Celebrity

I once saw "celebrity" defined as someone who is "famous for being famous". Elizabeth Taylor seemed to personify this - by the 1980s she hadn't done much acting for years.

Einstein and Gandhi deserved to be famous as did Stalin and Hitler for the opposite reason.

But sometime since the 80s, rock stars began to start preaching political policy and skinny blondes with chiuhuahuas had their every move publicized (includng their forays into porn) just because they are rich, as an ancestor of theirs did interesting things that made lots of money.

John Lennon stayed in bed for peace, which was fine, but Bob Geldof and Bono need to shut up now and then.

Tom Cruise is an actor with a very limited range (what he does well he does well and that's it) and I can't imagine the presses of The New England Journal of Medicine were stopped when he added to the sum total knowledge of psychiatry. I know nothing about scientology, but I know I don't like relgions with self-esteem so low they keep looking for people to join so they can feel better about themselves. I prefer my old religion, Catholicism, where they kick people out (or burn them at the stake..).

It's like the modern versions of the idols from teen mags of the 70s (where Donny Osmond's favourite colour and Shaun Cassidy's favourite food were discussed) have now moved into the adult news. When your acne clears up and you get a job, you are supposed to grow up, aren't you??

TF