The Article below was published in Vol. 136, Issue 6 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on March 12, 2021.
By Bianca Mando ’22
Staff Writer
mandobp@lfc.edu
Obsessions can consume us. As people get older and wiser, some find they regret past obsessions because of the time or money spent on them. It doesn’t help that today’s cancel culture seems to play a part in regretting past decisions of support to celebrities, films, TV shows, or athletic teams.
Growing up, I had an early obsession with a boy band named One Direction. My obsession with the boy band became very unhealthy when I began willingly spending over five hours a day watching the same videos I’ve watched countless times and spending unreasonable amounts of money on items related to the band. At one point, I spent $450 on one concert ticket, and even sat in front of my computer for seven hours straight to watch a special called “One Direction Day.” Although I regret the time and money I spent on One Direction, I don’t regret the happiness and laughter the boy band brought me as a young child.
Can this be said today? Especially considering the rise of cancel culture?
Cancel culture is a form of online shaming that takes place when someone—usually a celebrity or influencer—says or does something that goes against the values of a certain community. In response, individuals and groups online engage in “canceling” the offending celebrity or influencer. According to Merriam-Webster, canceling can involve “boycotting an actor’s movies or no longer reading or promoting a writer’s works.”
Camille Yale, Associate Professor of Communication and Chair of Communication at Lake Forest College, describes having an obsession as “an unreasonable attention paid towards something—almost distracting you to the point that it interferes with your everyday life and responsibilities.”
Celebrity obsessions have become more common that psychologists diagnose the condition as Celebrity Worship Syndrome (CWS), according to an article by Mark D. Griffith, PhD published in Psychology Today. Griffith describes CWS as “an obsessive-addictive disorder where an individual becomes overly involved and interested (i.e., completely obsessed) with the details of the personal life of a celebrity.”
Additionally, research by John Maltby and others has shown that obsessions with celebrities can lead to deteriorating mental health, especially for young adults who compare themselves to the lifestyle and beauty standards promoted by celebrities’ social media accounts.
Eva Korb ’22, a junior at Lake Forest College, shares her struggle with keeping up with celebrities, including the Kardashian/Jenner clan. “I think when I say I was obsessed with the Kardashians, it may be a little bit of an over[statement],” Korb says. “More so, I was obsessed with the idea of them.”
Korb further noted that while she was not watching the TV show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” she kept up with the family by following their social media accounts. As a result, she eventually found herself constantly bombarded with images and things involving the famous reality group that affected her lifestyle, making her view the family’s social media content as toxic to her mental health. Korb ended her obsession with the Kardashians by unfollowing their social media accounts but claims that she does regret her earlier obsession with the Kardashians.
Cancel culture is quickly thought of as a negative concept in the current aspect of today’s society. This is because many people don’t get a chance to learn from their mistakes. Instead, society just shuts them out. “I have mixed feelings of cancel culture,” Yale says. “On one hand, some people are so unredeemable in the way they behave and refuse to understand they have done something wrong in the moment of their ignorance that there is no way of learning from their mistakes. However, when you have someone who has had a social faux pas and they can learn from what they did and has an interest in making amends in the situation, it is really unfortunate. Cancel culture can sometimes move a little too quickly.”
Linda Horwitz, Associate Professor of Communication and Chair of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Lake Forest College, shared her thoughts on celebrity obsessions and the role of cancel culture, admitting to having a small obsession with the “Harry Potter” book series. However, her obsession was called into question since Horwitz identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community and as an ally to the transgender community. When the author of the popular book series, J.K. Rowling, shared controversial statements on social media about the transgender community, the statements were very upsetting for Horwitz.
However, instead of canceling Rowling, Horwitz has learned to separate the author from her work. “Rowling’s words were embarrassing and wrong, but I don’t think it’s a reason to stop reading the books,” Horwitz says. “Because whether Rowling knows it or not, her books are actually pro-trans,” noted Horwitz.
Having an obsession can take a toll on people for many reasons. For those who worry their obsession might be regrettable, it may be worth taking the time to decide whether they regret their interests with a celebrity, and not with society. Ultimately, while cancel culture can be toxic, each of us has the ability to determine whether our interests are worth regretting or embracing.
