Do celebrities owe us their private lives?

Chloe Gerhard | Writer

September 25th, 2022

Can Glee star Lea Michele read? Does Harry Styles sport a toupee? Did Adam Levine cheat on his wife with an Instagram model and name his wife’s baby after said Instagram model?  Does the public, thirsty for answers, have the right to be quenched? Speculation regarding celebrities’ relationships, financial status, children, etc. is not new. We peasants have developed a parasocial relationship with celebrities through non-consensual snaps and grabbing titles. This phenomenon is not a niche market. In fact, a multitude of companies and networks make millions off of celebrities’ lives. Celebrity gossip is so prevalent in modern life that it is served in grocery store lines. When does it go too far?

A recent Instagram post by Blake Lively details how 11 men waited outside her house to snap a shot at her pregnant belly, writing “you freak me and my kids out.” When asked where the line should be drawn, an SCHS junor stated, “I like when we get information on celebrities if they consent to it. When it is in a safe way. I don’t like when they are exploited.”  

One of the most popular celebrity obsessions is watching infighting among the stars.  When Noah Schnapp shared Doja Cat’s DMs, the internet was on pins and needles.  Would Noah Schnapp get canceled for betraying Dojo Cat?  

 

When asked if she enjoyed celebrity drama, Senior Bella Starnes said, “it’s entertaining and it can help celebrities get their name out there but only if they consent to it.”

This leads us to the equally popular pop culture sport of watching celebrities crumple or get canceled. High School Musical: the Musical: the Series star, Joshua Bassett, was hospitalized for stress-induced heart failure when the internet was ruthless after his public breakup with Olivia Rodrigo. A star’s worst day and/or pain seems to feed the masses.  

While celebrity gossip can be harmless, escapist, and fun, we do need to be careful of boundaries. The line between how we treat celebrities and how we treat each other is slowly starting to fade. Life is imitating art. If this is where toxic gossiping and cancel-culture starts, how do we stop it to create a healthier culture for us all? (phentermine)