Celebrity Gossip: Damage to Reputation or Entertaining Tidbits? - Essay Sample

Celebrity gossip is often surrounded images of flimsy tabloid magazines, commonly found at the meeting points, grocery store and to a larger extent on the pop-up internet. They are accompanied by sensational headlines and personal photos of the celebrity, with words such as Wow! Or Shocking, prominently displayed at the front. It is hard for them to go unnoticed. Since most celebrity gossip is unconfirmed, it may be termed a rumor that may mislead the public and have a damaging effect on the followers and the celebrity. At the same time, celebrity gossip may have a positive impact, especially when the rumors are positive.

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Symbiotic interactionism refers to a theoretical approach to understanding the association between individuals and society (Aksan et al., 2009). The foundation of symbiotic interactionism is that individual action and relationships are only understood through the exchange of meaningful dialects and symbols (Aksan et al., 2009).

The general society takes celebrity gossip as a type of informal communication that is essential for sharing unconfirmed reports of a particular person, mostly influential. Celebrity gossip is essential for social cooperation, and it is the type of communication that develops the social bond among different factions of society.

Celebrity gossip has both negative and positive meaning on individual members of the society, mainly depending on how they perceive the person and what is shared. For example, in the article by The Hollywood Gossip, Tristan is alleged to be surrounded by infidelity leading to him ruining his basketball career. Whether true or not, his girlfriend may not take such news lightly and may lead to depression or a disconnect (Hater, 2019). Additionally, those who consider him a role model might start having a negative perception about him or even develop anger towards anyone spreading the rumors. Alternatively, positive news about celebrities may mean transformation to their followers. For example, a journey of love shared by E! Online (2020) may inspire stronger bond in relationships.

Sharing or the urge to share information about others is part of being human beings. Sharing information about others is generally accepted by scientists as a relic of the human evolutionary past ‌ (DiGiulio, 2019). However, the way individuals or groups of individuals perceive each gossip differs for various reasons. The main factors for the varied reception are individual exposure, knowledge about the subject, and perception towards the person whose information is shared (DiGiulio, 2019).

Gossips are generally regarded as ubiquitous aspect. It serves as an essential tool in social function without direct interaction or observation. Despite its crucial social function, it is generally taken to have a negative reputation. The two approaches are the basis of how the meaning is constructed, with the first element helping create a positive interaction between individuals, especially while sharing the informal information about an individual. Alternatively, when overdone, it may lose meaning or be exaggerated so that the original meaning is skewed to keep the story exciting longer.

Celebrity gossip enhances people's social interaction, while those without such information being regarded unexposed, or in extreme cases, dumb. The modern culture is popular culture, with celebrities being an essential part of the by-product. However, the impact it has on an individual is largely dependent on their perception towards the celebrity, where positive gossips lead to both positivity and negativity. For example, a rumor about a popular football player's broken leg will make the opponent supporters happier.

Symbiotic interactionism is based on numerous aspects, including behaviorism, role theory, and phenomenology (Aksan et al., 2009). Behaviorism means that actions are largely based on conditioning through the interaction with the surrounding. In the article, "Tristan Thompson Has Been Kursed by the Kardashians: Report” by Hater (2019), Tristan reduced performance is said to be influenced by his relationship status, despite him having had a recent injury. In the role theory aspect, his infidelity is closely associated with moving from one woman to the next. In the phenomenology aspects, all these aspects are explained in such a way that they seem actual. It is depicted as if the author has been in the situation or has experienced the phenomena first-hand.

Reference

Aksan, N., Kisac, B., Aydin, M., & Demirbuken, S. (2009). Symbolic interaction theory. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 902–904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2009.01.160

DiGiulio, S. (2019, September 23). Are you a “good gossiper”? Here’s how to tell. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/psychologists-say-gossiping-social-skill-here-s-how-know-if-ncna1056941

Hater, H. (2019, April 9). Tristan Thompson Has Been Kursed by the Kardashians: Report. The Hollywood Gossip. https://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2019/04/tristan-thompson-has-been-kursed-by-the-kardashians-report/

E! Online (2020, July 17). Photos from Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi: Romance Rewind. E! Online. https://www.eonline.com/photos/31203/princess-beatrice-and-edoardo-mapelli-mozzi-romance-rewind‌