Monday, April 28, 2014

Blog Post- Due May 2- Period 8


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/opinion/inequality-and-the-modern-culture-of-celebrity.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=0
Consider the author's tone, structure of the article, validity of evidence, persuasive techniques, and your personal reaction.
2. Please add an intelligent comment (minimum 5 sentences) in response to the linked articles from The New York Times.  Be sure to use a minimum of one quote in your response.
3. Optional: Comment on a classmates post in a second post (minimum 3 sentences)
*Use only your first name, last initial and class period.

10 comments:

  1. George Hartlin P.7
    I look at this article and i see a deep following between celebs. Either they are acting like something they aren't or they came from an upbringing at which they became a more powerful icon of what they were once before. The corruption of the early celebs is met today by those who broke the law and became who they are today. "The obsession with celebrities goes far beyond supermarket tabloids, gossip Web sites and reality TV. It obliterates old distinctions between high and low culture, serious and trivial endeavors, profit making and philanthropy, leading to the phenomenon of being famous for being famous." According to The New York Times Opinion Pages. The celebs stories continue to bounce all over the place just like they did around the early twentieth century. The gossip of yesteryear continue to follow through today through social media websites. Everything about a celeb will be talked about in their lifetime because those who feel the need to follow a famous person will choose to investigate their life story. Soon celebs will take over the world as they slowly consume the school, charity, and political powers. The 1920's lifestyle of the rich and famous has just become upgraded from italian mobsters to multiracial gangs such as the latin kings and cripps. The newspaper now is a thing of the past because the internet has greatly effect how we receive our news feeds. Further more the whole way we make due with what we have has changed as the United States economic hardship has evolved. Soon the whole generation now will dawn in a 21st century 20's era repeat.

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  2. The American obsession with celebrities is a unique thing. We all look up to these celebrities whether they be movie stars, chefs, or politicians. Having people to look up to for motivation in times of doubt or depression is great, but it becomes startling to me when realizing that many celebrities are just simply "famous for being famous." The Kardashians, for example, are a prime example of this fake talent, although they are quite entertaining to watch. The article gives the example of Martha Stewart, "Martha Kostyra became Martha Stewart, and then Martha Stewart Living. The person evolves into a persona, then a brand, then an empire, with the business imperative of grow or die" I think looking up to celebrities can be fun as most, such as Martha Stewart, began as normal people. It is great for the celebrities that they were able to become so successful and build themselves, sometimes, into an "empire."

    Period 8

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  3. The American obsession with celebrities is a very touchy subject because many celebrities are famous for ridiculous reasons. The Kardashians are famous for no particular reason. They dont have any special talents or have done anything significant for our world, one of the daughters just happens to be extremely good looking, and the whole family makes millions of dollars off their reality tv show each year. Also I think the obsession with celebrities is a distraction because we get so focused on their success and actions that we forget about the importance of our own success. We should be focusing on our actions so we can get to the same level of success as these people
    Jack Murray Period 8

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  4. As Casey said, our obsession with celebrities is very unique. We always want to know what they are going to do next. We follow our favorite celebrities on twitter, we read every article about them, and buy all of there merchandise, but why? These celebrities are just like us, yet they are known worldwide for having some sort of talent. In the article it says, "They are as intimate as they are grand, and they offer themselves for worship by ordinary people searching for a suitable object of devotion." We really do treat some celebrities like they are gods.
    Julia kendzierski
    Period 8

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  5. The way Americans obsess over celebrities is very interesting. We often find ourselves looking up to those who are famous and enjoy knowing what is happening in their lives. However, in many circumstances, some celebrities we find famous do not even have a special talent. An example of this is if a celebrity is just simply attractive. In the article it states, "They are as intimate as they are grand, and they offer themselves for worship by ordinary people searching for a suitable object of devotion." Therefore, many people obsess over celebrities and think highly of them even if they have not done anything significant for society or have a special skill.
    Harjot B.
    Period 8

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  6. Our society has had an obsession with celebrities since the 1920's. It all started after World War One, when celebrities "became the new household gods". They still are today, only now more than ever. We obsess over these people, who started out as average people like you and me, and we devote ourselves to him/her. Today there are celebrities ranging from singers to biologists to chefs. It is weird to think about it. As the article states, celebrities are " giants monuments to aspiration, fulfillment, and overreach. " the person evolves overtime into something big, and sometimes it can go to their head and get out of control. Sometimes they think their above the law, and the worst part is that their fans are still there for them. Our obsession gives them their power. On our society today, celebrities are the most powerful, besides government of course, and it needs to be changed.
    Amy b period 8

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  7. In my opinion people obsess over celebrities way to much and have been since the 20s. Since the 1920s the majority of people have wanted to be in the spotlight and be famous. People want to be famous because everyone see's famous people as being perfect human beings. This is not the case because many of them have issues and come from nothing and turn it into something. In the article it said, " There is a quality of self-invention to their rise: Mark Zuckerberg went from awkward geek to the subject of a Hollywood hit.." This quote shows how Mark was just an average person and overtime became famous by focusing on something he was good at and not because he obsessed over celebrities. In my eyes people should stop obsessing over celebrities and work on being famous if they want to live the dream. Overall, obsessing over celebrities takes a lot of time out of people's lives where they can turn that time into benefiting themselves.

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  8. Our obsession with celebrities is very interesting to me. We obsess over these people who are more superior to us. But what exactly is it that we are obsessing over? They haven't really even done anything except be in movies, or make music. In the article it mentioned, "They dominate the landscape, like giant monuments to aspiration, fulfillment and overreach." Obsessing over celebrities should be put to a hold, it isn't making our world a better place and should be changed.
    Marissa G
    Period: 8

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  9. For the longest time now we have had this crazy obsession with certain celebrities. I don't really understand why we go crazy over people that used to be just like us and actually still are in many ways." giants monuments to aspiration, fulfillment, and overreach. " we really do act as though were friends with these people and we even treat them like royalty. These people are not any better than any of us. the only reason they are better than us is because they have a special talent that makes them better than us. So we jump on the band wagon and go crazy over them.
    quinn u
    per.8

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  10. The society of America has always thought of famous celebrities as a higher power, like a god or goddess. This has distracted human society ever since the roaring 20's. Celebrities are just like any other human, but with talents. They are no different than normal, everyday working human. Many people treat them as if they have done something amazing and they are so much better than everyone else. Some people get so caught up with celebrities' lives that they don't even focus on there own life. Being obsessed with celebrities is overrated and everybody should focus on there own lives rather than the lives of others.
    Nick T
    Per 8

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