Why is celebrity gossip so addictive?

[Lanani]

I buy the magazines (Star, In Touch, Life & Style, etc) to read when I work out at the gym... but they're somewhat addictive... now I can't stop reading them! It's like a real-life soap opera.Why are we so fascinated with the lives of the rich and famous?Clearly I'm not the only one who finds these magazines interesting--they sell like hotcakes. This is what I'm referring to when I say "we".And I don't try to emulate them, I just find celebrities perversely fascinating, like car accidents or roadkill. You can't not look.

[KandyGirl]

For the most part, normal people have boring lives. Same idea that makes soap operas addictive to some people

[spazchow_2004]

everybody wants to know something about eveubody

[freespirit]

I think it's partly because we want to see that people who we think have it all, have problems too. I think it in some way makes us feel better about ourselves if someone who is a superstar, or just really beautiful can be cheated on, or is going through a divorce too, it makes them seem more human and it makes us feel better about our shortcomings.

[Coty]

It's all about marketing. The cds have voice overs that you can't actually hear but your brain hears them. It says things like "YOU LOVE THIS CELEBRITY". Magazines use certain colors and tv commercials featuring them have those voice overs.

[hikingpreacherman]

I could care less what the celebrities are doing. I have enough worries of my own, without worrying about the lives of others. The only difference between a celebrity and the rest of us is that the pot in which they do their natural functions is made of gold.

[JAT]

I am with hikingpreacherman. Celebrity articles & pictures are just a test of how fast I can turn a page. On these type of questions, unless you have a mouse in your pocket, I think you should answer in the first person singular.

[nellytoes]

Any person who has enough money to put a ten thousand dollar collar on their cat or dog is far over paid , then to tell the public about it and show all the clothes ( $2,000 ) for a pair of jeans when we have children starving in this country. No I do not support these so called stars at all. I think the parimedic who saves lives all day or nurses who take care of the elderly , I can think of a lot of under paid professionals that deserve more. When you hear about the lavish life of celebs do you feel good about that?

[instant_karma]

It can be, every now and then I'll indulge in it too but try not to get too involved! I don't buy the mags but I will read the ones that are passed around at work. Eh, for me, it's entertainment, they are glamorous, they have money! It's kinda like make-believe! And as the first answer said...normal people have somewhat boring lives sometimes!

[CheerMom]

It's not. The only thing semi-interesting about celebrities is how messed up they are & how glad I am that I'm not in the public eye. They're regular people, most with more issues than your average "dancer".