Celebrity Trauma and The Media

Celebrity news is unavoidable, as the media publicizes every little detail of their lives. There are entire newspapers, magazines, blogs and Youtube channels entirely dedicated to this pop culture, but when there are real life implications for the celebrities involved, their mental and sometimes physical wellbeing can be affected. 

According to an anonymous survey of 70 students at the School, 53.5% of them responded that they follow celebrity news. In the case of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, who made a documentary on their experiences with tabloids and the royal family, 57% of the people surveyed said they did not follow the story, although 5% did say that they had both watched the documentary and read the book. 

Additionally, some of those who responded to our survey said that Harry and Meghan have been greedy and vapid with their media work. An anonymous responder said, “I watched behind the shoulder of my mom and thought it was a rendition of Keeping up With The Kardashians. Both Meghan and her husband are taking a workout on the hedonic treadmill.” On the other hand, the majority of those who responded to our survey sided with Harry and Meghan, stating, “the Windsors are just a business not a family.”

Interestingly, over 80% of the students surveyed said that they did not follow the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. Of the 20% of people that did follow the trial of Tory Lanez, the majority said they did side with Megan. Some blame the amount of people who were not paying attention to the story on the lower amount of coverage of Black women in American media and social media, saying “It is time to believe Black women and their stories. People were attacking and making a mockery out of [Megan] instead of Tory, but if it were another celebrity like a Kardashian, then people would care.”

The internet also affects celebrity news, with 62.9% of surveyed students stating that they did follow the arrest of TikTok personality Andrew Tate. Many said that they were confused on the details of why he was being arrested, with one person saying they were “confused on what he went to jail for.” 

In contrast, most people criticized him and people’s reactions to what had happened. As one responder put it, “He’s a terrible, terrible person and deserves everything that’s coming for him.” Another criticized many peoples’ responses to his arrest saying, “His arrest should not be treated like a joke considering that he was trafficking young girls.”

In conclusion, celebrity news is an ever changing part of our culture. This news also spreads on social media, along with  magazines or websites. Many people who responded to the survey said that they only read about celebrity news on TikTok and other social media platforms. Despite how humorous they may seem, these news stories should be taken seriously, as they can deeply affect the people involved.