10 Edgware Road
London
SE12 4PR
4 June 2019
The Editor
The Stanley Times
98 Waterside View
London
SE1 7AD
Dear Editor,
I write in response to your most recent article: “10 top hotspots to go celebrity spotting”. It is the opinion of this reader that it is people who have extraordinary skill, courage and determination who deserve to be famous, rather than those who have good looks, money or behave badly. The celebrities you mentioned in that article have very little to offer our society, as I’m sure you are already aware. One of these so-called “hotspots” you mentioned was actually outside a court, so that us humble townsfolk might catch a glimpse of whatever celebrity has been arrested for a DUI this week. These people do not deserve to be famous or our adoration, so why are we glorifying them?
Your paper appears to endorse this obsession with celebrity culture; putting them on a ridiculous pedestal just because they are a bit more attractive or have a bit more money than the rest of us. Our society is saturated with these people who do not deserve their fame. You churn out article after article promoting their fad diets and pseudo beauty treatments. To be frank, I think you should be ashamed of yourself. Celebrity culture is, to my mind, the root of many ills.
Firstly, think of the people out there who are desperate to achieve the unattainable beauty standard championed by celebrities. I am sure I would look good too if I had a personal trainer, a dietician and a masseuse at my house every other day, but the fact of the matter is that this is not reality. You are taking advantage of people who believe that they have got a chance at “stardom” by replicating the lifestyle of their favourite celebrity. It is quite simply scandalous. I saw a recent survey that stated that 42% of teenagers aged 13-17 said that they would forgo a place at university in favour of going on Love Island. We have to put a stop to this and free ourselves from the tight grasp of our celebrity obsession.
Furthermore, celebrity worship culture causes the idolisation of some rather questionable individuals. For example, the growing population of Jack Tipton, who garners attention due to his content purporting to share “hacks to make millions online”, is especially problematic. His social media pages make no reference to the fact he has bowed out due to bankruptcy multiple times. Evidently, he is in no position to be imparting financial know-how to our teenagers. However, he is still willingly worshipped by his naive army of fans, when in actual fact it would be possible to debunk his advice with a flourish of bankruptcy papers.
Lastly, here is a case study for you. I recently witnessed a lady collapsing in the road. A doctor who happened to be passing by ran over, and began to assist her immediately. But guess what? Despite his bravery, determination and skill, he’s nameless and faceless in our current society. Why can you not publish articles about the triumphs of our local heroes? They are the real celebrities in my eyes; not some drug-riddled, entitled and idle pop star who’s had far too much lip filler.
I am asking you to change the content you publish, not for my benefit, but for the benefit of society itself. You have got a great opportunity to turn the tide of this ill-founded obsession. Your newspaper reaches thousands across the country, and millions more around the world. You could be a force for positive action, promoting better role models and inspiring future generations to become firefighters, NHS doctors and nurses and those who overcome adversity to achieve great things in their lives. People who demonstrate extraordinary skill, courage and determination should be those who are hero-worshipped, not those who base their careers on what they look like, their money or their behaviour.
Yours faithfully,
Kathryn Thornley
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