Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Do celebrities have social responsibility?

roachboy · 08-30-2007, 08:46 AM

celebrities are simple fuctions of the cult of money.
in this, marx was right. it makes the stupid man intelligent, the dull man interesting, the unattractive irresitable, etc etc etc.

because the status of a celebrity is based on associations with money, it is arbitrary with respect to who any particular celebrity might or might not be.
in very basic ways, the image is not about who that person may or may not be. they are occaisons for draping faces and outfits over the festishism of money.

i think danny schechter once characterized tabloid journalism as a literature of consolation.
the idea:
"look at x. x has big cash. x is totally fucked up. arent you glad you dont have big cash?"

that seems accurate.

but if that's the function (or a way of looking at it) then where does "social responsibility" enter the picture (literally in this case)?

more perversely, say this is the function of tabloid-style coverage: is consolation on the order outlined above socially responsible?
depends what you understand social responsibility to entail, yes?

perhaps in the "literature of consolation" framework, to be dysfunctional, to be an idiot, IS to be socially responsible.

on a related note, i think the entire idea of the "role model" as it is applied to athletes--and others--is absurd. you see a tv image of a football player maybe being handed a ball and running forward. he gets knocked down. things start again.
in what possible sense is any of that material to emulate?
if you play a sport and take is seriously, then do it well. it doesnt seem to me that you need a tv image to outline for you what that means.

and a tv image of a guy in padding and a uniform being knocked over by other guys in padding and uniforms does not provide any information concerning how to live.
i'm sorry, but it doesnt.
the idea it can--at all---is idiotic.
except maybe if your aim is to market sports, or to market films.

08-30-2007, 08:46 AM	#11 (permalink)
roachboy Super Moderator Location: essex ma	celebrities are simple fuctions of the cult of money. in this, marx was right. it makes the stupid man intelligent, the dull man interesting, the unattractive irresitable, etc etc etc. because the status of a celebrity is based on associations with money, it is arbitrary with respect to who any particular celebrity might or might not be. in very basic ways, the image is not about who that person may or may not be. they are occaisons for draping faces and outfits over the festishism of money. i think danny schechter once characterized tabloid journalism as a literature of consolation. the idea: "look at x. x has big cash. x is totally fucked up. arent you glad you dont have big cash?" that seems accurate. but if that's the function (or a way of looking at it) then where does "social responsibility" enter the picture (literally in this case)? more perversely, say this is the function of tabloid-style coverage: is consolation on the order outlined above socially responsible? depends what you understand social responsibility to entail, yes? perhaps in the "literature of consolation" framework, to be dysfunctional, to be an idiot, IS to be socially responsible. on a related note, i think the entire idea of the "role model" as it is applied to athletes--and others--is absurd. you see a tv image of a football player maybe being handed a ball and running forward. he gets knocked down. things start again. in what possible sense is any of that material to emulate? if you play a sport and take is seriously, then do it well. it doesnt seem to me that you need a tv image to outline for you what that means. and a tv image of a guy in padding and a uniform being knocked over by other guys in padding and uniforms does not provide any information concerning how to live. i'm sorry, but it doesnt. the idea it can--at all---is idiotic. except maybe if your aim is to market sports, or to market films. __________________ a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite