Feature Writing

Drawing the Line in Pop Culture: Fascination or Unhealthy Idolization?

In this celebrity-crazed culture, we all know what it’s like to go all “heart eyes” over our favorite celebrities like melting at the sight of Channing Tatum’s perfect bone structure or envying Kate Hudson’s body. Unhealthy behavior has been on the rise in pop culture by blurring the lines of celebrity fascination and harmful idolization, especially in terms of personal body perception and modification.

An issue that has become increasingly common in our generation is being so awe-filled by celebrities that we allow it to warp our own behavior and lifestyle. This is especially true when it comes to body image. We always want to look like our favorite celebrities on the cover of every magazine, but many fans have taken this body envy to the extreme with permanent physical changes.

A prime example of this unhealthy behavior is Kylie Jenner. Over the past few years, Jenner has become a well-known socialite and social media star. She has become known for many of her physical attributes, but especially her thick lips. Lip augmentation has become a sought after procedure for many women due to idolization of Jenner. This also resulted in the “Kylie Jenner challenge,” where people plump their lips by sucking the air out of a glass. This resulted in many dangerous consequences, including popped blood vessels.

Other people that have modified themselves to look like stars include Toby Sheldon, who died at 35, and got plastic surgery to look like Justin Bieber, and Jack Johnson, a 19-year-old who spent close to $30,000 to look like David Beckham.

This comes down to the constant desire to look like society’s definition of “perfect,” and low self-esteem due to impossible physical goals. Instead of being happy with who we are, both inside and out, we change to look and act like the celebrities that everyone loves. We think, “Well they are loved for their looks, so I should just look like them.” It’s so unsettling that people focus all of their efforts on people that they never even met, instead of becoming comfortable with who they are.

The key is to figuring out how to be a fan of a celebrity, without allowing their image to physically and mentally change who you are as an individual. Instead of changing your body to look just like Scarlett Johansson, figure out how you can be healthy and confident like her while still being like you. Instead of getting plastic surgery to look like Demi Lovato, you can work on how to be strong and optimistic like she is an example of. Look at them as personal inspirations for the characteristics they portray, not a body to copy.

Idolization can be extremely dangerous in many different ways, but it’s especially strong in the world of pop culture. It becomes an issue when young girls care more about who Taylor Swift is dating than their own grades. People are becoming so obsessed with the lives on reality television, like the Kardashians and the Real Housewives, that it takes over their own lives.

A prime reason that leads to unhealthy celebrity idolization is the fact that social media and media coverage allow us to feel like we know them personally. Like we know their deepest secrets and thoughts. It allows us to feel like their best friends.

According to Medical Daily, an experiment tested 348 college students on both their personal self-esteem and their favorite celebrities. The self-esteem scores greatly increased after writing about the stars they love.

The psychologist that ran the experiment, Shira Gabriel, said, “Because people form bonds in their mind with their favorite celebrities, they are able to assimilate the celebrity’s characteristics in themselves and feel better about themselves when they think about that celebrity. And that is something these individuals can’t do in real relationships because their fear of rejection keeps them from getting close to people.”

On the video platform of YouTube, there are people known as “YouTubers” or “vloggers,” which are people that post daily video blogs, where viewers can follow them along in their day-to-day experiences and adventures. This breaks down the third between a “celebrity” and their fans.

This has resulted in fierce communities of YouTube fans that will not only defend the social media personalities, but look up to them as role models. This all leads back to aspiring so greatly to be like our favorite stars, that we allow it to change how we think, act, and look.

Alexa Carrollo, 21, has been an avid YouTube subscriber since she was 15, especially of the beauty vlogger known as Zoella.

“She is an inspiration to me. Not only does she give incredible beauty and fashion tips, she speaks about deeper issues such as her anxiety,” Carrollo said.

Carrollo is very adamant about remaining true to herself and not allowing her fan appreciation for Zoella turn into a dangerous idolization.

“It’s possible to be a fan of a person without wanting to be exactly like them,” Carrollo said. “I can appreciate the beauty of a model or YouTuber without thinking ‘I need to look just like her.’ “

Body modification inspired by celebrities is both unhealthy. We need to learn how to love ourselves without a comparison to a star. We need to put more focus on ourselves and our loved ones more than those of the rich and famous.

Crossing the line from celebrity appreciation to unhealthy obsession stems from deep insecurity. Celebrities are people just like us with feelings and flaws. Just because they can sing high notes or captivate a movie theater audience doesn’t mean that we are any less of a person for not being just like them.

I want to write about ongoing discrimination of Sikhs due to people confusing them with Muslims in the U.S. and their long history of being discriminated against (i.e. genocide in 1984 and even famous figures like Gandhi unwillingness to accept them) and how it led up to present day. I would talk about Sikhs and their unique identity, independent from the Islamic States.

