The Science Behind Our Celebrity Obsession
- 11 years ago
Social anthropologist Jamie Tehrani says that our maladaptive brains cause popular culture’s focus on celebrities. It’s another way that humans are different from other animals that only have a system of dominance, where the strongest is the leader.
Social anthropologist Jamie Tehrani says that our maladaptive brains cause popular culture’s focus on celebrities.
Honoring famous people, who have achievements in acting, science, sports, and music amongst others, is a part of international popular culture.
It’s another way that humans are different from other animals that only have a system of dominance, where the strongest is the leader.
Mimicking those that are popular is also a part of celebrity culture.
That’s why companies want their products to be sponsored by a recognizable individual, so that the product is associated with the persona of the popular celebrity.
Some anthropologists think that copying certain traits of famous people like how they dress or talk that have little to do with their fame, might actually be harmful.
But how did the human race begin to uphold people with varied skills rather than just the strongest most dominant individual, like other animal species?
There are a few theories about how the phenomenon of prestige started, which is uniquely human.
One possibility is that prestige evolved as means of honoring those with skills other than physical force, and copying those skills and traits allowed the group as a whole to benefit and thrive.
Social anthropologist Jamie Tehrani says that our maladaptive brains cause popular culture’s focus on celebrities.
Honoring famous people, who have achievements in acting, science, sports, and music amongst others, is a part of international popular culture.
It’s another way that humans are different from other animals that only have a system of dominance, where the strongest is the leader.
Mimicking those that are popular is also a part of celebrity culture.
That’s why companies want their products to be sponsored by a recognizable individual, so that the product is associated with the persona of the popular celebrity.
Some anthropologists think that copying certain traits of famous people like how they dress or talk that have little to do with their fame, might actually be harmful.
But how did the human race begin to uphold people with varied skills rather than just the strongest most dominant individual, like other animal species?
There are a few theories about how the phenomenon of prestige started, which is uniquely human.
One possibility is that prestige evolved as means of honoring those with skills other than physical force, and copying those skills and traits allowed the group as a whole to benefit and thrive.