Notes from the Campaign Trail III. The Cult of Celebrity

Photo: The Examiner. Words: F LoBuono

The Cult of Celebrity is pervasive in our society. It's ubiquitous. And, it's perverse.

A few years back, one of my regular assignments was to cover the almost nightly red carpet movie premieres in New York City. And, they always told me a lot about how most Americans feel about celebrity. First, the fact that we did virtually EVERY red carpet movie premiere was previously unheard of. The news may have covered a huge premiere in the past but, now, we do EVERY SINGLE ONE. And, the more we did, the more they seemed to appear.

Why?

Well, it's a two-way street. News organizations regularly do focus groups to ascertain what type of programming people prefer. From my experience the answer is invariably: ENTERTAINMENT. That's right. The average American is not so much interested in so-called hard news. Rather, they want to know about celebrities. So, in their infinite wisdom, news executive are going to give it to the public in waves. The more people got, the more they seemed to want. And, of course, since it serves their own best interests, the entertainment industry is more than willing to provide the broadcasters with plenty of self-serving events, designed to keep their "clients" in the public eye. In other words, the news organizations are more than happy to provide free advertising to movies and television. It's absurd.

However, the cult of celebrity is NOT new. I've seen newsreel footage of thousands of young women and girls screaming hysterically at a Frank Sinatra  concert. Elvis Presley elicited a similar reaction. It continues today, and in an even bigger, more spectacular way. I was covering the world premiere of the movie "Dream Girls". Beyonce hit the red carpet and I watched a young girl faint at the very sight of her! I saw her eyes roll back in her head, her knees get weak, and then someone grab her before she hit the ground!

Today, in the era of the 24 hour news cycle and omnipresent cameras (EVERY cell phone has one), it goes beyond just entertainers and the entertainment industry. The Cult of Celebrity has invaded every aspect of society. So-called Realty Shows have even made  "stars" of ordinary people who, under other circumstances would not rate another mention (think "The Housewives of Just About Anywhere!). In fact, it has reached the very pinnacle of the political process - our Presidential candidates. Campaign appearances and debates take on the same atmosphere as a reality show or a rock concert with the candidates as the stars.

Of course, the presence of a "real" realty TV star, The Donald, Donald Trump, has turned the whole campaign into one Giant Reality Show. All (well, most) of the candidates get the so-called "star treatment". But, only one gets the Superstar treatment. Only one gets wildly enthusiastic crowds who look enraptured at their candidate - no matter what he says or does. It doesn't matter to them, he's a star and that's all that counts. It's a matter of style over substance and Trump, pompadoured hair glued in place, is the King of Reality - his reality.

So, if bluster, bombast, and bull shit is your reality, look no further - you've found your man.