American Celebrities

American Celebrities; Of course they are real, but are they real?

Paris Hilton. Is that skin even flesh or is it plastic? Pamela Anderson. Definitely silicone under that baywatch red bikini. Jessica Simpson. Where were those breasts two years ago? Nicole Ricci. Losing weight doesn't happen overnight. Lindsey Lohen. Where did her curves go? She is a stick now. American Celebrities; bodies built on computer. These hollywood hotties see a body they want, and get it. Dropping 10 grand to reconstruct a body is pocket change. Celebrities in America and only America have morphed from role models, talented athletes and musicians to entirely fake beings that glitter and sparkle in the eyes of average Joe's.

Sociologists feel that American celebrities are turning to plastic. Joshua Gamson, a sociologist with a Ph.D. from U.C. Berkley is intrigued by the elite society of American celebrities. Gamson also has made one publication in particular, dissecting this society, called Claims to Fame. Michele Lamont discusses Gamson's work in the American Journal of Sociology. She states, "Gamson sets out to examine the nature of entertainment celebrity in America, focusing on its meaning, its production and its consumption"(1069).

Gamson's book explores the nature of celebrities and comments on the morph from talent to producer talent, meaning that celebrities at one point were celebrities because of their natural born talent, however today, celebrities become celebrities because producers use money to create that beautiful singer, with invasive surgeries, 3 hours in the salon, 4 hours with makeup, and a produced voice, that doesn't belong to that "beautiful singer". Today's leading example, Ashlee Simpson caught lip syncing on Saturday Night Live. It makes one wonder if a computer developed the vocals recorded on her latest album. Gamson states in Claims to Fame , that "fame as it rises to greatness," is gradually being replaced by "fame as artificial production"(16). Lamont furthers the argument in her analysis of Gamson's work by writing that "He[Gamson] traces the history of an emerging industry of celebrity creation and discursive shifts in which money and resources, instead of talent are increasingly viewed as determinants of success"(1070). In the process of writing his book, Gamson interviewed several producers, and made an analogy between the American Celebrity and clay. "The picture that emerges, the artist is little more than clay to be modeled, a shallow character for whom art is a minor consideration"(1070).

American celebrities however differ greatly from the celebrities we find in England, or Pakistan, two countries from notably different parts of the world. David Beckham, the international celebrity from England, and Sachin Tendulkar the Indian cricket superstar, share one thing that most American celebrities lack. True talent. Their stardom, recognition, familiarity and fame comes from deeds done on the playing field.

David Beckham, now at 28 and in his sports prime "is worth a reported $50 million" in 2003, however Beckham's worth is not from his good looks, nor is his talent a result of cosmetic or enhancement surgeries. Beckham's worth comes from his ability on the soccer field. In the past eight years, while Beckham rose to stardom, he aided his team, Manchester United to six English premier titles(Pasick). In addition to titles, Beckham claimed 86 goals. He was named "the linchpin of England's Manchester United"(ESPNsoccernet). Not only is Beckham known for his stardom in England and his current team, Real Madrid, but he is praised worldwide for his soccer accomplishments, including heavy involvement with the international soccer videogame, FIFA.

Although David Beckham is not completely free of scandal, the paparatzi and high fashion, his talents as a player and leader on the cosser field developed his level of stardum. Children may go get the haircut the Beckham last sported, and he may be a high profile celebrity with cameras in his face when out with his wife, a previous Spice Girl, but at the end of the day, David Beckham's stardom and career was made by his talent. He did not rise up as an international star because of his wife, the media focused on these things after he developed himself into the world renouned athlete.

Another international hero is Tendulkar. The Indian descented gift to cricket has worked his way up to the top. After a break from his career, Tendulkar returned better than ever. "The return of Sachin Tendulkar reconfirmed what I have always believed to be the difference between great and merely good cricketers. A good cricketer would take time to find his bearing after a long layoff while a great one would slip into his cast as if he had never ventured out of it. On the basis of what I saw in the first cricket one-dayer in Nagpur, Tendulkar is still the very best in the business" Stated by a sports journalist, Arjuna Ranatunga.

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