Celebrity Culture Is Harmful to Society Essay Sample

In a world that is influenced so easily by what is published in the media, celebrity culture is a growing phenomenon that has taken the interest of countless citizens in America. An ongoing discussion about whether or not an infatuation with celebrities and their lives is healthy is argued from both sides. Despite whatever side one agrees upon, each argument needs to be credible, logical, and appeal to the emotions of its audience. An analysis of two different articles explains the opposing viewpoints on the opinion of celebrity culture. Author David Cox creates a logical and credible argument regarding why celebrity culture is natural and beneficial for society. His main argument discusses the idea that the interest in celebrity provides a unitary form of entertainment for all people, and can teach valuable lessons. In an article arguing that celebrity culture is harmful to the lives of average people, author Chris Hedges uses emotional appeals to prove his point but lacks credibility and logic. He mainly discusses the idea that celebrity culture provides false hopes for people, and that the cycle of obsession creates an emptiness in the lives of those who indulge in it.

In the article, “Celebrity Culture is Harmful,” Hedges lacks an appeal to ethics. With no mentioned credentials that prove Hedges to be educated on the topic, a reliance on personal bias is used to craft his argument instead. Hedges is biased against the practice of religion, which not only diminishes his appeal to ethos but also issues derogatory comments that may be found insensitive by readers. After revealing that he wrote a book called “American Fascists” about Christian conservatives, Hedges proceeds to mention, “Fear and instability have plunged the working class into the arms of demagogues of the radical Christian Right who offer a belief in magic, miracles, and the fiction of a utopian Christian nation.” His dismissing of the Christian faith limits his appeal to ethos as some may find his commentary inconsiderate and unnecessary for his argument. The author’s inclusion of the word “radical” to describe the Christian right allows readers to identify a one-sided argument being presented. This further presents a lack of ethos because rather than providing a credible argument, a tactic of name-calling is utilized instead. Hedges’ impartiality is further presented when he calls republican senator, Sarah Palin, a “buffoon.” Inserting his political commentary into the paper without an explanation that is relevant to his argument reveals that he is willing to let his judgments take away from creating an ethical rationalization. Additionally, Hedges repeatedly states that “demagogues” must save citizens who fall victim to false hopes, implying that those who believe in religious institutions are in dire need of being saved. An abundance of personal bias within in article is a sign that a lack of ethos is present, and Hedges loses his credibility on the topic by inserting his opinions as a backing for the argument.

In addition to Hedges’ lack of ethos, there is also an ineffective use of logos. A strong logical argument would incorporate the use of statistics, facts, or historical examples, all of which are missing from Hedges’ article. Although Hedges includes modern examples of celebrities and media phenomena that reflect the impacts of celebrity culture, most of his arguments lack a thorough line of reasoning and therefore do not create an effective appeal to logos. For example, Hedges includes a sentence that states how wealth and self-indulgence are worshipped in shows like Gossip Girl and The Hills but ends the paragraph immediately without explaining why an emphasis on wealth in the media is negative at all. Hedges negates the logic of his argument by not including data or historical evidence, and by dropping arguments without logical explanation.

In the article, “Celebrity Culture is Natural and Can Be Beneficial,” author David Cox successfully produces a strong appeal to ethos by including evidence from experts on the subject. Cox’s argument heavily focuses on the mental being of fandoms and fame-reaching individuals. To support his ideas, Cox refers back to research and opinions from psychologists, sociologists, and experts on celebrity studies. Although the author is not an expert on the topic himself, he appeals to ethos by revealing his ability to gather information from those who specialize in the matter. To build credibility in his article, Cox includes commentary and research from university experts, such as psychologists at the University of Leicester and sociologists at City University in London. These experts not only study the brain and how it is affected by society but have conducted studies that focus particularly on celebrity culture. Studies performed by these universities revealed that large percentages of U.S citizens fall victim to celebrity obsession, and an even larger number pay attention to the political views of celebrities. By providing background information from credible experts, Cox crafts a trustworthy base for his arguments and commentary, allowing his readers to trust that his writing is supplying dependable information. Cox is effective in providing dependable references and credible evidence that contributes to a successful use of ethos.

Hedges incorporates the use of pathos by appealing to the human emotions of desire and jealousy. Emphasizing the unattainable lifestyles that are dangled in the faces of working-class citizens in the media, is one way that Hedges manages to depreciate celebrity culture. Hedges discloses how the lives of celebrities are easily disguised to look effortlessly glamorous, but instead require plastic surgeons, designers, stylists, diet doctors, and entire teams of professionals to produce a desirable image. This glimpse of reality leaves Hedges’ target audience feeling deceived, and more likely to side with his argument. Further highlighting the misleading nature of celebrity, Hedges explains how people are quick to believe that they too can easily become famous, but are often left feeling inferior and worthless when their expectation is not met. By planting this scenario in the mind of his readers, Hedges is preying on a feeling of hopelessness, which ultimately vilifies celebrity culture rather than glorifies it. Moreover, Hedges also mentions how the illusions of celebrity culture cause people to feel like their achievements are insignificant, and this leads to “a self-perpetuating cycle that drives the frustrated individual with even greater desperation away from reality, toward the empty promises of those who seduce us.” When considering Hedges’ negative diction choices, it can be analyzed that his attempt to target the emotions of his readers aims to leave them feeling betrayed by celebrity culture. By alluding to frustration, inferiorness, worthlessness, and desperation, Hedges manages to pull on the negative heartstrings of those who once bought into the idea that they may fulfill a lavish lifestyle like those they admire. Although Hedges lacks an appeal to logic or credibility, he manages to effectively appeal to the emotions of his target audience by disclosing the deceitfulness of celebrity lives.

Cox appeals to logos through the inclusion of historical examples that replicate the positive outcomes of the celebrity culture he is advocating for. Because Cox’s main argument surrounds the idea that celebrity culture is a way to bring people together, he mentions the use of celebrities in the media during the Great Depression, a time of despair and devastation for America. He mentions radio broadcaster and article columnist Walter Winchell, who used his radio broadcast show to talk about his narratives and distract the country from calamity. Believing that Winchell is what began to turn our country into a population of gossipers, Cox also understands that it brought unity through a national common reference to people who were struggling together. Through the use of this example, Cox strengthens his argument and provides readers with a tangible experience that could reasonably be applied to the world today. Logic is supported by the use of a historical example, thus creating an appeal to logos in Cox’s article.

Both authors incorporate the use of rhetorical appeals to support their arguments. Hedges relies more on pathos, as he builds his argument around the emotions of the reader, but lacks credibility and logic. Logical fallacies and obvious personal bias within his paper become detrimental to the strength of his argument. Cox uses ethos and logos to provide strength to his article but lacks an emotional appeal. His sources are reliable and provide important research, but his paper is weakened by his inability to connect to the emotions of the audience. When debating this up-and-coming issue of celebrity culture, Hedges and Cox construct opposing arguments with the incorporation of rhetorical appeals.