America's Obsession with Notoriety

Paper Summary:

In America, fame and celebrity have become ends to and of themselves, often at great cost to those who seek fame. This paper shows how Elizabeth Searle's "Celebrities in Disgrace" and the 1999 movie "Ed TV" help to demonstrate the high costs of fame and celebrity. Ultimately, America's obsession with notoriety reveals the superficiality and spiritual and moral bankruptcy of a nation that seemingly values fame more than accomplishment. The paper explains how "Ed TV" and "Celebrities in Disgrace" show us some of the real costs of this attitude. While fame may be a very quick, superficial fix to our problems, it ultimately fails to affect any deep changes. The paper argues that real growth has to come from effort and insight, and a desire for a deeper knowledge.

From the Paper:

"In recent years, America has seen an unprecedented explosion of people in the public consciousness, and fame has become a goal in and of itself. Certainly, the glut of reality television has made instant celebrities of a wide number of people who have no special talents or abilities. These celebrities are simply everyday people who are thrust into notoriety.

This democratization of fame has come at a high cost. Today, fame and celebrity are goals of their very own. People strive to be on these reality television shows, and children like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold seem to have relished the idea of fame that would follow their horrific school massacre in Columbine. Perhaps those seeking fame feel that it will imbibe their sad lives with meaning. After all, in America, fame is coveted and sought after. America has long believed that successful people are somehow happier and better than the rest of us. As such, it is not such a stretch to believe that those who have achieved celebrity live in a much different and happier world than the rest of us."

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