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Our Era of Celebrities and Sex

Paris Hilton, Fred Durst, Rob Lowe, Colin Farrell, Tonya Harding, Kid Rock, Bam Margera, Tommy Lee and Pam Anderson.

These celebrities have one thing in common: at least half of America has viewed graphic content from the only private part of their lives. This celebrity sex tape era stems from our fascination with reality TV and obsession with fame and sex, topped off by this technological revolution where everyone has a camcorder and computer with video. Hardcore porn films have existed since the teens, but one of the earliest star pornos to surface was a nameless film that depicts what appears to be a young Marilyn Monroe, shot around 1948. Six decades later, the latest celebrity sex tape features Colin Farrell and a former Playboy Playmate, and contains a mere 14 minutes of action, marked by dialogue such as: “Where’s the zoom on this?”

But Farrell’s career probably won’t falter, and could even benefit in what has developed to be another media outlet celebrities can now work in. Some critics feel that celebrities may even be in on the sex tape “leaks”. It makes them more interesting and promotes their name. Although our obsessive celebrity culture has been rising since the 1990’s, this public desire to see their sex tapes is a new development. Why? Partially because in our culture, the media divulges so much personal information about celebrities that people feel they know them on an intimate level.

After Paris Hilton’s sex tape surfaced, her superficial resume bulked up, and her freaking dog even wrote a book! In 2005, Yahoo’s seventh most-searched term in the world was “Paris Hilton”. Her tape is only a well-known example in the celebrity pornography trade, which increases dramatically with each innovation in motion picture technology.

In the past, Hollywood studios worked hard to curb inappropriate behavior. Celebrities under contract had to sign morals clauses, but now celebrities are constantly over boundaries of sexual explicitness that is almost encouraged. Consider 2001’s Monster’s Ball, with an intense and almost too-long sex scene between Billy Bob Thorton and Halle Berry. The odd thing is, although people eagerly delve into media’s warped values, what we expect from ourselves or our politicians are radically different.

As a U.S. Senator your career would be ruined if your sex tape was leaked. A regular citizen such as me or you would be looked down upon. For example: A former Taiwanese Council woman was involved in sex scandal with her husband. She was described as disgraceful and forced from office. On the other hand, icon Paula Abdul had a sexual affair with a contestant on “American Idol” but is still a judge even after recordings and phone records displayed her relationship with the contestant…but the network claimed there was no proof.

What do these instances say about our society and our values? Why does our culture reward celebrities with publicity for their lewd acts?

Lauren Wise is a junior studying journalism at Arizona State University. She is editor of the college newspaper, a column writer for the independent paper Cellar Door created by students, the community college’s campus paper, and does freelance work over the internet and for local businesses. She is planning on joining the Peace Corps when she graduates in 2007 and write about her experiences so more people in America will know the conditions of countries that we rarely hear about. She loves writing, painting, playing the piano, going out with friends to sports bars, and works fulltime at a resort.

Celebrity GossipElle Macpherson’s underwear disgust Celebrity Gossip, Uk Celebrity Gossip 2004 - Lifestyle and fashion

Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow Part I: Mel Gibson and Other Celebrities Falling Down

Can we believe media reports of the scandal swirling around actor-director Mel Gibson? That he was arrested for drunken driving, spewed angry racist remarks and received preferential treatment? Should we care whether or not “American Idol’s” Simon Cowell has a girl in every port? Does it really matter to us if new parents Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie refrained from “physical intimacy” or indulged in it while Brad was still married to someone else?

Consumer fascination, media dissection, factual distortion, and emotional intensity surround many of America’s celebrities who pass as heroes in today’s cult of personality. Perhaps the proliferation of fallen heroes is a direct result of whom we choose to worship as such. Who could possibly live up to the standards we set? Whether they’re acting, singing, dancing, shooting hoops, making touchdowns, flying to the moon, performing double axels on the ice, serving in political office, writing best sellers, heading a corporation, wrestling opponents into a stranglehold, promoting peace, or waging war, America has an obsession with modern heroes.

