Celebrity Obsession Warps the Everyday Self Image

In our current society, there are so many different cultures: celebrity, media and fashion to name a few. Within the culture of celebrity, people become so engrossed with the stars - who they are or are not dating, what they are wearing, whom they are wearing and what they are or are not doing. It is as if people live vicariously through celebrities, and that is no way to live. It is not okay to focus so much on celebrities’ lives that you do not live your own.

            Thanks to social media, the lives of the rich and famous are easy to keep up with. All you have to do is check out their Instagram or Twitter. With such convenient access to their lives, there is this mirage of intimacy. We do not know these stars personally, but we feel as if we do because we have the opportunity to learn about them through social media.

            To a high degree, the culture of media is present in our everyday lives. There is the news, newspapers, the Internet, television shows, radio, and more. A great deal of people connect with music and they listen to it daily. Rap/hip-hop is prevalent in our culture, and when we listen to the same songs over and over without really listening to what the lyrics say, we can become desensitized to certain words. Nowadays, it is rare to listen to a rap or hip-hop song that does not use derogatory language toward women. In rap videos, women are sexualized and objectified. Women are not things for someone else’s pleasure. Women are people who deserve the same respect and dignity as everyone else does. We need to be conscious of what we listen to, what we say and what we’re buying into. We should use our words to build people up, not break them down.

            The culture of fashion is evident in magazines, billboard advertisements and television commercials. A billion dollar industry makes money off of people’s insecurities. The models on the runway typically have the same body type and look. Where is the diversity? Not everyone looks like a runway model, and that is a wonderful gift. There should be models of all shapes, sizes, heights and colors. Uniqueness is something to be embraced. There is such a focus on women’s bodies. Why is there a lack of focus on personalities? There is more to a person than how they look.

            How we look does not define who we are. Magazines feature ideas on how to do different makeup styles for each day of the week. They will even feature a makeup style that appears as if you are not wearing makeup, calling it a “natural makeup look.” Makeup is fun and can be a cool form of expression, but you should not feel that you are unattractive without it. Want to know how to be a natural beauty? Well, look no further. You already are a natural beauty! You always have been.

            Beauty is not what you look like; beauty is about being who you are and being who you are unapologetically. You are nothing short of beautiful, I promise you. Be aware of the cultures you buy into, be aware of the messages you are being sent, and most of all, be you.

By Megan Chan, Guest Contributor