Analyzing Media and Pop Culture:
Theories of Celebrity Gossip
Jenny Freedman
September 19, 2019
With the stark increase in internet usage and technology come easier access to news. Nowadays, people can easily search for information, no matter how minute, ranging from topics of shifting political antics to the outfits of their favorite celebrities. Detailed celebrity updates draw the attention of many viewers, often focusing on age, physical appearance, and drama. Oftentimes, tabloids sexualize the bodies of females and promote others to look up to certain celebrities as a standard of beauty and perfection while shaming others. The complex web of drama available online has a great sociological impact, both in terms of individuals and society as a whole.
Structural functionalism is a macro-level sociological theory which analyzes how social structures interact with each other and affect society overall. This theory revolves around the concept that every part of society helps maintain its function and balance; This includes the less desirable elements of American culture, such as hurtful or negative drama and gossip. A common type of this seen in the mainstream media is gossip about celebrities and influencers, especially with the extreme rise in technology throughout the 21st century. The theory of structural functionalism analyzes the manifest functions, or the obvious, intended consequences of a social structure, and the latent functions, or the less obvious, unintended consequences. The central and manifest function of celebrity gossip in society is to provide entertainment and stories that are out of the ordinary for many. Tabloids portray dramatic and extreme situations that most people don’t encounter in everyday life, which adds to the intrigue and curiosity of the viewers. This method of attracting an audience revolves around the goal of selling content to make money; Exploiting intimate details of the lives of celebrities is simply a consequence. On the other hand, a latent function of celebrity gossip is the promotion of the usage of various products, specifically beauty and health related, which, in turn, shames women's’ bodies and advocates for women to actively change their physical appearance. However destructive tabloids may be to the self-image of copious amounts of women, structural functionalists would argue this aspect is simply a necessary consequence. All in all, one could argue that tabloids help society maintain stability and order by providing distractions and pleasure for readers through mindless, humorous, or alluring articles. It is still important to keep in mind this gossip is at the expense of the subjects of the articles, whose personal lives are continuously carefully inspected and exposed.
Celebrity gossip often reveals physical insecurities and focuses on the effects of beauty and wealth. For some celebrities, every detail of their bodies is constantly scrutinized in tabloids, while others are praised and sexualized. Gender greatly shifts the vocabulary utilized and remarks which occur within Daily Mail articles. Within the discipline of sociology, conflict theory is a concept exploring ways in which inequality can create conflict and cause change. The theory can be applied to celebrity gossip through the investigation of the articles’ sexism, classism, and heteronormativity. Tabloids often reinforce already rampant stereotypes and assumptions concerning gender and sexuality. Being straight is considered the standard, and it becomes gossip if any small instance points reporters to believe otherwise. Additionally, the wealth of celebrities and lifestyle of excess and consumerism is commonly flaunted; class relevance is an important element of inequality. One Daily Mail article entitled “Khloe Kardashian's back in shape, baby! New mom slips into skimpy swimsuit after 33lb weight loss on Mexico trip with Tristan Thompson” exemplifies the standard of picking apart the physical appearance of celebrities within tabloids. The article utilizes diction such as “frolicked” and “famously peachy posterior’, assuming every action by a female has sexual motives. Three sentences in, the article displays an enlarged picture of Khloe Kardashian figure up close and continues to analyze the details of her shape and fitness. Furthermore, there are even more zoomed in images of her followed by many similar pictures of her at different angles. The title and captions describe the pictures with very sexual and shocking descriptors. In the end, viewers suffer from absorbing copious amounts of celebrity gossip, as it becomes detrimental to their self-image and causes overwhelming self-critique. Additionally, the subjects of the article, however famous, often suffer. Mainstream media can dehumanize celebrities and discuss their features and personal details so openly and brashly that people become disconnected from the fact that they are human as well.
Celebrity gossip can be viewed in a different lens, looking at the individuals in which it is directly affecting. Symbolic Interactionism is a micro level theory focusing on individual and everyday interactions. For individual members of society, Daily Mail can serve as a break or escape from a mundane reality. In some cases, extreme situations within gossip can make people feel better about their own lives, as it provides a distraction to their own troubles and worries. The meaning of celebrity gossip to each individual or group is completely subjective, as everyone has different and varied viewpoints and experiences; however, opinions concerning the level of entertainment of tabloids are often shared. Due to the variety of information and topics discussed within tabloids, there is most likely a source of enjoyment for anyone browsing through gossip sites and magazines. Because of the diversity of content combined with striking titles, Daily Mail appeals to a wide variety of viewers. Society is informed and changed by a culture of gossip and the normalization of female sexualization. The meaning of celebrity gossip to us as individuals is influenced by how it is perceived within mainstream society. The promotion of mindless entertainment continues the destructive cycle of harmful gossip, as it makes us all bystanders, and some willing participants.