Our obsessive interest, however, doesn’t produce a concise definition. Traditional heroes who suffer and sacrifice for a higher purpose are passé. Today we admire beauty, talent, power, success, and wealth. Although we respect heroes’ humanity, we despise human weakness. We love them for being better than the rest of us. And we hate them for the same reason. Modern heroes — usually sports stars, entertainers, or politicians — often are overexposed and overcompensated, that is, until a bigger, brighter celebrity replaces them at the top of the heap.

It’s understandable that some people consider the actions of a star athlete heroic. Watching the strongest, toughest, and most talented player claim victory before a cheering crowd is an exciting, uplifting event. However, the traits that comprise a great athlete don’t necessarily make a great person. In fact, star athletes typically possess a single-minded, self-centered ambition that propels them into a singular spotlight.

The excessive compensation and privilege that coincide with movie and athletic stardom turn some heroes into less-than-heroic figures. Public adoration often leads to a sense of self-entitlement and a feeling of being above the law. A few examples include scandals involving former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Darryl Strawberry, and figure skater Tonya Harding.

And what of entertainers? In this world of mate-swapping, breast-enhancing, lip-enlarging excess can true heroism exist? The problem results when fans confuse celebrities with heroes. Whereas true heroes, such as members of our Armed Forces, may attempt brave acts or even die for their people or their cause, celebrities more often die from self-destructive practices like drug overdoses, alcohol abuse, or suicide. A couple of exceptions are Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise who made national news by taking their bravery off-screen and taking physical risks to help other people. Christopher and Dana Reeve were considered heroes because while bravely fighting their own injuries and illnesses, they paved the way for others to receive treatment.

Although we occasionally may enjoy reading about celebrities’ proud off-screen moments, it’s those humiliating moments that sell the tabloids. By watching their shows, buying tickets to their films and concerts, and purchasing their products, we make these people stars, but then their fame makes us feel insignificant. Their falls from grace give us back our power.

Some of us even get a vicarious thrill from watching our demi-gods engulfed by scandal. All of America seemed to relish in the once holier-than-thou Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s exile from TV ministry. Nearly everyone followed the news intently when Peewee Herman, Michael Jackson, and O.J. Simpson had their reputations tarnished and their private lives made public by scandal.

This same guilty pleasure also is derived by many who watch celebrity marriages fall apart. If beautiful women like Christie Brinkley, Nicole Kidman, and Jennifer Aniston can’t hold onto their men, how can the average woman expect to keep her marriage intact?

Maybe Hollywood churns out the scandals because the rest of the world craves it. Assuming the old supply and demand theory is true, it’s easy to see why the trash TV shows and supermarket tabloids are multiplying dramatically. And with each addition to the tabloid lineup, another layer of privacy is stripped from our once-respected public figures.

Although in the past, most artists and their work reflected the society in which they lived, today’s celebrities, stars, role models (i.e. heroes) seem to draw attention by moving away from the crowd, rather than rising above it. They have their babies in foreign countries, flee to other lands following a scandal, or, like Madonna and Johnny Depp, adopt the country of their partners.

Whereas ordinary people — without significant athletic or performance talent — once had difficulty establishing themselves as heroes, today’s information explosion and cultural diversity bombard us with constant images from varying points of view. One fan’s Madonna is another fan’s Mother Teresa. One person’s Nelly is another person’s Nelson Mandela. Diversification is part of modern American culture and therefore, must factor into our choice of heroes.

Each day as the scandal unfolds, Mel Gibson is looking less like a hero and more like a celebrity — a talented actor-director who needs alcohol rehabilitation, anger management, and sensitivity training.

Copyright 2006 Leslie Halpern

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Wireless is a technology that’s cheap, easy and useful right now, and yet it’s a technology that’s still very young. Here’s a quick look at what the future could hold for wireless. The Radio and the Phone. Wireless networks will always win over wired ones, in the end, simply because it is cheaper for signals to travel through the free air than it is to install and maintain wires. If you want an example of this, consider that telephones were originally used for sending and receiving news reports. When radio was invented, this stopped almost overnight — why bother going to all that expense when it’s free over the air? It’s the same way with computer networking. Imagine you have a choice between a wired Internet connection and a wireless one. Why would you choose the wired one? Because it’s cheaper? That will change soon. Because you know how to use it? Wireless is easier. There’s no reason why anyone wouldn’t switch in an instant, if they had the opportunity. Read more in Wireless Future (0)