Fancy a free luxury spa break in Croatia?
Celebrity role models, style icons, actors and singers: in the modern era they dominate our way of dressing, acting and even our thinking. Or are we just biased by the media’s emphasis on their influence?
So as we unveil a contest to win a luxury spa break that will slip you into the celebrity lifestyle, we look to Answers to ask how much do celebrities rule our world and just what do people mean by “style icon?”
Well, according to Christine Irice Cake Queen:
“People get style confused with fashion; they are not the same thing. Indeed, someone can be a style icon without going anywhere near haute couture. What about all the avant-garde, eccentric, wacky dressers who eventually set trends? One thing’s for sure: we can’t set out with the intention of becoming a style icon, it’s for others to judge if we are or not”. Read more>
So yes “others” have to judge, and its here that the media have a sway, otherwise who would be there to decide who’s trendy, sexy or the opposite?
Yet style icon or not, it appears we tend to be influenced by celebrities – so which is most dominant? In fact, for Marc G, celebrities and media are part of societal changes that can’t be decoupled or viewed in isolation:
“In the 1970s, academics began analyzing the phenomenon of celebrity and stardom. Sofia Johansson notes that “more recent analyses within media and cultural studies have instead dealt with the idea of a pervasive, contemporary, ‘celebrity culture’.” In the analysis of the ‘celebrity culture,’ fame and its constituencies are conceived of as a broader social process, connected to widespread economic, political, technological and cultural developments.” Read more>
The celebrity phenomenon masquerading as ‘culture:’ now there’s scary thought! Laurence Olivier would turn in his grave. But hell, whether the media focus on them too much, it’s not up to us to judge, because they are undeniably everywhere, even on Answers.
So whether you want to feel like Laurence Olivier, Jordan or even spend time contemplating their differences, we have a special contest to help you feel like a star for a weekend.
If you like being pampered, why not indulge yourself with a luxury spa break on the shores of the eastern Adriatic Sea in Croatia?
For a chance to win, share your thoughts here.
Good luck to all!
Please let me know what hotel this is?
Its a false perception, celebrities do not rule our world, in the way children do, though both act in the same gimme gimme manner most of the time, but rather that they are ruled by us, with a little help from newspapers and other ‘rubbish’ celeb television programs, where they get to act out, or up, as the case is, but we have the all so important remote on, off and out button, which we use all to infrequently.
They say that children should be seen and not heard, whereas the celebs, Ross and Brand two prime examples of dog do on your shoe, always want to be seen and are most a herd, though a herd of what is the answer. Maybe the thing that dons the shoe with doggy do.
As for being fashion icons, give me a break, and whatever celeb status, or herd, they come from, they are just wooden and willing sheep to wear what some dodgy designer tells them to wear.
Celebs come and go, and when it comes to this in and out swing door, one can be forgiven for wishing that it was just one of the two. Out of course, what else.
Unfortunately, us humans are, by nature, influenced by what we see and hear. In some ways this can be good - conventional morals are important for a society to live in harmony and act civilised. But when it comes to people being bombarded with pictures and stories about celebrities constantly - and I mean constantly - this has a major influence on impressionable people. There will always be individualistic people who do not subscribe to celebrity culture and gossip, but for every one of them there are a hundred of people looking for ways in which to live their lives, ways to think, and ways to dress. It is akin to the phenomenon of religion - every culture has their own religion and rules to abide by because it takes the responsibility off of themselves to decide how to live their life.
One only has to ask the average teenage girl what she would like to be when she is older - even ten years ago the answer would likely have been a teacher or even a scientist. But now, it is a fashion model or an actress, or even a WAG! This is not so bad in itself, everyone is entitled to their own ambition. But the effects it has on a person are huge - issues such as weight and having money become the major focus of a young persons life and the real issues of the world become secondary or even ignored. Celebrities, if they behaved differently, have the potential to be positive role models for people. But with the current emphasis being solely on looks and materialistic values, that is what people, young people in particular, abide by. And eventually, these young people will be adults. With all the adults in the world competing for the role of porn star or film star, where will the doctors and teachers be? It’s a worrying trend.
