Writing an Essay on a Celebrity
Celebrities are a fascinating subject of study, with many positive and negative aspects to their fame. For some, celebrities are idols to be admired and respected, while others view them as self-absorbed egomaniacs obsessed with their public persona. Regardless of one's opinion, it is hard to deny the influence that celebrities have on society. For students writing an essay on a celebrity, it is important to explore both sides of the issue and provide a balanced analysis.The word celebrity originates from the Latin 'celebritas' meaning 'fame' or'renown'. It entered English in the early C15, influenced by two earlier meanings: "Observance of some ceremonial or special formality on an important occasion; pomp, ceremony," and "An act of celebrating something; a rite, a ceremony." The first of these carries religious connotations, while the second, which survives into the C19, is related to the modern notion of celebrity as a status associated with pop culture.In modern times, a person can become famous for any number of reasons, including the accomplishments of an athletic career, a particular talent or an infamous crime. These people gain notoriety by being featured in the media, often through their exploits becoming the stuff of tabloid gossip. As the era of social media and reality television has evolved, these figures have achieved a degree of fame that was unheard of in previous generations. The rise of these figures as 'celebrities' has led to some interesting debates, such as whether this trend has resulted in a decline in the quality of celebrity or simply allowed new kinds of celebrities to emerge.There is also a growing phenomenon of celebrities who serve as political figures, with some using their platform to advocate for various causes or even run for office. This raises questions about the role of image in politics and how a celebrity's status can be used to promote a particular agenda or point of view. The democratization of fame has also made it possible for ordinary individuals to achieve celebrity status with little or no traditional talent or accomplishment, resulting in the rise of the new celebrity class.One of the more troubling aspects of the celebrity phenomenon is the way in which it can affect a person's mental and emotional well-being. Studies have shown that people who score high on celebrity-worship scales tend to exhibit a variety of psychosocial problems, such as sensation-seeking, cognitive rigidity, identity diffusion and poor interpersonal boundaries. These individuals may also be prone to drug abuse, compulsive buying and sexual addictions.Finally, it is worth mentioning that the ephemeral nature of celebrity means that the vast majority of famous individuals are eventually forgotten or overshadowed by newer cultural icons. This is a phenomenon that has been portrayed vividly in Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem Ozymandias, which uses the figure of a once-celebrated statue to illustrate how even the most prominent figures are soon buried in history. This is not an entirely negative aspect of celebrity, as it enables historians to study the evolution of fame and how its meanings have changed over time.