Why Is It Surprising?

I poked fun at the topic of this post on Sunday, but after reading today's LA Times (which I get through email), I thought it odd that the subject of said email was "Top of the Times:HBO chief executive fired in wake of arrest." Now, I don't mean that I think it odd that someone as powerful in the cable network industry as Chris Albrecht is got fired or arrested. Rather, I thought it odd that the people at the LA Times thought (or more likely KNEW) the headline would get more people to open the email rather than just passing it over. It's the whole celebrity thing and as Americans we have this strange fascination with seeing celebrities and people in powerful positions fall from grace in the most public way possible.

But why is it surprising to us when they do fuck up? Is the CEO of HBO supposed to be more than human and not ever make a mistake? Is Paris Hilton supposed to be in college so she can take over and manage daddy's fortune? Alright, you got me there... Paris, get your ass in college and grow up! The list could go on and on about the people we love to hear about getting in trouble, or having trouble in their lives. How many copies of Enquirer has Britney sold in the last couple of years? How many mainstream newspapers sold off a little flash during the Superbowl of a nipple? Or the subsequent reaction of the FCC with the hearings and fines?

Personally, I don't have a fascination with celebrity. I don't know these people, they mean nothing to me in my day to day life. There are celebrities that I admire, but frankly, I would admire them even if they were not famous and rich. I think Charles Barkley summed it up best while playing basketball when he said he does not consider himself a role model for kids. He knew, and said, that he was just a guy who got lucky and was able to play basketball for a living. Charles, in the same interview, said in his opinion it would be much better for the kids to have role models closer to home (parents, teachers, grandparents, etc.) than to make a basketball player (or any celebrity) into one. The kids don't know the basketball player, they do know their parents. And maybe that is the reason his comments caused such an uproar among the parents and society in general. Maybe, just maybe, rather than trying to "find" decent role models for their kids, Charles Barkley pointed out they should just "be" decent role models.

Anyhow, I just think that when we pay celebrities millions to act crazy and stupid for a living, or millions to play a game, and then read in the paper that they are still acting crazy and stupid in real life, or still playing games in their personal lives, we get what we ask for. So why is it so surprising to everyone?