Celebrity Obsession?



Americans, and indeed many people around the world, are hooked on celebrity news and gossip. Our media centered world feeds this obsession. By all accounts, this Hollywood star worship continues to grow.

We can discern three reasons for this phenomenon:

1) Identity– Here an individual identifies with a particular celebrity. This is the image and personality he or she would like to be in the imagination. Even the meek and downtrodden can dream of being Bruce Willis or Sylvester Stallone defeating the bad guys in high style. How many coming of age baby boomers wished they were Elvis, a Beatle–or Ann Margaret?

2) Diversion– Psychologists know that a depressed individual will become less so when he or she can focus on some outer experience, any neutral or pleasant experience that breaks the obsession with self. Although most celebrity seekers are not depressed, this plays into the celebrity centered life. It’s pleasurable for the individual to see images of very attractive and well known stars and it’s a break from day-to-day routine activities.

3) Esteem Build-Up– We’ve all done it even if we know it’s not our best moment. We feel momentarily good about a celebrity’s messy and very public life, especially for a multi million dollar earner with many adoring fans. These public humiliations make us feel that perhaps our lives are more successful than we take credit for. We may not make millions of dollars or appear on the big screen, but at least most of us have not engaged in drunken brawls, entered luxury re-hab for the fourth time or driven a car with a baby on our lap!

Backgound

Hollywood’s influence has been felt in American culture for decades. Movie fan magazines began in 1911 and prospered through the decades with names like Photoplay and Modern Screen leading the pack. By the late 1940ss and 1950s, America’s growing wealth spurred adolescents and young adults to buy and read these magazines in even large numbers. Magazines of this era included Photoplay, Modern Screen, Silver Screen, Movie Fan, Movie Story, Screen Album, Screen Stars, and Screen Stories. Features were typically lightweight and often centered around shopping dilemmas for hounded stars or stories from the set of a new movie. The slick color photos were really the centerpieces of these magazines.

By the 1960s, specialty magazines such as Screen Legends and Film and TV Careers featured celebrity profiles and interviews. It was in this period that many magazines began featuring more salacious material to boost circulation. That led to this era’s tabloids which include the National Enquirer, the National Examiner, Star and US. Although some stories are largely fabricated, readers want to believe it and it’s the writer’s job to make each story sound credible. Although most celebrities decry the tabloids, their own publicists often suggest story lines to magazine editors. One fact is certain, sensational news is big business and the demand for this type of entertainment continues unabated.

Television and celebrity news are an ideal match. Sound, moving images and an enthusiastic host makes for addicting viewing. Entertainment Tonight began broadcasting in 1981 and set the benchmark for slick and fast paced half hour episodes focusing on Hollywood news with a focus on controversial star behavior. Cable TV outlets such as CNN, A&E, and even your local newscast often include celebrity centered programming. E! network owes its very existence to celebrities and their foibles. And Hollywood celebrities still make of the majority of late night shows’ guest lists.

Many younger fans get their news primarily from the internet. A recent Google search brings up over 18 million hits for “celebrity news.” RSS news feeds are available to bring the latest news of your favorite stars right to your desktop. Recent upstart TMZ has become an internet powerhouse. TMZ has the corporate backing of AOL and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros. The web site has garnered attention from other entertainment outlets by publishing Mel Gibson’s DUI police report, showing an image of Tom Cruise and Katie Holme’s daughter’s birth certificate and presenting a cell phone video of Michael Richard’s racial outburst at a comedy club.

The internet is a solid match for those looking for images of their favorite stars. A single site can hold many thousands of images, all cataloged by name. Web searchers can copy and paste these images for their own personal use. Popular destinations include personal blogs, My Space profiles or other social networks, and as computer desktop screen savers and wallpaper.

Is this modern day obsession with celebrity harmful? As with anything, if it interferes with conducting your daily life, it just may be. But as a leisure time activity, it’s no more than a harmless and enjoyable diversion.

Stage Hypnosis Ethics



Attending a well-choreographed stage hypnosis show is one of life’s simple pleasures – or should be. To have a few good belly-laughs at the antics of hypnotized volunteers who are under the guidance of a professional hypnotist is undoubtedly good fun. Even the volunteer who becomes convinced he or she is a movie star or opera singer etc, enjoys their moment in the sun, despite being told later by their friends what they actually got up to!

