Timothy Caulfield Interview (Post #1)

Our Culture Craves Celebrity Status

Towards the beginning of the interview, Timothy Caulfield discussed the change in culture that has occurred, making celebrity even more popular than before. As Americans we are all effected by the desirability of being a celebrity. We are surrounded with news, advertisements, and stories about them. Caulfield describes how younger people now express the want to be famous when they grow up as a singer, actor, sports payer, or something of the like. 

Another important point which is made during the interview is how many people actually believe that they will become a celebrity themselves. Caulfield conducted his own experiment as he attended an American Idol audition. Out of the ginormous sea of people trying to get on the show, most of them thought they would make it. Many of them also believed that once they did make it on the show that their popularity would somehow "fix" or "improve" their lives. This connects with a third important point made by Caulfield: celebrity status does not equal happiness. 

This may be the most important topic discussed during the interview, as happiness is often intertwined with "making it" as a celebrity. It is thought by many that they will be happier or more satisfied with their lives if they are recognized for something and in return achieve a higher status. Though, the question can be posed whether the (nearly impossible) struggle to fight against the odds within our low socially mobile culture is even worth it. This is related in the way that Caulfield mentions that celebrities have found little correlation between their status and their happiness. They still encounter day to day struggles just like us "common folk", and theirs are even bigger than ours because they are a celebrity. Perhaps their popularity is the reason for their amplified troubles. Last week's reading "Inside the Star Machine" discussed how involved the media and paparazzi are in celebrities' lives. Their every move is recorded, dissected and broadcasted to the world. It is easy to see how the constant judgement and need to please would create/ broaden troubles within daily tasks.