The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

At Large – Glamorous distractions

Can you believe it? The relationship between “Laguna Beach” star Kristin Cavallari and the former Mr. Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, is over! Yes, sad, but true.

Looks like Britney Spears has done it again! She had another baby crisis on her hands; her chubby-cheeked munchkin apparently fell out of his high chair and had to be taken to the hospital.

Have you heard? According to CNN, Al-Qaeda member Zacarias Moussaoui, the first person to be tried in this country for the September 11 terrorist attacks, told a jury last Thursday he feels no remorse for the death of 3,000 people that day.

Chances are, you’ve probably heard more about Britney’s baby woes than Moussaoui’s trial.

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Every time you walk into a grocery store, turn on the television, or change the radio station, images of celebrities are shoved into our faces. Apparently, everyone just has to know what celebrity is doing what and with whom.

But why do you care so much about people we don’t even know?

Being a tabloid junkie myself for quite some time now, I still can’t explain the fascination.

Maybe people obsess over celebrities because they are living the life most people can only imagine: Millions of excess dollars to waste on fancy cars, or homes, and attending parties where only the rich and fabulous are on the guest list.

Celebrities in today’s society have a godlike status. Staff caters to their every whim on set, personal assistants to fetch them only the finest designer cloths. They have countless numbers of believers who would follow them to the ends of the earth, or at least to their local movie theater.

There is so much going on in the world today like Jamaica swearing in its first female Prime minister on March 30. Mention of historical moments like this make the cover of Newsweek, or Time, and get airtime on CNN. Unfortunately, stories like, “Katie Holmes to give silent birth to Tom’s baby,” make the covers of magazines that sell next to Time at the grocery store.

It is becoming more apparent that the celebrity world is playing a much bigger role in our lives. We are watching their every move and every fashion faux pas they make, but it seems like we are beginning to take that as our own reality.

We copy hairstyles, clothes, and even catch phrases. I know I’ve heard “That’s hot” used around campus more than once.

We don’t need to totally give up our secret addiction to celebrity gossip, but we should try to be more informed about what is going on around us as well. Checking a news Web site online every day or having the local news on in the morning while getting ready can fill you in on what is going on in the world you share with celebrities.

Knowing what’s going in today’s society can help us to make the fine line that separates the celebrity world from the real world a little more clear.

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