Let’s face it, only the more extroverted among us tend to volunteer to be hypnotized anyway!
However, any self-respecting hypnotist should always hold the welfare of a subject as paramount, regardless of whether his subject is an extrovert, introvert or whatever. To think and act otherwise is not only unethical but downright dangerous and brings the whole science of hypnosis into disrepute.

Supposedly in their efforts to make a name for themselves, some stage hypnotists in recent times, have resorted to somewhat questionable approaches to their craft. Sure, their audiences will still be amused by what they see, but the experience for the hypnotized subjects must be traumatic and anything but enjoyable. As an example, having your subject believe that he is about to be hung, could prove disastrous. It has been documented in the past that one hypnotist ended up with a corpse on his hands after convincing his subject he was about to be guillotined. Such is the power of suggestion.

Similarly, suggesting to a hypnotized person that he is about to give birth to a watermelon can lead to great hilarity for the audience. But, what if the hypnotist then smashes the ‘delivered’ watermelon ‘baby’ on the floor? The subject would literally be horrified, and could understandably react in an unpredictable fashion. If the hypnotist reassures his subject that this did not really happen, before bringing him out of his trance state, then his ‘watermelon baby’ scenario is slightly more acceptable. However, if the subject is just abruptly brought out of his trance without any suggestion being given that the experience was not real or that he will have no memory of the experience, then the hypnotist must be held directly responsible for any ensuing problems.
A hypnotized subject led to believe he is a sheep-dog and consequently asked to round up sheep on his knees, sounds very amusing too. But, when his knees become raw and bloodied after careering around for some time chasing imaginary sheep, is this still amusing? I think not.
Hypnosis has had a somewhat chequered history, with both charlatans and inspired scientists playing their part. From the early extravagances of Mesmer and the unscrupulousness of Svengali to the brilliance of Braid, Esdaille, Elman et al, the credibility of hypnosis has had its highs and lows. Unethical stage hypnosis represents one of its lows.

Sony Bravia KDL-32W5500 TV Review



The latest home entertainment experience starts for many with the Sony KDL-32W5500 television as it is one of the best selling Sony TVs in the UK. With a 32 inch screen, you get such clarity, depth and unparalleled richness that it feels like you’ve just plopped down in the luxury box at your local cinema.

It’s that uptown theatre feel that makes the Sony KDL-32W5500 so special. Fluid, life-like pictures without blurring. Each picture, each change of scene is smooth and sharp all at the same time. Whatever your pleasure, Sony’s networking and home entertainment technologies will provide hours of enjoyment. Connect your DLNA-enabled personal computer and click on your favourite movies. They’ll instantly appear on the screen with the touch of a button.

The very cool design is what makes the Sony KDL-32W5500 a pleasure to look at in every possible way. It has the same glossy, fantastic finish as a concert grand and is appointed with a fashionable half mirror ornament. It adds a touch of class to any room.

Enjoy high definition detail with precise 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Sony’s Motionflow 100 hz combined with Image Blur Reduction technology means that anything you watch with high action and rapid movement will be crisp and detailed.

There are three new technological advances which Sony has incorporated into this new television. Advanced Contrast Enhancer which gives you rich blacks for the darkest parts of your videos or games. Live Colour provides the ultimate in color purity and adjustable levels from low to high. You can choose “off” if you want to. The Bravia Engine is the heart of Sony’s color electronics, with advancements beyond all imagination.

Since watching a fantastic television involves your ears as well as your eyes, Sony has developed new audio technologies, too. With just two front speakers, you’ll experience digital surround sound with Sony’s S-Force technology, the most advanced audio feature ever. You can also change the volume of the voices in your movie or program without changing the background volume. Now, that’s remarkable!

The list of features goes on and on. You can hook up to the Internet while viewing other programs with the Sony KDL-32W5500. Plugging in your Playstation, Wii, Xbox or Blu-ray player is so simple that you don’t need to call your kids to give you a hand. Any USB devices you have are easy as pie to connect.

With just one remote, you can manage the whole home theater set-up. If there’s nothing on that you’d like to watch, the television will still provide life to the room when you turn it into a digital picture frame. Create a slide show of your most special photos for everyone to enjoy.

Since so many electronics manufacturers are working hard towards protecting the environment, Sony was diligent in making this television energy efficient. Choose from several Eco Settings available on your TV. Or, use the light sensor feature to automatically change the brightness levels to be compatible with the ambient lighting in the room.

With all of the wonderful features and advances in Sony products, it should be noted that all features and products vary from country to country. A quick call to your electronics store or some research on the Internet will be very helpful to you in your search for the right Sony for your home.

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