Glitterati

This past weekend, we were presented with yet another self-congratulatory awards show, the Emmys, designed to promote the 'artistic' accomplishments of the Hollywood glitterati. Thankfully, there was only a smattering of de rigour political posturing, but the entertainment industry in general, and the Hollywood glitterati in particular, have promoted the Left's narratives with even more fervor than usual during the age of Trump. Whether it's virtue signaling during an awards ceremony, tweeting an anti-Trump meme, or otherwise participating in moral preening (while doing almost exactly the opposite in their personal lives), Hollywood celebrities are the darlings of the media and far-too-often, lionized by the general public.

Jim Geraughty comments:

The cultural power of celebrities — or more specifically, the average American’s misplaced trust in the judgment of people who they recognize from being on television or in the movies or hearing their music — is profoundly disturbing. I suspect that the process of becoming a celebrity is almost inherently psychologically damaging. They enjoy the cheers and adoration of large crowds but have difficulty developing and sustaining real behind-the-scenes relationships. Their fans love the characters they play, sometimes oblivious to the fact that the actor is not the character. Most of them are constantly evaluated based upon their appearance by strangers, developing all kinds of obsessions and disorders and frequently going under the knife to preserve their youthful looks. Their ideas for maintaining good health would give the American Medical Association nightmares. Addictions flourish and are almost endlessly enabled. Almost everyone they encounter wants something from them — an autograph, a picture, sex, to read a script, to play a role, or to offer help breaking into the business. And this is before we get to the point that their world lets the likes of Harvey Weinstein thrive and flourish.

Most of the people who create our popular culture are constantly marinating in a culture of exploitation, greed, envy, objectification, abuse, hedonistic excess, and runaway lust of every kind. It’s amazing any of them come out of the process of becoming famous with their head on straight. And yet so many of our fellow countrymen are endlessly fascinated with the inmates of the asylum.

It's worth noting that the glitterati project a pseudo-moral fervor that can be hypnotizing, making an observer truly believe that they feel strongly about a particular issue. It's also worth noting that they are actors and that the persona they project for public consumption has little if anything to do with their real-life actions or character.