Appreciate celebrities, don’t romanticize them

Hannah Holliday | Cartoonist

With celebrities always in the headlines and the spotlight, it’s easy to get lost in their world portrayed by magazines, news outlets, television and social media. However, we often don’t realize how manufactured celebrities’ appearances really are.

The truth is that most celebrities portray a false or altered version of themselves. Although they may not mislead us intentionally, they are held to a higher standard where their imperfections are called out and criticized at a much higher extent than the average person.

Behind the scenes of these seemingly perfect pictures taken by or of celebrities is often a whole team of people. Whether its hair, makeup or fashion, most celebrities have crews to ensure they look picture perfect when out in public. Celebrities present themselves to seem like the everyday person, however behind them is a whole team designated solely to their physical appearance.

Oftentimes, it seems like celebrities live perfect, envious lives in a world separate from ours. But the reality is that their appearances and portrayals are often far from the truth. They are more similar to the rest of us than it may seem. We can’t compare our physical appearances or situations to the lives of celebrities, because although they may seem candid, they’re most often not.

Aside from celebrities on social media and in the news, reality TV manufactures almost a completely different portrayal of life for some celebrities and individuals. While reality TV is promoted as “reality,” the truth is that it’s far from real life. Shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and The Real Housewives lead you to believe that the lives illustrated on the shows are what their lives are truly like. But this is false. Most, if not all reality TV is staged—directed by producers. Although the people on the shows may be real people, the way the act, the things they say and the way they look are all manufactured to create a show that will appeal to its audience. With celebrities always in the headlines and the spotlight, it’s easy to get lost in the “world” portrayed by magazines, news outlets, television and social media. However, we often don’t realize how manufactured celebrities’ appearances really are.

Even our local Waco favorite, Fixer Upper, is more staged than the show lets on. The people on the show may seem candid, however behind the scenes producers are directing them on what to say. The show is created in a way to make it seem candid, however the people are instructed on how to act, what to say and are even asked to repeat sentences they’ve said previously for the sake of getting the right footage.

It’s easy to compare the lives of celebrities to your own, as it seems like their lives portrayed through the news is their reality. Certain aspects of their lives may leave you envious, however their lives may not be as envious as they seem. Don’t be fooled by their social media posts or appearances in tabloids—they often create a manufactured storyline in order to attract attention and viewers. We can still appreciate celebrities without believing that what we see is the truth. At the end of the day, they are humans just like us, and face the same challenges we do.