There are many people I can interview in the Sikh Temples as everyone has had history of discrimination in the U.S. post-9/11.

Some ideas of dream publications to write for would be magazines in the style of GQ, Esquire, or Vanity Fair. I think I would like to write about a critical perspective of pop culture and entertainment.  However I could see myself steering away from those topics and focusing on policy issue or other current affairs. I would like to be able to do in depth interviews with people and write profile stories on them.

I would like to be able to do a story like this

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/caitlyn-jenner-bruce-cover-annie-leibovitz

I would like to write for ProPublica because I really enjoy their investigative journalism. This is an example of the work they do:

https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-red-cross-raised-half-a-billion-dollars-for-haiti-and-built-6-homes

https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-govt-is-saddling-parents-with-college-loans-they-cant-afford

I would like to investigate why biodegradable packaging is still in development process. Ho long will in take huge corporations to realize that it is time for change.

I’d like to write for The New Yorker or Vice.

I feel like TNY’s target audience is a sophisticated audience ranging from early 20s to 70s due to its longstanding history as a publication. VICE seems to represent those with interests outside of mainstream media -especially those who are informed more via digital journalism methods- and want a less rigid, more personal form of journalism.

Pitch ideas:

I would like to write for Contently. Contently is a technology company that helps brands create great contents. They also publish articles regarding marketing, branding and others in a digital arena. They articles offer valuable insights, data points, opinions and advices. They would have articles like 10 steps of something, or how to create a strong brand. One feature that I really like about Contently is that their articles usually contain creative and colorful graphics, pictures and infographics. However, Contently doesn’t own a magazine publication, so I’m not sure if is suitable for our final article project. If not, I will also like to write for Adweek. Adweek is also a very marketing oriented publication.

Although it is not my wish to be a reporter or a journalist anytime soon, if there ever was a need for me to write for a publication perhaps it would be one which is geared toward technology or entrepreneurship. For example, publications such as Ad week or entrepreneur often run stories that examine big changes that take place for the digital marketing universe. In this way then, because web marketing is a career focus of mine, being able to write about the latest search engine marketing developments behind companies such as Bing or google for example; may never be a bad idea to me. Besides that, being able to create my own case studies, or marketing reports are other examples of long-form stories that might be of interest to me as well.

 

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My dream publication to write for is ESPN Magazine. They publish feature articles about athletes. Here is an example of one. The longform stories they write detail the life and upbringing of the athlete. They intend to target sports lovers but their stories apply to all. When a sports player goes through an incredible streak or a pivotal moment happens in their life, ESPN covers it.

Not everyone who enrolls into college expects to be employed by a fortune 500 company after four to six years of study.

Rather, what you will find at many universities is that there are tens of thousands of students who seek to use what they learn in college to launch their own ideas, businesses or projects.

In fact, many individuals often point to creative geniuses such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg as evidence to suggest that college is never a prerequisite to success. But this is not what this article is about.

Instead, my assertion in this writing here today is that college is a great catalyst for anyone who seeks to gain even more success.

Not only that, but for those who are creative or innovative enough, college may only greatly increase such a person’s chances of success, and nothing lesser than that too.

With that being said, for many others however, college still is often pursued with the sole expectation of being employed upon graduation. So if that fits your standard, feel free to just read no further.

However, for the innovators, non-conformists, artists, or those of you who are just entrepreneurial driven; becoming a boss of your own making, rather than working for one, may be a pursuit that is just more seductive to you.

So for the people such as these then, what may be suggested for those that match such cases?

For one, ask yourself if you don’t want to work for others, then what sort of work do you expect to do yourself?

Then once you answer this question, perhaps it is next useful to make a list of all of the necessary skills or resources that you feel you must possess to meet your goals.

And only after you make this list will you review the majors or educational paths that your university offers; so you can select the one that is best suited for your vision.

Or if your university even offers you the option, perhaps it is better to just create your own custom major.

For example, many colleges such as Baruch University will allow their students to create their own individualized degrees, provided that the program is reviewed first by an ad-hoc director; and later approved by a Dean at the institution.

And if you dare, and aren’t in a rush to graduate, you may wish to look for minors that can expand your repertoire in areas outside of your main concentration, or at the very least cross-relate.

College is an excellent way to cultivate leadership and cooperative skills as well, since many courses at various universities mandate group projects as a requirement of the course.

Not only that, but having to get used to deadlines; either for course projects or exams; can train one to organize and structure their own lives with greater efficiency, even if under pressure.

And don’t forget to use your college experiences as an opportunity to weed out your inadequacies, so that you don’t miss out on your chance to shine because of an excess of incompetence.

