For the most part the pointless, “How’s the weather?” has always been there for when we draw conversational blanks. Yet in our increasingly fiction-based society, with its ever-pressing hunger for celebrity dirt, the new conversation starters seem to be “Hey, did you here about Brit and K-Fed?” or “Did you see Madonna is pulling an Angelina?”
Just by browsing the free dailies, the average person is likely to know more about Paul McCartney’s divorce settlement, Nicole Ritchie’s anorexia and David Beckham’s new perfume than Canada’s fiscal imbalance or the controversy surrounding income trust taxes. I admit, the celebrity gossip does feed the appetite, but it’s not a healthy diet.
For instance, the crass character Borat hypnotizes younger generations with his hurtful insults and manipulates the idea of the American dream into an obsession with Canadian celebrity Pamela Anderson. Sadly, in the film the American dream is dumbed down to a Hollywood road trip that uncovers the fault lines and prejudices underlying the Western world’s wholesome picture of democracy.
Borat does a good job at pointing out that everything is not peaches and cream between blacks and whites, and his view of women as underdogs is strongly reinforced during a ride on a frat bus. However, these important inequalities are overshadowed by Borat’s continuous infatuation with the former Baywatch babe. Ultimately this insanely sad character leads us to believe that celebrity idolization plays a more central role in society than do any of the politicians, preachers, and feminists he meets on his journey.
As uncouth as he may be, is he right?
If he is, it’s time we thought about getting more interested in our own lives rather than obsessing over movie stars. Especially since most Hollywood hotshots who have everything and can get anything are ironically striving to be normal like us.
