11th Grade Baseline Essay

ESSAY TOPIC

“Idolization of Celebrities: A new religion”

Some people consider our interest in celebrities and their lives/lifestyles to have reached a level bordering
on obsession, an obsession that can be harmful to our values and culture. Still, others find our interest in
celebrity life a normal and hence acceptable behavior that has been present in our culture for generations.

Writing Task:

Is America’s idolization of celebrities harmful to us? Given the article, “Idolization of Celebrities: A new
religion, by Amie Kieffer, agree or disagree with the author’s perceptions. Has our idolization of
celebrities become a “new religion”—one that focuses on self-gratification and materialism? In your
essay support your position with examples from your own experience, your observation of others, your
studies, and/or any of your readings.

Post-Writing Checkoff

Have I HOOKED my reader with a startling fact, interesting quote, definition, anecdote, or

statistic? 
Does my THESIS tell the reader my opinion on the topic? 
Do I have body paragraphs that start with a topic sentence?

If I have used quotes, are they properly cited? 

Does my COMMENTARY provide clear and significant analysis? 


Do I have transitions between my ideas?

Do I address the COUNTER-CLAIM?

Does my COMCLUSION summarize the important points I have made? 

Have I proofread? 
Name_______________________________ Date_________________ Period___
Idolization of Celebrities: A new religion
by Amie Kieffer

Does it ever make you wonder when you see a mother buying her 5-year-old
daughter a Brittney Spears t-shirt? Does it ever make you wonder when you notice that half
the magazines on the periodical rack are covered with stories on movie star gossip? Or, do
you ever cringe when you find yourself watching the news or a celebrity gossip program
and hear the details they give and how they are presented with so much enthusiasm and
fervor, that one would think the reporter’s life depended on it?

Are you ever sickened by seeing how utterly entrenched humans have become with
celebrities and the idolization of their lifestyles, to the point that they will take the advice of
stars on political issues; miss important family events to see their favorite shows on
television; go in debt trying to look and live like a star; or plaster their walls with pictures of
people they have never met—their role models—super stars, singers, actors and actresses,
models, and sports figures?

I do not question the admiration humans have for certain celebrities, their profession,
and an appreciation or high regard for their work. Yet, looking around me, I see a society
that has taken on a new religion. This new religion is one of materialism and the idolization
of today’s celebrity lifestyle. In a way, it is a worship of self, that ignores the spiritual
aspect of mankind, completely overlooking the nourishment of one’s soul; it is driven by a
desire for perfection of the physical, material, and emotional good of individuals.

Watching The O.C., Laguna Beach and other shows that depict the lives of the rich
and famous is like reading the Bible; it provides a manual for true happiness in its
presentation of life as it should be—the life one aspires to have if they want to live like
stars. It is a life deprived of anything substantial, devoid of spiritual depth, and more often
than not, mental depth as well.

Pride and a selfish nature would seem to be the underlying sentiments of those who
live under the guidelines of Hollywood, seeking role models in celebrities, and happiness in
material goods. Possibly, some are simply ignorant human beings who sincerely believe
that following the lives of other mortals who spend half their life on the beach will bring
them eternal fulfillment and do enormous good for their own lives.

Yet, really—are we that stupid? Do we truly want to spend time, money, and energy
devoted to idolizing other human beings? I would hope not; I hope there comes a time
when people know more about politics, religion, and their own family, than they do about
the lives of Paris Hilton, Brad Pitt, and The Simpsons.

The amount of time people invest in following up on the stars, watching them,
imitating them, talking about them, and buying their merchandise certainly adds up. Taking
a step back, one can see that what really matters in one’s life is not the knowledge one has
of what Ashley Simpson’s middle name is, or what Tom Cruise ate for breakfast. If we had
this statistic (the amount of time people give to star-worship), the reaction to such a
number would hold a lot in common to the reaction people have when finding out how
much time the average person spends sleeping, eating, or watching T.V. throughout their
life time. No one really wants to know it.

Then why do people devote their lives to the emulation of celebrities? It would seem
to give them the same problems celebrities have—depression, emptiness, and often an
insatiable appetite for attention that fuels bad behavior and subsequently a whole line of
negative consequences within their lives and in society. Somehow, humans believe that
material goods and the idolization of their fellow man will bring them a certain level of
happiness. People can be seen aspiring to be like stars, for celebrity lifestyle is presented to
them by the media at a rate and magnitude that is not found in the propagation of morality,
spirituality, or intellectualism.

If we were to redefine the beatitudes according to this new religion of materialism

and idolization of humans, it might be something like the following, presented by America’s
Next Top Models and entitled the Eight Beatitudes of Beauty:

• Blessed are the rich: for to them belongs the unlimited resources of fashion, cosmetics,
jewelry, and let us not forget tanning and plastic surgery.
• Blessed are those who wear Abercrombie and Fitch: for theirs is membership in of one of
today’s trendiest sects.
• Blessed are those who read Glamour Magazine: for theirs is the comfort of knowing they
can reflect the beauty of the stars, if they only buy the products their beloved models
 advertise.
• Blessed are they who starve themselves, voluntarily: for theirs is the honor of being a J.
Crew model.
• Blessed are those who are beautiful by nature, yet give direction to the less fortunate: for
theirs is the admiration of all and the joy of being scouted by Tyra Banks.
• Blessed are those who visit the spa with regularity: for theirs is a truly deserved feeling of
peace, happiness, and soft skin.
• Blessed are those who attend runway shows: for they shall see gods and goddesses.
• Blessed are those who defend the fashion-challenged: for theirs is an increase in fan
membership.
•
Of course, I am being somewhat facetious, for I am not a cynical or pessimistic person.
There is a certain comedy in seeing the fanfare of humans and their worship of celebrities
and I certainly find it amusing, yet the purpose of life is not to be entertained. As much as
I, or any other human, would, at times, enjoy living a life where the purpose is merely self-
gratification and entertainment, there is more to life than that. We are meant to look
beyond the material world to the world it reflects. Besides, who wants to spend one’s life
trying to live someone else’s?