Ah, Hollywood — the coveted world of stardom filled with illustrious lights and excessive amounts of money and fame. Jay-Z calls it “the most addicting drug in the world,” and many celebrities are inhaling as much of it as they can. But it seems as though today they’re starting to feel the effects of this intoxicating drug — and the consequences are tremendous.
p. Celebrities are drunk on daytime television, fighting with other celebrities over Scientology and still finding time to party and procreate, all while sniffing some pure white — creating your typical, soap-opera/reality TV show complete with heightened drama.
p. For some time now, Hollywood has taken over facets of American culture and society, perpetuating stereotypes and flashing lavish, unattainable objects in the homes of the American people. It changes kid stars into lying drug-addicts, pop princesses into irresponsible mothers (you know who I’m talking about) and comedians into suicidal, globe-trekking fugitives, running away to find clarity (a la Owen Wilson and Dave Chappelle).
p. With aid from the media, Hollywood triggers the production of plastic faces and Barbie-sized images for many young women, leading to problems of self-esteem and other insecurities. Nicole Richie is so skinny she could be used as one of those poles for vaulting in the Olympic Games. There are a few exceptions to this artificial system, with the likes of Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who focus less on body image and paparazzi flashes and more on doing their job and creating positive images for themselves and young people who aspire to be them. This, however, is not the norm.
p. One can see the cracks and imperfections of this once-perfect system. Blinding fame can mislead and cause one to become unrecognizable to others. When I see Lindsay Lohan or James Brown’s mug shots plastered on TV, they look dumbfounded — as if they were unaware that injuries would ensue from their entertaining debacles.
p. Don’t get me wrong, the degredation of society is not entirely the fault of Hollywood —people are not infallible, and once you sign your name on the dotted line, you are automatically a product waiting to be sold to the masses. Celerities must take the responsibility and the hard blows that come with it. The problem lies in the fact that most celebrities would rather hide behind Louis Vuitton shades, expensive couture and globs of make-up while becoming overpowered by the deceptive silver screen.
p. But while Hollywood might cushion its celebrities’ falls with a hefty number of “get out of jail free” cards and exclusive interviews with Oprah, it won’t be holding their hands when they rush to rehab facilities, take five-day breaks to “rejuvenate” themselves from fatigue or when their spouse leaves them for another celebrity. It just rears its ugly head and takes a few snapshots of their slow-motion wrecks.
p. I pity celebrities in a way, but then I remember that they make millions of dollars a year and then lash out at the system. Instead of sorrow for them I will simply leave a suggestion for the young celebrities who flash their veneers and their aesthetically pleasing bodies: Hollywood is not for the faint of heart, so proceed at your own risk.
p. __Genice Phillips is a junior at the College. While she is disgusted by much of today’s socialite scum, she — like all of us — finds secret pleasure in reading Hollywood Gossip.__