Jesus is My Homie
by Jennifer Altavilla
When socialite Paris Hilton was released from jail last month, she claimed she found God. America sobbed with her as she tearfully explained on Larry King how jail made her a better person, made her more mature, made her more caring, blah, blah, blah.
And yet when you stop to think about the reasons why America found her so compelling, she is suddenly "so not hot." She only served 23 out of her 45 day sentence. She is one of millions of women to spend time behind bars. Why then is America so fascinated with this bleached blonde hotel heiress who has never done anything in her life beyond exploiting herself in "The Simple Life." (And the "Simple Life Road Trip." And the "Simple Life Interns." And probably something like "The Simple Life Goes Camping" three years down the road.)
Although she was already popular before her short stint in jail, her popularity skyrocketed when she came out. You couldn't find a television station that did not cover her release. The fact is, people tuned in because they wanted to see how she had changed. Let's admit it. We all adore the classic feel-good, rehabilitation tale. Heck, we're told that America was built by immigrants who were down on their luck and later made something of themselves. It's in our souls to feel compassion for those who seem to need help the most.
That innate penchant for sympathy is what makes us as a society, susceptible to celebrities like Paris Hilton. Let's stop and think for a moment. How could a person who lived a life of such excess find God in 23 days? It seems to me impossible for someone who clearly had no relationship with God before jail, to, in a span of just over three weeks, call Him her best friend. I don't care if she kept a diary, or if she read the Bible, or if she found solace in the kind letters she received from her adoring fans. If Moses couldn't readily accept God as his Savior I sincerely doubt that Paris Hilton can.
However, the heiress isn't the only god-fearing star. You can't watch the Academy Awards or the Grammies without every other star thanking God "for gracing me with talent" or "giving me the strength to succeed."
I do not doubt that some celebrities are, in fact, religious and really do feel a spiritual connection with God. However, in an age where the clout of religion is waning - at least, in the West -, I also am certain that many stars use religion as a way of ingratiating themselves with the public. They are smart and savvy enough to recognize the tendency in us to blindly trust and love anyone who seems to live on the straight and narrow. Even better is the former wild child turned humble servant. All those "thank you Gods" and kisses toward the sky are in many cases publicity stunts, ways to increase popularity.
As the popular culture audience, whether we like to think of ourselves as such or not, we need to be aware of these ploys and learn not to give our sympathy so readily. I’m not saying we should be mistrustful of anyone who publicly thanks God, but we should be aware of the context that the thanks are given. If ten people in a row thank God on the Academy Awards, chances are most of them don't really say their goodnight prayers, but are only trying to look as pious as the winners before them.
This God-fearing phenomenon actually can be a good thing for the American public. It can give us a chance to analyze our values and the way we think of celebrities. The position of a celebrity is really a paradox. Due to our inborn animalistic nature, we love to hear about people being bad. We love to hear about celebrities getting divorced, going to jail, and getting drunk because in a way such actions make them seem more human, more like the average Joe. On the other hand, we like to hear even more that those bad boys have been rehabilitated because such rare occurrences make it seem like society has not gone to hell. There is still hope. Such rehabilitations also make readers and viewers of tabloids feel better because they give the feeling of "what I am watching/reading isn’t so disgusting after all."
What people don't understand is that the public creates celebrity. Magazines, movies, and television glorify it. And not just the good, but also the bad. Our voyeurism and lust for the wild side of human nature and our coinciding desire to rehabilitate allows celebrities to have such a hold on popular culture. Only when we understand that will we be able to understand the falsity of all those "praise Gods" and "glory hallelujahs."
If a celebrity wants to claim piety or even spirituality, we need to demand to see action. I want to see that go to local homeless shelters and feed the hungry, or run a marathon for leukemia. I don't want to see donations to charities because anyone can do that. I want to see actual evidence of humility and dedication to humankind because ultimately, underneath all of the "Jesus is my savior" lingo, that is what spirituality and religion are all about.
