Blog 11

Modern day celebrities are very different than average people. They are essentially created for the purpose of our own entertainment. In addition they involve many complex economic and social relationships. Celebrities have symbolic meaning in that everything that they do must be thought out and planned to perfection. The celebrity industry involves thousands of employees, billions of dollars, and thousands of firms and businesses. For example, a celebrity cannot simply make an appearance or go to a party like we can. They must first consult their various handlers and supporters to determine the type of image that they would present by making an appearance somewhere. In addition, they must weigh the pros and cons of going to an event to determine the type of press that they would receive. Politicians do this all the time-- especially when running for election or reelection. Their political values and party determine the phrases used in speeches, where they make appearance, who they speak to, and who they collect funds from. Many times, scandals arise in various forms in the political world, and we are incredibly hard on these politicians because of it. Typically a political scandal can mean the end of a career because we hold elected officials (many times viewed as celebrities) to higher standards because they are responsible for looking out for our interests.