cant enter comp please fix this cheers
celebrities, icons , the people we aspire to , are images that are cleverly presented to the gullible public to be envied, worshipped, loved. We need heroes in our lives, they are presented in wartime to make us feel proud and good about ourselves, however in these times we have to put up with saturation of A,B,C, list celebs to make all branches of the media profitable. Be it in all fields of entertainment ,sport, even politics, there are a small number of genuinely talented individuals, creme de la creme, who shine, stand out like diamonds, then you have the copycats, hanger-ons, has-beens, never wases, who somehow make a living filling media time be it on tv, B rate movies, and the biggest illusion of stardom at the moment , music. It is a matter of choice on the part of the public , to sort the wheat from the chaffe in our own particular likes and amusements.
In answer to Tash’s queston, the hotel featured is the Le Meridien Lav in Croatia, part of the Starwood Spa Collection http://www.starwoodspacollection.com
I think celebrities only influence the individual as much as that individual will allow.
For some - the land of celebrities is another world - a place where money is no issue - parties are on 24/7 and its a lifestyle that the individual can revel and dream about others - where fashionable clothes and exquisite jewellery are very easily obtainable. A place where looks never fade.
A place where of course we’d all like to experience, but the nearest we’ll get to is on the cover of magazines and shows on TV.
Others however can take the celebrity fascination to an extreme level - where the need to partake in such a lifestly can result in desperate measures - young girls sleeping with footballers in the hope they’ll end up with a rock on their engagement finger - desperate hopefuls heading to the likes of hollywood - doing whatever it takes to land a dead end role of an extra - in the anticipation it will boost them to international stardom. This fascination with an almost impossible world can become unhealthy for some people.
Style Icon - to me this is a person - it can be from Angelia Jolie down to Simon Cowell - but a person that people - or even person - looks up to and admires. We may often immitate the way these people dress - style their hair- paint their nails etc. A style icon is a person we often try and look like, although obviously for lots of us we have to make do with the high street versions of their million dollar outfits!
I believe that the whole concept is simply a vicious cycle that is a result of the instinctive human desire to be a member of a social group, even better if we are a member with a higher status.
Celebrities are high status members of society due to wealth and fame and the general public mimic them in an attempt to raise their own social status.
The media cannot be blamed for this occurring. They are simply exploiting what happens naturally by playing the middle man.
I suppose the media may enphasise information to keep the public keen, but one would hope that people would realise that there are social groups closer to home where status is not based on wealth and fame - such as family and friends.
The ironic thing is that celebrities seem very aware of this fact themselves and many express the importance of family, the only topic on which they seem to go unheard.
One might consider an icon as an artistic masterpiece, possibly bordering on religious such as the Madonna and Child as portrayed by the Italian painter Raphael Sanzio. This renaissance style has been revered and followed by a great many though somehow, it does not seem to be what in the modern world is referred to as a style icon. From scenes of virginity and motherhood to fidelity and football we have since given birth to the true celebrities of this world including the likes of Victoria Beckham. These WAGS or ‘world cup hotties’ reveal to us the finer things in life. Victoria has proudly revealed her cat walk wonders to the fashion elite and the masses have been able to watch in awe of the miracles of hair-extensions, the bob and later still the boyish crew cut. Indeed, why walk up the aisle in front of Jesus without wearing the latest ‘it’ shoes and a wedding dress as sported by Coulin McGlouglin in Hello! It would seem that the idols of the Golden Age just no longer cut the mustard with the general public of today. The modern style icon is now denominated by more light hearted celebrities of the fashionista and our style icons are moulded by the 21st century media.
No, I don’t fancy a free luxury spa break in Croatia.
Do I win a prize?
(If only for brevity. Cripes et al, but Croatian freebies don’t half attract a lot of windbags. Nameen?)
Celebrities are just people who have achieved starry lives. It’s how you take it that matters. You can enjoy their music or films or whatever but should always keep in mind their just people like yourself and shouldn’t be worshipped like a false idol.
hi all have you any compotitions to enter in the uk as we married in august 2000we still carnt afford passports but have never had a honey moon we work but ends dont meet at the end of a woking week i just want my hip replacement and ill be happy all the best to uou all good health paula tigerfeet12