Why do people who proudly espouse an ideology whose hallmarks are rationalism, historical materialism, and egalitarianism engage in celebrity cults?
This is a bone fide question. Many people I've met love talking about celebrity figures, from movie stars to sports champions to famous literary and intellectual figures. In fact, discussing celebrities occupies most of their conversations. Just a few minutes ago a co-worker of mine came to my office all excited that Red Sox just won the world series.
I am genuinely nonplussed. Frankly, I find such conversations and excitement over artificially staged events and personae extremely boring. Not only their outcome but even their taking or not taking place at all have zero effect on the lives of most people, except perhaps those who either work for those events or bet money on them. Whether red Sox won or lost, what Hitchens said or did not say, or what Eminem sings about the US elections does not change even the smallest thing in how I, or people I know live their everyday lives. Therefore, I genuinely do not understand why people find these staged events and personae so exiting.
The Bearded One was talking about the opium of the people - but the folks I am talking about are not downtrodden masses toiling endlessly under the yoke of factory regime. Can anyone who likes discussing celebrities on this list tell me what I am missing? Again, it is a bone fide question, not sarcasm. I would appreciate some bona fide opinions on the subject.
Wojtek