quiet, AaronM, or any of the other GFY celebs were to die I'm sure there'd be an onslaught of posts on this board...


humans are celeb worshippers, team pickers, flag wavers, on all levels macro to micro....

Very well put.

And KRL..if it was just another "celebrity", I probably wouldn't disagree with you that much. But in Reeve's case, with his determination and example he was setting in his fight to walk again and to overcome the terrible accident he had, I grew to have so much respect for that man that had NOTHING whatsoever to do with him being a hollywood star.

It's not the "S" on Sueprman's cape I'm mourning, but a man that was courageous in his battle to overcome something 99% of us would just give up on. That was a life well lived, and why I truly mourn his passing.

because of Idolatry! this people in one way or another make us laugh and give us some happiness, they entertain us...:)

most of us grew up watching his movies, and he 'stood for a good cause' or tried to.. no pun intended


I think the 'big spectacle' is pretty much about information dissemination and paying respects to those we lost rather than glorifying anything.


:2 cents:

Couldn't say it better myself. :thumbsup

KRL this doesn't sound like many of your previous posts where you generally exhibit compassion for all life human or animal. :)

We make a big deal about celebrities passing generally obviously because they are known by millions and have provided entertainment to millions, no small feat in itself. We feel (incorrectly) as if we actually know the celebrity personally and therefore their death touches us more than the hundreds of thousands of "strangers" who kick the bucket every day.

We make an especially big deal about a celebrity's death when they have devoted significant amounts of time/money to selfless causes as many tend to do. Although Christopher Reeve would certainly have liked a cure for nerve damage etc to be found in his lifetime, I think he was championing the cause for future generations and therefore deserves the praise he will surely get as his achievements get rehashed over and over during the next few days. :)

Actors are glorified because they form one of the secular 'release mechanisms' for a society. Now they are viewed as larger than life role models or objects of fascination. It didn't used to be this way, back in King James I of England's day, actors were often viewed as lowlife. Some quarters of modern Hong Kong society share the same view.

it's sad, really..unless you're an actor :D

I don't give a fuck

It's fine to create stars and so on. I think KRL is just pointing out that we prop some persons up soooo high when they're merely entertainers and we give them more credit than we would your average joe with the same problem.

When you say he was so 'determined' to 'fight' to walk, everybody that is in a wheelchair who used to walk is determined to do that. That's not extraordinary. If you became crippled today, you'd do everything in your power to try and walk again. The difference is that Reeves used his star status to bring more attention to it to fund research. That has everything to do with him being a star. If you were a star you'd bring as much awareness to YOUR problem as you could. All stars that come down with illnesses do it. Michael J. Fox and so on. It makes perfect sense. I don't think we should elevate them to an incredible status for doing what all of us would do if we had star power behind us.

yes, exactly. To me I almost had to remind myself he was an actor when I thought of this morning. He became much more than that.

there are rich disabled people that don't do half of what he did.

You give a fuck enough to post you don't give a fuck:winkwink:

WTF? Who cares if he was Superman or not, if anything I probably watched only 1 movie with him.

That's not the point.

The point is his story. He gave hope to people who were in his situation. He didn't gave up, he had a strong will. He was a great person. Thta's what matters. :2 cents:

We probably know more about celebrities and their lives than we do about most of our neighbors. Everything they do is broadcast for our consumption. Many feel they've lost a "friend", albeit one they've never met, when a celebrity dies.