Idols of Production to Idols of Consumption – Where Are We Headed?

CORE RESPONSE #1: Consuming Stars

            To state the obvious, stars have become America’s greatest obsession. They are incessantly idealized and placed on a pedestal. But what is the main reason we hold them in such high regard? Their talent? Their beauty? Dyer describes stars as a combination of images. A star’s brand is composed of his or her fashion, her house, her hobbies, her body, her sexuality and her films. (Note how film is listed last.) Stars represent a lifestyle; the lifestyle of the so-called “American Dream.” Their films aren’t even the most notable thing about them anymore.

            Dyer points out that there has been an evolution of idealization over the last century. In the early 1900’s, we had “idols of production – people who were interesting because they had achieved something in the world, made their own way […] we’re useful to society: bankers, politicians, artists, inventors” Fans rightfully honored people with great achievements; people who were making a positive impact in the world. For example, a quick google search of the 1910’s decade, exposed the level of fame Pablo Picasso had reached during this era. He is listed as one of the most popular and influential artists of his time. Paintings are a form of entertainment and artistic expression just like films and music are. Yet his paintings spoke for themselves. He revolutionized art and majorly critiqued society at the time. People idealized him, but never in the way we idealize stars now. Most people probably didn’t even know what he looked like, or what kind of house he lived in, because the focus was on his artistic accomplishments, not the image of his lifestyle.

The shift that we see today is towards “Idols of Consumption.” The majority of our stars are in the entertainment or sports fields. And the focus is not even on their accomplishments. What has Paris Hilton ever accomplished? (Sorry). Our generation knows everything about today’s stars (where they live, how many pets they have, when they get married, when they have relationship issues, when and where they go to the gym, etc.). We whole-heartedly consume the personal lives of today’s stars. Yet, we fail to think about what they are actually contributing to society. I often doubt whether they even deserve our recognition. Maybe our generation is simply idealizing the wrong kind of people. Imagine a world in which founders of philanthropies and CEOs of non-profit organizations were our stars? If everyone consumed and copied the lifestyles of philanthropists, rather than the lifestyles of actors and models, we’d maybe head in a different direction...