Friday, May 11, 2007 - Contemplating on: going fanatical over celebrities :

Sometimes I shudder at the sight of mobs of crazy fans pushing and screaming at ear-piercing volume to declaretheir love for their favourite celebrity. Be it actors, singers or rock bands, countless teenagers from around the globe do not give a second thought to grab the opportunity to meet their idols.

It was featured in the Gen Y column in The Straits' Times a couple of years back about teenagers' instant obligation to part with their hard-earned savings to catch flights to Hong Kong or Taiwan to attend their idols' concert. A ticket costs at least a few hundred dollars. How can teenagers as young as sixteen, empty their piggy banks so that they can trail their idols around half a world away? Looks like stars nowadays have secured a significant place in the hearts of numerous youths.

However, this trend could impose problems on teenagers and their families. To be able to save up enough money to buy a concert ticket, a teenager may scrimp and save. He would choose to forgo his daily meals, leading to unhealthy dieting habits and may fall ill due to gastric pains. In the long run, he would ask his parents for their hard earned money from months of work, increasing the family financial burdens. Parents give allowance to children for their daily meals, to purchase textbooks and studying materials, not to splurge on unneccessary items like concert tickets. As teenagers continue to worship their idols, focus would be shifted from their academic persuits to idolising these famous stars.

Are they blinded by the stardom of the celebrities? Is it the thrill of seeing someone famous that makes them starry-eyed? I wonder why fans get into a tussle with one another for a towel that reeks of a celebrity’s perspiration. It disgusts me to learn that some even go to the extreme to bid for female celebrities’ underwear. Ugh.

Hard-core fans may argue that these may act as support and encouragement to their idols who work so hard to release an album and they should do their best as a fan to let them know that their effort are appreciated. Others may feel that owning a piece of clothing or jewellery that previously belonged to their idols give them a sense of closeness to them.

I believe that the fateful incident involving Yang Li Juan, her father and the Heavenly King Andy Lau still lingers in our minds. Yang dropped out of school at the age of 16 to become a full time Andy Lau fan after having a dream that she believes true love will exist between Andy Lau and herself. To fufil her dream of meeting her idol, her father borrowed thousands of dollars from loansharks so that they could fly to Hong Kong together to meet him. Later on, Yang only had a chance to take a photo with Andy Lau. Her father was so agonised that he drowned himself. Even after that, Yang insisted that he must talk to her for at least an hour and a half to fulfil her father’s wish which was stated in his suicide letter before his death.

I strongly believe that this is an uneccessary death and it was because of Yang, who became so enamoured with her idol that caused her father’s demise. Why the need to borrow from loansharks so that Yang could finally meet her idol? Why go to the extreme that one must die to make the celebrity feel regret for the rest of his life?

I feel that this incident is really incredulous and it is definitely not worthwhile to be fall head over heels over a celebrity that one loses his sanity.

Outrageous.

The future ain't what it used to be. hugged teddy at 11:53 PM