Welcome to Pop Culture, Where Fame is Your Enemy
Pop stars are in a league of their own. It’s not a new idea that the pop genre has always garnered more attention than others in the U.S.
Pop stars have become like modern day gods. You either idolize them or hate them enough that you start to blame them for all your problems.
Stars like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Madonna, and Britney Spears were just the beginning of the pop-mania.
Today’s pop stars not only have to deal with the parasocial fans and hysteria, but also the scrutinizing lens targeting them because of social media.
Every move they make, every word said, and even every breath taken will be documented on a fanpage somewhere. Or a hate page. They’re basically the same thing at this point.
It makes me wonder, is there such a thing as too much fame?
Using Taylor Swift as an example, it’s very interesting how anytime she makes any sudden movements, the entire internet has to say their piece on the matter. It’s like there’s a radar that goes off anytime she steps a foot out of her house.
I used to think that album release parties were for people who enjoyed listening to the artist releasing the album. The Life of a Showgirl has opened my eyes to the possibility that even people who don’t like the artist throw their own release parties as well. Now the record-breaking stream numbers make more sense.
Sabrina Carpenter’s scandal earlier this year threw everyone for a loop. When she dropped the album cover for “Man’s Bestfriend,” the internet almost had a meltdown. There were people from all ages and all over the world joining in on the discussion of whether or not Sabrina was setting women back by prioritizing the “male gaze”.
Nobody seemed to notice how the first single from the album was called “Manchild,” a song that calls men stupid, slow, and useless.
Harry Styles has been living it up in Europe. Taking up running, riding lime bikes, and occasionally walking around with a girl on one side and a tote bag on the other. The reason all of this is public knowledge is because it’s being posted on update pages every few hours.
“Harry Styles walking around with a bouquet of flowers in Paris”
“Harry Styles with a fan in Rome.”
“Harry Styles at the Berlin Marathon.”
What makes this dilemma more intriguing is how it affects pop stars more than other musicians. Rock, indie, emo, country, etc. don’t seem to have as much exposure to the scrutiny and criticism that pop stars face. Of course the most popular musicians from other genres must get their fair share, but there’s something about pop culture that feels like the entire world is listening in.
The insane stalking, the constant discourse over whether they deserve their success, and the entitlement of people who think they know these pop stars personally.
It’s all part of what many people like to call “Pop star syndrome,” or “Celebrity worship syndrome."
According to Newport Academy, “Celebrity worship syndrome is defined as an obsessive-addictive disorder in which an individual becomes excessively focused on the details of a celebrity, typically a TV, movie, or pop star.”
Assuming pop stars are regular humans too, and not musical robots planted to distract all of humanity, then they probably make human mistakes too. Theirs are just put on full blast.
Becoming obsessed with what a pop star does in a positive or negative manner has affected the way they act. They don’t post as often, interact less with fans, and stick to strictly releasing their music once every couple of years.
Is fame a double-edged sword? Is the money worth the privacy? Does the light shone by the fans block the shadow of hate cast upon them?
It’s not often the case, but it’s something to watch out for. In a world where everything is documented and commented on, society should take a step back and think about what’s worth their time and energy. Maybe it’s not the atrocious pair of shoes a pop star wore to a red carpet.
Strike out,
Sol Moyano
Boca Raton
Sol Moyano is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. When she’s not busy writing, she’s ignoring all of her responsibilities in favor of reading fiction novels. She updates her Goodreads and Letterboxd way more often than her LinkedIn. You can reach her at solmoyano05@hotmail.com or her instagram: @solmoyanooo.
