Star Struck (Literally)

I sometimes wonder what has happened to our culture and why we care at all about the famous. With all that is happening throughout the world, how is it possible that a terrible performance by a chubby and talentless Britney Spears at the MTV Video Awards not only makes the news, but leads it? Who cares about coked out Lindsey Lohan, perpetually intoxicated Paris Hilton, and Anna Nicole baby-daddy? Give me a break, these stories aren't news, but somehow they manage to creep into the press and seem to have taken over the cable news networks.



So, what is our fascination with celebrities, particularly fallen icons who somehow always manage to find themselves back in the limelight, though the source of that light is often from a policeman's Maglite. My theory is that we are drawn to the fallen (or falling) star because their stories reassure us that celebrity isn't all it's cracked up to be. Who could be envious of a celebrity like David Hasselhoff after seeing him struggle to eat a burger, okay, forget about the burger, after seeing him struggle to sit up and form complete sentences while his teenage daughter taped his bender? I would say that we seek out these stories because they serve to humanize the celebrity, but I feel that instead, we love to see the suffering and unendless stupidity of those of our species that have everything and manage through their ridiculous carelessness, to lose it all.



I am, however, relieved to say that no matter how celebrity-obsessed our culture is, it could be worse. Take for instance the case of India. Reality television was stolen by the United States from Europe, and even though most of us would probably like to give it back since it has evolved (more like devolved) to include shows like I Love New York (a spin off of the critically acclaimed Flavor of Love), Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?, and Temptation Island, India decided to try their hand at it. And so Indian Idol was born. The show is virtually identical to its American step-sister except for its potential to lead to mayhem and bloodshed. Prashant Tamang, an ethnic Nepali youth from the eastern state of West Bengal, beat Amit Paul from a different sate, Meghalaya, after a closely contested final round last Sunday which in turn inflamed regional rivalries. Tamang, as an ethnic Nepali, does not look like the average Indian, and in fact looks like an East Asian. Apparently this difference in ethnicity lead to some initial animosity which was quelled when the contestants appealed for peace. However, a radio talk show host threw out a couple of ethnic slurs when referring to Tamang, sparking violence in East Bengal where THOUSANDS of protestors took to the streets. The protest turned violent (as often happens in India) and around 60 people have been injured and countless cars burned and stores looted. A curfew has been imposed and the army has been called in to maintain order.



Who would have guessed that reality TV could be so devastating? After learning of this story I was pretty grateful that there was no violence between Texas and Pennsylvania when Kelly Clarkson beat the pants off of Justin Guarini. I really think that we dodged a bullet; we all know how much Texans love to fight. Just imagine the result of infighting between Ruben Studdard's Alabama and Clay Aiken's North Carolina. Oh, the horror! Actually, imagining a fight between Ruben and Clay is pretty entertaining and would probably make for some pretty good reality TV itself. Certainly no one would stoop so low as to air washed out celebrities fighting. What, FOX, the last bastion of taste and class, has aired Celebrity Boxing, are you kidding? There goes the moral high ground.