For example, if you know you are uncomfortable with speaking in public, take more communication courses.

Last but not least; completing a minor or two may boost your gpa too, which is never unimportant if you are thinking of graduate school after completing your bachelors.

And for those who are a part of a non-conformist lifestyle, attending college might offer you a chance to perceive your society in much of a way which our majority culture might; but without having you to sacrifice entirely on your own values in the process too.

So by this point of reading, you might think to yourself but aren’t their more entrepreneurs or innovators that fail than succeed?

In fact, one of the biggest fears for many self-starters or those who are entrepreneurial driven is that success is never guaranteed.

But don’t let this stop you from winning anyway. Since life is often not linear, don’t fear failing a few times, or having to work thru your challenges. Because at the end of the day there are often hidden gains from failure anyway.

But even more importantly, after failing many times, you learn to think stuff thru better; and you may even become more versatile and adaptive as a result of failure too.

And remember this, college is as much as you make of it outside of your campus, as much as it is about the opportunities you seize at your university too.

So don’t feel that you are necessarily missing out dearly by the way if you can’t find the time to network or join groups.

Yet don’t make excuses if you find that you aren’t taking advantage of the many opportunities that your university might offer as well, such as with internships or student clubs.

And know as well that if you maintain enough hobbies, or commitments outside of your own university already; then for students such as yourself, just attending your courses might be more than enough to give you the mental boost that is necessary to enhance many of your non-academic pursuits.

And for those who are brave enough, college offers you a chance of completing a doctorate or master’s degree. Which might be worth it even if you don’t seek employment from outside bosses too.

For instance, those who go to law school might find that the skills which an attorney would possess would make one a better thinker, debater, innovator, or even a professional consultant. So reaching for a master’s might have enough merit of itself rather than just impressing new employers.

Draft notes,

Use quotes from interviews of those who became successful after graduation without being hired by somebody else.

Uses quotes from a faculty member such as a dean or director at baruch who may have experience with helping non-traditional students reach their goals.

 

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What is context? It is the framework, background, and circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood.

Without context we cannot communicate truthfully and effectively. Lack of context leads to miscommunication.

North America and much of Western Europe are low context cultures. These cultures are logical, linear, individualistic, and action-oriented.  People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness. Communicators are expected to be straightforward, concise, and efficient in telling what action is expected. This low context culture of the West can in part explain why major parts of other cultures used as inspiration are cut up and misrepresented in the fashion industry.

–> Might not use this info:(This differs from high context cultures in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America. These cultures are relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. This means that people in these cultures emphasize interpersonal relationships.)

Sometimes in our need to execute quickly and efficiently the context of a concept gets left behind.

Over the last 15 years culture appropriation has become one the biggest issues in the fashion industry.

• Japanese designer Junya Watanabe
  • All-white cast of models, decorated with the traditional scarring of the Karamojong people of Uganda.
  • Watanabe’s Rachel Dolezal collection
• Valentino’s spring/summer 2016
  • Cornrowed hair and masai beading
  • Described in Vogue by its designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli as a message in “tolerance and the beauty that comes out of cross-cultural expression” —only eight of the 90 looks showcased were on women of color
• DSquared2
  • fall collection
  • Entitled “DSquaw” — a derogatory term for a North American Indian woman or wife — the clothing incorporated indigenous shapes and materials in a superficial, stereotypical way
  • The brand described the collection as “an ode to America’s native tribes meets the noble spirit of Old Europe,” but no Native Canadian or American artists were consulted

http://lifestyle.one/grazia/fashion/news/leomie-anderson-kim-kardashian-cultural-appropriation/

• In reference to the dichotomy between designers’ desire to take aspects of black culture to use in their work, and their apparent unwillingness to cast black models in their shows, Leomie adds ‘They take a lot of inspiration from black culture – African art, for example – and then when it doesn’t translate onto the runway, of course it does make people upset – why are we not included?’
• Veteran model Naomi Campbell recently backed up Leomie’s comments in an interview with Teen Vogue, explaining ‘When I was younger, I encountered this same issue. I would be backstage at shows and there would be stylists who didn’t have any experience working with black models […] I’d always just bring my own products – my own make-up colours, hair products, everything – just to be sure that I had everything I needed to achieve a certain look. It’s disappointing to hear that models of colour are still encountering these same issues all these years later.’

• Interview:
  • quotes from Dwarmis Concepcion
    • Fashion designer from Dominican Republic

Call to action:

• During a fashion show that is using African culture
  • Choose each model based on what culture the outfit that they are wearing was inspired by
  • Include real video/photos/music of the culture they are borrowing from throughout the show
  • Hand out compassion sponsorship cards to everyone in the audience and speak about it at the end of the show