Is this the trigger for the next GFC?
So Brangelina has gone Brex-Pitt. Can you believe it?
Not so much the break-up itself. How anyone maintains healthy relationships in the intense and surreal world of Hollywood fame is beyond me.
Poor buggers.
More, can you believe how much press and airtime is dedicated to it? Day after day.
And if you believe like I do that attention is energy, what does it mean when a few billion people are tuned in the divorce proceedings of just two people?
(If only we could harness that energy for good.)
I actually find it kind of embarrassing, as a human. I’m sure there are intelligent aliens watching what’s going on here, and just shaking their heads and eye-stalks. Add it to the list of reasons why it’s still too early to give the humans a call – along with the way we eat plastic and chemicals and bomb the crap out of each other.
And I’ve seen a few attempts to explain away our celebrity-fascination. That gossiping is a form of social grooming. Apes get together and pull nits out of each others fur. We get together and talk about whether Halle Berry’s titties are real.
(Personally, I’d prefer it if you fingered through my hair for nits or gave me a banana, but maybe I’m just unevolved.)
So gossiping serves a function. It’s a form of social bonding, so the theory goes.
But I’m not sure I’m really buying it.
I mean, maybe there’s an element of that. When the shocking news first came up on my news feed, I took an interest for a moment. I am a man with my finger on the pulse. I need to keep my pop-cultural references current. But then I do write blogs, so there’s a practical element to it.
But that’s where it ended for me. I don’t need to go into the details. I don’t need to know about what’s going on with the kids or what someone close to Angelina says she’s feeling. I actually don’t want to know about it.
And I kinda worry about people that do.
What it looks like to me (and I can’t really speak from personal experience here – so this is just a hypothesis and could well be wrong) is that celebrity obsession reflects a lack of self-worth.
On the way up, it’s like we want to get closer to the stars. We want to be part of their inner circle. We want to weasel into the fallout zone of all the love and adoration that comes pouring down on super celebrities.
And knowledge is power. When we have a tid-bit of information about someone interesting that no one else has, we have a sense of power.
(This will make me look like I’m well-informed. Closer to the Brangelina inner-circle than Barbara at bingo. )
It might be an absurdly misplaced sense of power, but our brains seem a bit useless at distinguishing the practical from the ridiculous.
(And the Aliens just drive right on past.)
But that’s on the way up. On the way down – when celebrities go into their predictable alcohol/drug/sex death spiral, there’s an almost gleeful intensity to the attention we give it.
The messier the better.
It’s like it makes us feel better about ourselves. I might not have Pitt’s chiselled jaw-line, but at least I’m not fighting over custody of the kids and can you believe what she said?
This is a profound sickness and comes from a place of smallness and self-hatred.
The problem starts when we make celebrities our bench-mark for successful living. If we spend too long fixating on them, then the Brangelina mansion, the kids, the fame, the enchanting eyes and fabulous hair – they become the standards we measure ourselves against…
… and doom us to weapons grade self-loathing.
From this position of self-inflicted smallness, we can make ourselves feel better in two ways. Either we can do the inner work, where we affirm our intrinsic self-worth and loveability, or we destroy our idols.
And so we watch them go down in flames. We’re still as small as we were before, but now the contrast with the celebrity benchmark isn’t so unflattering.
And so we might cry crocodile tears – we might even genuinely feel sorry for them – but we’re still willing to sacrifice them on the alter of public ridicule just so we can feel a little better about ourselves.
(Sooo embarrassing.)
So one, don’t compare yourselves to superstars. Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Have clearly defined goals and standards, and hold your own self to account.
Secondly, make yourself feel better about yourself by building yourself up, not by tearing others down (or watching gleefully from the sidelines as others get torn down.)
To be honest, when I heard the news about Brex-Pitt, I was a little bit sad. I know the value of success, and I want everyone to be successful. When I hear about anyone suffering or losing success in their lives, I feel a bit sad.
I’m invested in success. I have an abundant world-view. I want to move towards a world where everyone is enjoying their own personal brand of success. Any loss is my loss.
Which is why I don’t want to hear about the gory details. Give them some privacy.
And because I know who I am and what I’m about, I don’t get any joy out of watching a train-wreck. None.
Seriously. I don’t mean to lay down some hard truths, but if you find yourself pouring over the details of the break-up, I think it’s time to ask some hard questions.
