Dan in Details magazine

[juli17 at aol.com]

Alla wrote:

What I  am trying to say is that when I first came to America, I was 
very  surprised to see such celebrity based culture and intense desire 
to know  OMG who married whom and who divorced whom and who married 
whom again and  who had sex with whom at the party. I was thinking oh 
dear people, that is  news for you? Why would you care?

And then, I started thinking and I  realised that no intense desire to 
know all about the celebrities is NOT  the specific feature of 
America, it is really not.


Julie:
This is interesting because when I've been in England, I've definitely  had 
the impression
that England is equally as celebrity-obsessed as  America--and I include the 
members
of the Royal Family as celebrities, as they aren't really political  figures. 
I recall seeing
various papers at Tube stations and left behind on trains, and  they were 
invariably tabloid
in nature with screaming headlines about what is going on with the two  young 
Princes
(What was Harry doing at such-and-such club? Is William dating  so-and-so?) 
and others
in the Royal Family. I wondered if there were any REAL newspapers in  England 
(though
I do know of the existence of the London Times, I didn't really notice  
anyone reading it).
 
The real difference seems to what type of celebrity is the object of such  
intense scrutiny
and vicarious devotion. In America, it is actors, and in England it is  Royal 
personages 
(though both also elevate certain sport stars to celebrity status).  Large 
segments of
both populations seem to eat up sensationalistic journalism pertaining to  
their celebs,
but I wouldn't consider an intense desire to know all about those celebs as  
the defining
feature of either country.
 
 
Julie, who still hasn't read the Details magazine article
 



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