“Look’s like Mary-Kate is shrinking in size once again. Back down to under 90 pounds and using cocaine, this star is…” Lines like these can be found cover to cover in every tabloid flooding the shelves of supermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience stores. People flock to read the pages and discover the in and outs and ups and downs of celebrity lives. These tabloids often take an issue and blow it obscenely out of proportion or fabricate a story completely. In addition, tabloid ‘reporters’ invade privacy, stalk celebrities, and can make life in the public eye a living hell. Despite these appalling realities, people still pick up the magazine as they wait in the checkout line to figure out who’s doing what, when, where, why, and how. The real question is: WHO CARES!?

Lines like these can be found cover to cover in every tabloid flooding the shelves of supermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience stores. People flock to read the pages and discover the in and outs and ups and downs of celebrity lives. These tabloids often take an issue and blow it obscenely out of proportion or fabricate a story completely. In addition, tabloid ‘reporters’ invade privacy, stalk celebrities, and can make life in the public eye a living hell. Despite these appalling realities, people still pick up the magazine as they wait in the checkout line to figure out who’s doing what, when, where, why, and how. The real question is: WHO CARES!?The matter of why our society is so fascinated with the lives of celebrities is one that is often pondered. Are we really so unsatisfied with our own lives that we need to live vicariously through the stars? However, a story about a celebrity in the gutter, a criminal record, or a failed marriage will sell far more copies than one of humanitarian work, charity, or success. So if we want to live through celebrity experiences, why are we even more interested in seeing them fail? This seemingly twisted satisfaction in the downfalls of public icons suggests an alternate motivation for being intrigued by their lives.

Celebrities are often put on a pedestal above the rest of the world. However, seeing them make mistakes or fail at something humanizes them. It allows us to relate to people that we would otherwise deem to be ‘out of our league’. In regards to specific issues such as anorexia, seeing celebrities struggle with the same challenges we are facing may make us feel as though we are not alone in the world. Someone else is going through the same thing we are and that allows us to feel a sense of belonging. When it comes down to it, everyone is looking to belong.

Whether or not Mary-Kate Olsen has an eating disorder is not for the tabloids to decide or expose to the world. Many people just want to gossip about this issue because putting her down makes them feel bigger, better, or more important. However, there may be a few people out there who see her struggling and recognize this disease in themselves. In this way, the exposure of her problem could be very helpful to those who look up to her. Recognizing a problem is the first step to solving it. Relating to Mary-Kate could initiate someone seeking help in order to get better.

I am in no way supporting tabloids as I am confident they do far more damage than good. However, what I am saying is that some people may be helped by being able to relate to problems that celebrities are dealing with. It would undoubtedly be hard for these public icons to expose their struggles to an overly critical world, but expressing how they deal with certain issues could do some good. For this reason, I think celebrities should be encouraged to share their trials and triumphs. They should not be condemned for a mistake, but commended for trying to prevent others from making the same one. Even if they positively affect the life of just one person, I think it would be worth it.

If you want to get some insight into some celebrity’s views on mental health issues such as stress and their ways of dealing with it, please check out the Celebrity Gallery in the Personal Stories Section of this website.