What do you think? Does celebrity obsession reflect a lack of self-worth?
ron says
must do jonno. my weakest point of interest is celebrities and film stars. dunno why. i learnt a long time ago that people want to hear about bad things happening to other people because it makes them feel better about themselves. if you start complaining in our business 20% don’t want to hear it but 80% are actually glad to hear it! you must be correct in your diagnosis of self worth. we all have self doubts of course thats why when you get on top of things prepare for a downer. it will come..just be ready. make it a ‘soft’ landing:-) celebrities come and go. the ones of the fifties and sixties were perhaps seemingly better at keeping a balance than now. or maybe its instant info. i see (glance) at all of the stuff on tv on the commercial channels and switch rapidly to sbs or abc. do people actually watch the stuff on commercial??..little wonder the aliens go past utterly bewildered. are they really, the aliens, such bad people as we have seen on pics of the past? introversion is a really poor substitute for inner self appraisal. cheers jonno and thanks for the article. hmmm brad pitt. i’ve only seen him in one movie. and angela a couple. seem human, both of them. what else? lol
Simon says
You wrote all that just to say you weren’t interested?
ron says
yes indeed simple..er sorry simon..life is complicated isn’t it? if you can’t offer a decent comment don’t write in dopey. .
Lex says
Great article, while I stay very current on world financial matters, like Interest rates the Fed & RBA I now do not watch or read the “News” as its only “filler” time for TV, press and all social media crap. Great accurate article. Have a great positive “real people” weekend Lex
Tom says
99% agreement with your sentiments Jon.
Having been born a Brit, I rejoiced at the Brexit result.
The Rothschild type schemes for globalisation had their comeuppance. Despite promises of convenience within the EU, individuals chose freedom for their beloved nation.
Hopefully, Brussels will have to take more notice of the effects the bureaucrats are having on the lives of individual REAL people in the other member States.
Maybe Greece will get a better deal.
All the problems are caused by the bankers and can be solved only by those same bankers.
The Brits now have a chance to chart a new course. I hope their leaders are able to be noble in their goal-setting – but being politicians…
I’m not going to hold my breath.
Let’s hope that we Aussies are able to make better trade deals with Britain than we have with the EU!!! We grew up sending most of our apples to the UK, but had to grub out the trees when UK joined the EU. Any wonder that I am not enamoured of the EU?
Simon says
Freedom is one of the few things that people will give their lives for.
One theory about relationships is that people will put up with really bad ones, until you really piss them off.
Europe was the most demanding, drama queen, petty, controlling bitch in the history of political alliances, don’t look to me to act surprised.
Femi Hoo says
Yeah…. NAH!!
I dunno Jon. I just CAN’T be sad about this. Is it even real?
I mean, what a great publicity stunt it could be (Is?) They are getting more press, more media than they ever were. We all know what that means. Lots more $$$$$.
In a month or a year’s time, they’ll be getting back together… Maybe Brad & Jen have to have another fling first… Meanwhile, let’s (NO, not me! Please, no…) hear all about the trials and tribulations of poor Angie and the poor kids. Via that same media, of course! I wonder if A&B actually have some kind of C (Contract) with the media, to keep on generating media storms. Looks like The Don might be running out of steam, people are getting sick of hearing about it, so let’s quickly switch across to the A&B newsfeed…
But ya really gotta know that Brad is the EVIL, Predatory MALE PERP in the middle of all this. Maybe they’ll demonise him so far that he gets turned into a pedo as well. He’s already a violent, child-abusing drunk, and Lord knows what else is coming.
Angie, of course (nut case that she might be, with all those kids and carry-on), is completely and utterly innocent. She wouldn’t hurt a fly, darling, kind, lovely girl that she is. She wouldn’t be a Drama Queen, would never drive a guy to drink. Nah, perish the thought!
But just look at the photos of them together. Who’s the relaxed looking one, and who is obviously on edge, fully wired and ready to blow at any second?
If I feel sorry, it’s for poor Brad, the latest high profile male (about) to be dragged down, ripped to shreds, then cooked and eaten by the man haters…
edd says
Thank you for this blog. People who follow these celebrities are sadly sleeping and have low/lack of self worth. Nothing as it seems. Most of those celebrities had sold their souls to satan and hence why do so many people even any attention to them. We are all being tried to be kept in dark and ignorant to the real issues that we are facing. Please watch this short youtube:
Alan Maurice says
thanks John. Timely reminder