We are currently in the midst of a severe celebrity slump.
Real, honest-to-goodness headline-grabbing celebs are no where to be found. Instead, weve been bombarded with the imitation crab variety, pretty girls and airbrushed guys with little to offer above and beyond their MTV reality shows. I cant get away from them the Lauren Conrads, Heidi Montags, Spencer Pratts and Audrina Partridges of the world. I dont watch the show, yet I know every freaking thing thats going on in their lives. Im bombarded with information about them, not because they have any redeeming qualities, or talents, or have done something noteworthy, but because theyre whores for the camera. They see a lens and instead of hiding their faces, or smiling uncomfortably and scurrying for the closest exit ala authentic celebs, they make a beeline straight for the photo op. This full-on media assault on my consciousness has caused me to avoid my usual celeb gossip haunts because I know Im gonna find out some useless bit of information about how Audrinas tits might be fake, or how Lauren and Heidi might finally bury the hatchet, or whether or not Spencer is going to propose again and what size diamond will he choose (it has to be big, you know how Heidi gets), and where oh where are they tying the knot, and will it be recorded and broadcast on The Hills, and will Heidi get her dress made personally by Vera Wang?
Excuse me, Ive thrown up in my mouth a little and it tastes of my disgust in humanity.
Pictured: Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, ruining the time-honored tradition of celebritydom one photo op at a time.
So, now youre wondering what happened to the real celebrities. You know the ones with real acting jobs and talent and interesting, jet-setting lives that we just have to know more about? The big guns?
Julia Roberts is hiding out with her twins and fame-free hubbie in her New Mexico ranch, frittering away her huge teethed-beauty on Broadway all the rage among the big names nowadays or in cartoons like The Ant Bully and Charlottes Web, another out-of-the-spotlight celebrity pastime.
Gwyneth Paltrows taken the next step and left the Hollywood radar entirely to make the occasional movie and more babies with her musician husband, Chris Martin, in London.
Tom Cruise has jumped the shark. At this point, none of us care about what his Scientology-spouting ass has to say about anything, nor do we care about what hes doing because hes become a creepy motherfucker. And with Katie Holmes and little Suri on board, it's like a family of doppelgangers.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt forget about it. Angelinas talking about quitting acting all together to prepare for grandmahood while Brad Pitt had joined her on the charitable causes-baby adoption bandwagon.
Lindsey Lohan cant hold down a job and seems to have settled comfortably into a life as a lesbian with her butch girlfriend who does, at least, have a cute smile.
And Amy Winehouse has become a living, breathing This is your brain on drugs commercial, her skin flaking off, her teeth rotting out, her bones jutting sharply. She looks like a creature from Night of the Living Dead and at this point, its just not right to make fun of her or even follow her whereabouts anymore because shes just so goddamn pathetic.
There's so many others -- Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Meg Ryan, Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck ... the list goes on and on.
Who's your favorite disappearing celeb?
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Bring on Madonna! Although she had a recent bout in the media about her divorce (and lack of prenup, gasp!), we really haven't had enough juicy stuff about her. Maybe she and her trainer should get it on...
Aside from her breaking up her own marriage and that of Yankees player Alex Rodriguez (aka A-Rod) all in one fell swoop?
I like NeNe from Atlanta Housewives - She keeps it real
I could not agree with you more, Leilani. TMZ is turning everyone into celebrities. We should start a tabloid TV show that films the TMZ paparazzi as they film celebrities. The long-haired blonde guy is like the Brad Pitt of photogs. And his boss? Harvey Levin? The guy who's always drinking from a giant cup? He's like a god.
Where is Britney Spears? She needs to start hanging out with Paris again and get back on the hot mess wagon "Now that's hot!!" (MESS that is) Oh yeah, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt need to get attacked by a gang of squirrels.....in yo face....uglies!
I don't seem to give a damn about celebrities anymore so I don't think I have a favorite.
Im sure well also be hearing quite a bit about the pseudo-celebrities who emerged during the 2008 election: The "First Dude," Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin, Levi Johnston, and of course, the most manufactured political celebrity ever Samuel Joe the Plumber Wurzelbacher.
Madonna def needs a bath -- a spiritual one. And let's hope to god that Joe the Plumber is gone for good.
Ouch. Those words are filled with meanness and spite. I have never heard of Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag. Now that I have read your article, I don't know why I would want to. But each wanna be superstar is going to grab every photo op possible. Exposure is the name of the game and some are willing to expose every putrid detail. The public must be hungry for the putrid, because they are buying. So much for sophisticated society.
I for one rejoice every time a celeb knocks out some asshole paparazzi who is harassing them with a cameras and the usual TMZ tactic of calling them names and harassing them with insults in order to bring out the worst of them to have something to write about about...
Mushroom, I wouldn't say my words are filled with spite -- I would call them honest and frustrated and they come from a place that's sick and tired of these people invading my brain. Following celebs is a longtime hobby, and I feel like these people are kinda ruining it for me. And yes, Ben, I like the 'razzi attacks, too. I think celebs have to deal with the 'razzi -- it comes with the job -- but as a 'razzi, angry celebs attacking you is also part of the job.