Why Do All Teenage Girls Aspire to be Glamor Models?

In 2003, psychologists at the University of Florida and Southern Illinois University conducted a study on obsessive fans and concluded that about one-third of Americans suffer from Celebrity Worship Syndrome. The study divided fans into three categories. This first, comprising about 20 percent of the population follows celebrity news for social purposes. The second, about 10 percent of the population, develops an “intense” relationship with a star, such as the belief that the fan and star have some special bond.

This research confirms what we already know, in the western world; we live in a celebrity obsessed society. In a recent survey two thirds of U.K girls aged 15-19 said there dream job was to be a glamour model. The reasons they want to be glamour models? Because they get to go to events that the paparazzi attend and who knows maybe they can pick up a footballer. Take a minute to think about the implications of this. Now think about the obsession with WAGs and reality T.V. It seems being famous, popular and desirable is more important than making a valuable contribution to society, being a real role model who achieves through hard work and determination.

I don’t just want to blame the teenage girl’s; male youth are also buying in to this shallow, celebrity obsessed culture. Three questions need to be answered, why has this narcissist attitude become so dominant, when did the tide start to turn (and did we ignore the warning signs) and how do we start to put things right?

Why has this attitude become so dominant? Well for a start these celebrities are being marketed much more ruthlessly and effectively than ever before. Celebrity Journalists by and large sell these celebrities as being the cool kids, the ones with the most friends, the best looks and the most money to throw away partying. We are never exposed to the down side of their every day lives. A more complex reason, but one that can not be ignored, is the break down of traditional communities and the detachment of modern day life. Gossip undeniably serves a purpose, if there is nothing much going on in our own lives then we feel the need to discuss other people’s lives. There was a time when we would gossip about friends, neighbors and work colleagues. As we now tend to talk to these people less we find we know less about what is going on in their lives and besides, we have less people to discuss them with. I’m just guessing here but I don’t imagine your average celebrity stalker has much of a social life, they feel the need to be close to someone and if they spend all their time watching T.V or surfing the internet then the people they see most are celebrities.