Articles in Daily Mail are often one of the first sources to reveal intimate details in celebrities’ personal lives. One article about Demi Moore, for example, exposes the emotional aspects of her past marriage. The article describes her “rocky” relationship, miscarriages, multiple marriages, IVF treatments, and possible threesomes that occurred. This is only one of the thousands of articles that goes into depth about personal details of a celebrity’s life. Daily Mail commonly makes assumptions about intimate details about relationships and sex lives. Celebrity gossip comes to conclusions with minimal evidence, even if they could be detrimental to the character of the celebrity at the center of the article. In sociological terms, much of the core points of the theories overlap. They all seem to conclude that entertainment and cultural influence are main factors of celebrity gossip; however, some view this statement on a bigger scale, while other focus on the effects to the individual reader. The benefits of tabloids are debatable, but I would argue that the short-lasting entertainment is not worth the harm to one's mental state as a consumer. Although structural functionalists would argue that harm is necessary for a greater good: a well-functioning society, I believe symbolic interactionalism identifies the preventable destruction to the individual.
September 19, 2019
With the stark increase in internet usage and technology come easier access to news. Nowadays, people can easily search for information, no matter how minute, ranging from topics of shifting political antics to the outfits of their favorite celebrities. Detailed celebrity updates draw the attention of many viewers, often focusing on age, physical appearance, and drama. Oftentimes, tabloids sexualize the bodies of females and promote others to look up to certain celebrities as a standard of beauty and perfection while shaming others. The complex web of drama available online has a great sociological impact, both in terms of individuals and society as a whole.
Structural functionalism is a macro-level sociological theory which analyzes how social structures interact with each other and affect society overall. This theory revolves around the concept that every part of society helps maintain its function and balance; This includes the less desirable elements of American culture, such as hurtful or negative drama and gossip. A common type of this seen in the mainstream media is gossip about celebrities and influencers, especially with the extreme rise in technology throughout the 21st century. The theory of structural functionalism analyzes the manifest functions, or the obvious, intended consequences of a social structure, and the latent functions, or the less obvious, unintended consequences. The central and manifest function of celebrity gossip in society is to provide entertainment and stories that are out of the ordinary for many. Tabloids portray dramatic and extreme situations that most people don’t encounter in everyday life, which adds to the intrigue and curiosity of the viewers. This method of attracting an audience revolves around the goal of selling content to make money; Exploiting intimate details of the lives of celebrities is simply a consequence. On the other hand, a latent function of celebrity gossip is the promotion of the usage of various products, specifically beauty and health related, which, in turn, shames women's’ bodies and advocates for women to actively change their physical appearance. However destructive tabloids may be to the self-image of copious amounts of women, structural functionalists would argue this aspect is simply a necessary consequence. All in all, one could argue that tabloids help society maintain stability and order by providing distractions and pleasure for readers through mindless, humorous, or alluring articles. It is still important to keep in mind this gossip is at the expense of the subjects of the articles, whose personal lives are continuously carefully inspected and exposed.
Celebrity gossip often reveals physical insecurities and focuses on the effects of beauty and wealth. For some celebrities, every detail of their bodies is constantly scrutinized in tabloids, while others are praised and sexualized. Gender greatly shifts the vocabulary utilized and remarks which occur within Daily Mail articles. Within the discipline of sociology, conflict theory is a concept exploring ways in which inequality can create conflict and cause change. The theory can be applied to celebrity gossip through the investigation of the articles’ sexism, classism, and heteronormativity. Tabloids often reinforce already rampant stereotypes and assumptions concerning gender and sexuality. Being straight is considered the standard, and it becomes gossip if any small instance points reporters to believe otherwise. Additionally, the wealth of celebrities and lifestyle of excess and consumerism is commonly flaunted; class relevance is an important element of inequality. One Daily Mail article entitled “Khloe Kardashian's back in shape, baby! New mom slips into skimpy swimsuit after 33lb weight loss on Mexico trip with Tristan Thompson” exemplifies the standard of picking apart the physical appearance of celebrities within tabloids. The article utilizes diction such as “frolicked” and “famously peachy posterior’, assuming every action by a female has sexual motives. Three sentences in, the article displays an enlarged picture of Khloe Kardashian figure up close and continues to analyze the details of her shape and fitness. Furthermore, there are even more zoomed in images of her followed by many similar pictures of her at different angles. The title and captions describe the pictures with very sexual and shocking descriptors. In the end, viewers suffer from absorbing copious amounts of celebrity gossip, as it becomes detrimental to their self-image and causes overwhelming self-critique. Additionally, the subjects of the article, however famous, often suffer. Mainstream media can dehumanize celebrities and discuss their features and personal details so openly and brashly that people become disconnected from the fact that they are human as well.
