RE: I don't believe in celebrity or that celebrities are more valuable as humans than the rest of us
Definitely agree.
And I might add, the whole attitude and treatment of celebrities along those lines is toxic not only to everyone else, but even to the famous people, themselves, whether they realize it or not!
It's toxic to everybody else, because it implies that every human being on this planet is somehow worth less than those people, simply because those people are famous. And deep down, we know that is garbage, and that it is unjust, and it is appalling to us. (To say nothing of what it does to the self esteem of the children to be "nothing" compared to so-and-so.)
But it is also toxic to the famous people, as well, because they cannot BE more than human. They cannot BE perfect. But if they are to be treated as better than human beings, they are then expected to ACT better (more perfect) than human beings, even though they aren't. As a result, they are attacked viciously whenever their humanity does show, because hey... they were supposed to be better than everybody, right?
So it's not good for them, either, ultimately.
My advice: Save your worship for the real God.
Yes, I agree. I am not without compassion for the actual celebrities. It's just that I figure they have enough money to help themselves when and if they have an existential crisis. What I really despise is the values system that supports it. It is definitely toxic, and we are seeing young people (and even older ones) doing anything to be famous rather than doing whatever it takes to become a good human being and to contribute to our world.
Indeed. To the extent that the younger generations now need everybody to get a gold medal for everything, so nobody feels less special.
Hopefully, at some point, humanity will go back to the recognition that famous or not, rich or poor, genius or not especially bright, every human being has intrinsic value, and that all kinds of people are VITAL to human society, one way or another. Right down to people who can't even help themselves, making those around them less selfish, and making them grateful that they CAN help themselves.
Celeb worship is just a really sick attitude toward human beings in general.
Agreed. But no one wants to be the guy who mops floors.
-laugh- Actually I know a couple of guys who like to just mop floors... as long as they're paid well.
But I know what you mean. We do aspire to the best we can be, including economically. Everybody wants to make the best life for themselves they can, and if you can succeed in something that will make you rich, and it's not wrong, there's nothing wrong with that at all. Only with people getting swelled heads, and people helping them get that way by treating other people like dirt.
People give rich people (and the old 'aristos') a bad name as a rule, but there have been plenty of people who were rich, famous and powerful, who were really, truly, genuinely decent human beings, who cared about their fellow men, and did not think they were better than anyone else. Heck, one king (was it St. Louis?) used to feed the poor at his own table, and prefer to eat their scraps than be served something special. Others built hospitals for the poor, and some even nursed the sick with their own hands.
Money and even power, and humility and sincere charity for others are definitely not mutually exclusive, even if they are fairly rare. It's just a choice the rich or powerful person has to make for themselves. But money and power/authority, in and of themselves, are definitely not evil things. Not till men choose to use them to do evil.
Not many people stand up to the temptation to do otherwise, though, unfortunately.