Celebrity and Society

Many are the times that communities compare things that do not have anything in common. Two writers give their outlook of celebrities in the film, movie and television series industry. Gabler, in his essay “Our celebrities, ourselves”, states that people around the world are obsessed by celebrities and monitor their everyday lives. According to the author, people spend time watching television, as it is an escape from their daily routine lifestyles. A different author, Ray, gives an entirely different outlook on the subject in the essay “The Thematic Paradigm”. The author opines that the general film industry has contributed to the development of characters with opposing lifestyles, ideals, morals and traits. These characters influence how individuals and societies live and interact with each other.

            The differences in the two outlooks are evident, yet both authors attempted to explain how communities interpret certain forms of media and why they find some forms exciting and appealing. Gabler suggests that the society monitors celebrities in order to witness them going through the struggles of life. Examples of these challenges include illnesses, alcohol and drug addiction as well as divorce and other similar problems. Ray, on the other hand, indicates that most forms of entertainment media such as films and books have one of two heroes. They could have an official hero, who abides by the law and saves the day, or an outlaw hero, who disregards and often despises the law but does the correct and ethical thing and the end of the day. Official heroes are authority figures, and usually comprise part of the political or law enforcement agencies of a state. The outlaw heroes, whom most people identify with, rarely entangle themselves with law enforcement, which implies that people prefer individualism to institutionalism.

             The two works of literature by the different authors are a clear indication that people may have varying outlooks on the same issue. In the case of Gabler and Ray, the different opinions and views of celebrities and their impact on society are direct opposites. Gabler’s objective is to criticize the obsession that the American societies have regarding famous people. Ray, on the other hand is about the image of protagonists in films and their depiction by film and television. Overall, it is evident that both are trying to make sense of the influence that celebrities have on the society despite their different outcomes. This is evidence that celebrities are mentors and role models for the American community both directly and indirectly.

Works Cited

Gambler, Neal. “Our Celebrities, Ourselves”. Writing Analytically. Eds.

            Monica Eckman. Et al. Jill Stephen. Boston, MA: Lyn Uhl, 2012. 206-210. Article.

Ray, Robert B. “The Thematic Paradigm”. Cengage Publishing. Boston, MA: 2012.