Famous figures Josh Duggar and Bruce (now Caitlyn) Jenner have captured the nation’s headlines. Duggar’s molestation of his sisters and a babysitter during his childhood is discovered. Jenner’s transition from one gender identity to another is revealed. Both news stories unfolded right before our eyes. Both capture our fascination. Both bait our mouse clicks, every time. Why?
While Duggar and Jenner are two different people involved in two very different and morally nonequivalent situations, they can still be illustrative of the dangers of the pursuit of celebrity.
The pursuit of celebrity is an idol that urges us on promising fulfillment, affirmation, and a claim in society. It doesn’t always deliver.
For Duggar, the promise was an elevated spotlight in a conservative pro-family movement. A position most 20-somethings from Arkansas would need to work ’round the clock, on a shoe-string budget before finally attaining.
For Jenner, the promise is a banner of valor, lucrative endorsements, and a new reality TV show separate from the Kardashian clan.
As we see in the case of reality television, celebrity can ultimately be turned on us and can tear us down pretty far. Indeed, there are consequences of the pursuit of celebrity.
First, celebrity seeking has the potential to hurt people that never wanted to be involved in the first place.
Few commentators have stopped to consider how the Duggar daughters or Jenner kids feel about the worldwide unraveling surrounding their families’ personal confusion, frustration, abuse, trauma and healing.
During an interview with Fox News’ Kelly File on Wednesday, host Megyn Kelly asked the Duggar parents how their daughters were affected by the public release of information surrounding their molestation by brother Josh. “They were crushed…Every victim should have the right to tell their own story, not a tabloid,” replied Jim Bob Duggar.
Jenner feels certain in his new identity as a trans-woman. However, he has yet to discuss the emotional toil his identity decision has taken on his sons and daughters. Yes, there will be plenty of Tweeters who rush to defend Jenner’s identity crisis. But if we were really honest, and Jenner was our dad, how many of us would struggle to understand our father’s gender transition? Would we wrestle with anxiety, rejection, or pain? Probably.
Another problem with celebrity seeking is it encourages us to exchange our well-intentioned motivations with self-serving ambitions.
It doesn’t matter if we are talking about the Duggars, the Jenners or the Smiths down the street. As Christians we have to stop and consider how living out our private lives on millions of TV and computer screens might cause us to elevate our goals, our pride, and our selves before the Almighty.
A.W. Tozer’s writings compiled in The Dangers of a Shallow Faith, offer comment on the “cult of celebrity” offering:
Now we look to celebrity to dazzle us. For some reason, we assume that carnal entertainment is the appropriate replacement for the sanctified adoration of the Most High. All of this worldly talent celebrity status is foreign to the New Jerusalem. No cheap thrill can ever replace the ecstatic thrill of knowing Jesus Christ.
What this generation of Christians needs is not religious entertainment to satisfy carnal appetites; rather, it needs some biblically based literature that challenges and stirs the soul to deeper appreciation of God and Christ and the whole plan of salvation. It is true that what we feed is what grows. If we feed the carnal nature and its appetite, that will be the overpowering aspect of our life. If we feed the spiritual, our appetite for the things of God will grow.
I’ve heard it said that reality TV is the Roman Colosseum of our day. This comparison seems reasonable. Still, some people assume their celebrity status is cheered on by their audience. Remember, that is not always the case.
In the world’s eyes, the higher the celebrity status, the more entertaining the fall.
This article originally appeared in the Christian Post.
Comment by Namyriah on June 6, 2015 at 6:00 pm
Wikipedia already has the Bruce Jenner entry listed as “Caitlyn Jenner,” and consistently uses female pronouns for him. There are numerous reasons not to take Wiki seriously, and this just adds to the list.
Comment by MarcoPolo on June 9, 2015 at 12:41 pm
Very cogent article, Chelsen!
After pondering your words, I’ve deduced the moral equivalent to ‘Celebrity’ to be Pride, and it’s equally adorable cousin, Narcissism.
I too, agree with your assessment of such silliness. Wondering why so many people are even interested in such drivel.
Your recommendation for diverting one’s interests towards more edifying subject matter is spot on!
Comment by Dan Horsley on June 9, 2015 at 4:27 pm
Author, there is NO such person as “Caitlyn Jenner,” don’t let the loonies seize control of the language.
Comment by MarcoPolo on June 10, 2015 at 3:12 pm
I wouldn’t be so sure of that.
Public records are already in place to reflect the name change, and if that’s not enough for someone going through such a dynamic change, I don’t know what is.
Granted, you, and others may call Caitlyn whatever you want. But it’s probably not going to matter to her.
Comment by Reason0verhate on June 10, 2015 at 9:41 pm
That’s really stupid, someone too dumb to tell a man from a woman.
Comment by MarcoPolo on June 11, 2015 at 8:01 am
It’s not stupidity that is revealed when one is confronted with a transgendered person, it is perspective!
If you need to inspect ‘beneath the hood’ to find genitals before determining whether you are facing a man or woman, then you may never know who (or what) you are dealing with.
You’d have to admit, Caitlyn looks pretty damn good for what she’s been through. Even more attractive than his/her Kardashian wife!
Comment by Namyriah on June 11, 2015 at 10:57 am
Leftists are not stupid, they are deranged, which is worse.
Comment by Kyle on June 10, 2015 at 9:25 pm
I’m amazed that liberals’ heads don’t explode.
They say “born gay,” absolutely, but not “born male.” Your sex is negotiable, but your sexual orientation is set in stone – so they say.
This is mental illness, and an entire culture can have the same psychoses.
A man dressed up as a woman is not a woman, he’s a mentally disturbed male, no matter how many surgeries and hormone injections he gets. It takes a psychotic culture to aid and abet the psychoses of mentally disturbed individuals. We don’t tell people with physical illnesses that they are fine just as they are, we try to help them. It’s a crime and a sin to encourage the mentally ill to stay as they are.