Celebrity life can ultimately be very tough mentally, as people leave the security of life in a protective environment of friends and family and open themselves up to the scrutiny of the media and public. Even if the media and public provide a positive reaction to the work and lives of musicians, actors, artists, writers, poets and others in the public eye; including those on reality television shows; the topics of discussion can still feel drained by all the attention, and this can often lead to a spiral of self-destruction that results in them taking time out in rehab.
Different Types of Celebrity Might React Differently to Fame
Some celebrities are continuously in and out of rehab, and this suggests that they are naturally inclined towards a lifestyle where they are happy to have their self in rapid change, and risk losing it altogether at times, before taking time out to build themselves back up. Guns N' Roses and Mötley Crüe lived this kind of lifestyle early in their careers.
Others are thrust into the limelight and find it hard to deal with all the attention, and lose track of themselves: the person they always believed themselves to be. Under those circumstances it must feel as if the self they always imagined themselves to be is stripped away, and replaced without their consent.
Reality television contestants in shows like Big Brother and X Factor who suddenly become overnight sensations, such as Susan Boyle, are good examples of this. Boyle had previously lived a quiet life, and sought to retreat to it when the media attention became too much, leading to a time in rehab suffering from exhaustion. Did Boyle need time to rediscover herself, and build her self image back to parity with the media's SuBo media identity that had become all-engrossing?
How Celebrity and Fame Might Destroy the Self
People often live and socialise with people who share the same interests and social beliefs. They will of course come into contact with people who hold different views, but they will not usually have visions of their self challenged.
Of course, all that can change when people find themselves under the media spotlight, and especially on reality television, with people from all walks of life competing against you and challenging your self worth and beliefs.
Celebrities must adapt, and might not be able to spend much time as who they thought they were before becoming famous. As their sense of self is altered to some extent by the media version, which might be more negative than the celebrity imagined, this must be disconcerting, and might ultimately lead to a questioning of who they really are.
How Much of the Self Can Be Controlled?
While people can control how they view their own self they cannot control how they are interpreted and perceived.
For this they have to rely on their actions and communication, and there is no guarantee that others will decode the messages properly or approve of them.
The self of a person is shared numerously every time they go out in public, but usually it is not challenged or used by multiple others. It is a different story for those under the media spotlight, and sometimes celebrities must ultimately feel like they have very little of their own self left.
Marc Latham - Doctor of Philosophy and experienced freelance writer searching for truth and meaning, and reporting it in clear and concise copy.
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