The Eternal Press: Life & Death by the Media

The presence of the celebrity culture across the media, particularly in the tabloid newspapers, on TV, and on the internet, has in many cases popularised individuals with no obvious talents and a somewhat superficial claim to joining the celebrity cult. Whilst some will relish in the thought of being the centre of attention, for a larger segment of them, it will also reep sincere consequences. The most significant of all of these has to be the distinct loss of personal privacy, and the denial of a quiet, peaceful lifestyle is quickly mobilised.

It could be argued that a fantastic example of this is the well known contemporary celebrity, Jade Goody. She was initially made famous it would seem for her seemingly strong desires to undress herself in front of the nation on 'Big Brother'. Since performing this and similar outrageous stunts which to many of course may cause offence or be simply considered completely unacceptable, for example with the latest 'Big Brother' racism scandal that became a subject of national debate. With these incidents and her charismatic personality behind her she has of course magnetised the media and the interest of a large number of the lower socio-economic classes. Jade has succeeded at achieving copious amounts of both criticism and popular acclaim, but by a cruel twist of fate, the tables have turned against her and she has become the centre of media interest for one of the worst possible reasons. Diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2008, she has been pursued by the media and the watchful eye of Joe Public for news on her treatment and how she is making use of her final days. There has not been a single day in the last few weeks where Jade Goody has not featured in a fore-frontal newspaper headline across the UK. It would seem that no matter what happens to her, she has no right to any personal privacy, and she never will.

The right to one's own privacy is something that humanity is very focused on, with the majority of people wishing to protect their private affairs from becoming knowledge within their social circle or (worse still) public knowledge within an even wider sphere! However it is unarguable that celebrities struggle with protecting it, such is the case with the Beckhams who have for example found genuine fame through what is perceived to be raw talent. Consequently, they are both followed relentlessly by the fashion industry and the tabloid press for the benefits of their estranged fan base.

Unfortunately, it is a saddened reality that people thrive on talking about other people. Whilst made worse now by the prominence of advanced communication systems, it is my thought that this has always been the case since the dawn of a civilised society that agglomerates as a community. It is in this way that celebrities have become an increasing focal point for national attention in the context of their personal affairs, purely in order to satisfy the compulsive needs of people to view others' rises and falls from a comfortable perspective.