Celebrity gossip can be viewed in a different lens, looking at the individuals in which it is directly affecting. Symbolic Interactionism is a micro level theory focusing on individual and everyday interactions. For individual members of society, Daily Mail can serve as a break or escape from a mundane reality. In some cases, extreme situations within gossip can make people feel better about their own lives, as it provides a distraction to their own troubles and worries. The meaning of celebrity gossip to each individual or group is completely subjective, as everyone has different and varied viewpoints and experiences; however, opinions concerning the level of entertainment of tabloids are often shared. Due to the variety of information and topics discussed within tabloids, there is most likely a source of enjoyment for anyone browsing through gossip sites and magazines. Because of the diversity of content combined with striking titles, Daily Mail appeals to a wide variety of viewers. Society is informed and changed by a culture of gossip and the normalization of female sexualization. The meaning of celebrity gossip to us as individuals is influenced by how it is perceived within mainstream society. The promotion of mindless entertainment continues the destructive cycle of harmful gossip, as it makes us all bystanders, and some willing participants.
Articles in Daily Mail are often one of the first sources to reveal intimate details in celebrities’ personal lives. One article about Demi Moore, for example, exposes the emotional aspects of her past marriage. The article describes her “rocky” relationship, miscarriages, multiple marriages, IVF treatments, and possible threesomes that occurred. This is only one of the thousands of articles that goes into depth about personal details of a celebrity’s life. Daily Mail commonly makes assumptions about intimate details about relationships and sex lives. Celebrity gossip comes to conclusions with minimal evidence, even if they could be detrimental to the character of the celebrity at the center of the article. In sociological terms, much of the core points of the theories overlap. They all seem to conclude that entertainment and cultural influence are main factors of celebrity gossip; however, some view this statement on a bigger scale, while other focus on the effects to the individual reader. The benefits of tabloids are debatable, but I would argue that the short-lasting entertainment is not worth the harm to one's mental state as a consumer. Although structural functionalists would argue that harm is necessary for a greater good: a well-functioning society, I believe symbolic interactionalism identifies the preventable destruction to the individual.
Works Cited
Daily Mail 2019. “Demi Moore writes in tell-all that Ashton Kutcher 'cheated on her TWICE' after she felt 'pressured to have threesomes'”. Retrieved September 17, 2019 (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7483347/Demi-Moore-writes-tell-Ashton-Kutcher-cheated-TWICE.html).
Daily Mail 2018. “Khloe Kardashian's back in shape, baby! New mom slips into skimpy swimsuit after 33lb weight loss on Mexico trip with Tristan Thompson”. Retrieved September 17, 2019 (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6060405/Khloe-Kardashian-flaunts-peachy-derriere-one-piece-swimsuit-Mexico-vacation.html).
Daily Mail 2019. “Tori Spelling proudly flaunts her busty figure in a bikini and mesh cover up for a poolside photo shoot”. Retrieved September 17, 2019 (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7483797/Tori-Spelling-flaunts-busty-figure-bikini-mesh-cover-poolside-photo-shoot.html).
Ferris, Kerry and Stein, Jill. 2018. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Daily Mail 2018. “Khloe Kardashian's back in shape, baby! New mom slips into skimpy swimsuit after 33lb weight loss on Mexico trip with Tristan Thompson”. Retrieved September 17, 2019 (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6060405/Khloe-Kardashian-flaunts-peachy-derriere-one-piece-swimsuit-Mexico-vacation.html).
Daily Mail 2019. “Tori Spelling proudly flaunts her busty figure in a bikini and mesh cover up for a poolside photo shoot”. Retrieved September 17, 2019 (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7483797/Tori-Spelling-flaunts-busty-figure-bikini-mesh-cover-poolside-photo-shoot.html).
Ferris, Kerry and Stein, Jill. 2018. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.