Heroes and Celebrities Definition Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Heroes and celebrities contribute to the development of the society. Additionally, they are active in helping people discover their roles. LaBarge indicates that “If we most of us, as Thoreau said, live lives of quiet desperation, it is because our horizons of possibility are too cramped” (LaBarge, 2010).

This is an indicator that heroes are instrumental in shaping and rebuilding destroyed livelihoods. It is imperative for the society to adopt the ideas suggested by heroes in a cautious manner. This means that societal members have to neglect non-beneficial and inappropriate concepts.

Authors and scholars define the word celebrity basing on their surroundings and ideas. Jaffe (2005) indicates that a celebrity “is not merely a commodity or status, but an intricate system through which meaning is made and social relations constituted”. Additional scholars indicate that a celebrity is a person with an outstanding personality profile as seen in career and social processes.

Concurrently, a hero means “an individual who posses distinguished bravery in danger, or determination in suffering” (Jaffe, 2005). It is notable that heroes are famous as seen in their exemplary actions that affect the society positively. Eventually, they leave outstanding legacies that make people remember them.

Even though, celebrities and heroes are not defined in a similar manner, several aspects characterize both parties. For example, celebrities and heroes are famous. Furthermore, they attract masses regardless of the strategies, which they utilize to influence the society. Indeed, both categories have the power to influence the society through their supremacy as evident when they attract people within a setting. Eventually, the community may choose to imitate them.

The status associated with celebrities and heroes is different. Allison & Geothals (2010) indicate that, while a celebrity focuses on drawing attention to activities that characterize his nature and individuality, a hero is goal driven since he focuses on alleviating the conditions within the society. These actions are initiated with the intention of remaining relevant within the communal setting. The table below illustrates the distinctions between the two entities.

HeroCelebrity
The actions of a hero go unnoticedThe actions of a celebrity are often recognized
A hero focuses on aptitude to influence others positively.A celebrity uses talents to seek attention.
A hero participates in activities that othersA celebrity participates in activities to impress others

There are diverse categories of heroes in the contemporary society. An example is Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish businessperson who rescued numerous Jews. This happened in Hungary, which was occupied by the Nazi from the Holocaust. This was apparent during the final stages of the combat. In addition, Juana Galan was a heroin since she liberated her communes in the peninsular combat. Interestingly, heroes influence the lives of the community around them making people dependent on them.

It is risky to follow the actions of heroes since they are based on personal judgment. Significant proportions of heroes influence the society negatively. Evidently, this is divergent from people’s expectations. A celebrity faces numerous challenges since he is dependent on the support of the masses to maintain his stature. Scholars indicate that several celebrities influence the community in a negative way since they employ unorthodox techniques to attract people. This necessitates caution and adherence to statutes.

Heroes influence the society in a significant manner. Several scholars indicate that their work is not restricted to the instantaneous significance of their actions. In a planet, where materialism and cynicism persists, heroes use their expertise to address gaps by coming up with useful ideas. They often influence people to lead a fulfilling life and address the needs of needy persons (Goldman, 2011). This makes people think about their misgivings.

Eventually, they develop meaningful thoughts that are beneficial to other people. Additionally, heroes appeal to individuals making them adopt diverse ideologies that will improve their standing within the society. As a result, heroism takes the form of an external force, which changes someone infinitely. “Just as, heroes have always existed, there is a need for more heroes” (Goldman, 2011).

Heroes and celebrity multiply as different styles and fashions emerge. With the diversity of religion and perception of life, many celebrities decided to form a ritual group that followed specific guidelines. This is the “cult of celebrity” (Goldman, 2011). It became a well-known social phenomenon in the final years of the 20th century.

It embraced the celebrities’ livelihood such as idolatry. Furthermore, the entertainment industry including the reality television and the talent show are the definitive facets of the cult. Because of the cult, religion lost its influence on morality since many people focused on entertainment (Congress, 2003).

Heroes are important since they shape cultural processes. It is worth mentioning that celebrities influence people positively. However, this is limited to the communal aspects, which are appealing. In order for a community to gain from heroes and celebrities, the members ought to learn through restraint rather than fame. This calls for appropriate judgment and decisions that will improve the livelihoods of persons in the society.

References

Allison, S., & Geothals, G. (2010). Heroes: what they do and why we need them. Virginia: oxford university press.

Congress. (2003). Congressional Record, Volumes 109-122; Volumes 1963-1966. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

Goldman, J. (2011). Modernism Is the Literature of Celebrity. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Jaffe, A. (2005). Modernism and the culture of celebrity, volume 13. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

LaBarge, S. (2010). . Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2018, October 11). Heroes and Celebrities. https://ivypanda.com/essays/heroes-and-celebrities/

Work Cited

"Heroes and Celebrities." IvyPanda, 11 Oct. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/heroes-and-celebrities/.

References

IvyPanda. (2018) 'Heroes and Celebrities'. 11 October.

References

IvyPanda. 2018. "Heroes and Celebrities." October 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/heroes-and-celebrities/.

1. IvyPanda. "Heroes and Celebrities." October 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/heroes-and-celebrities/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Heroes and Celebrities." October 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/heroes-and-celebrities/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1