Why Do We Like to Watch Rich People on TV and in the Movies? Essay

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Why Do We Like to Watch Rich People on TV and in the Movies?

The movie Titanic is one of the most popular movies in the world. It is well known because it not only depicts the historical event but also because it shows the lifestyle of the wealthy people. Lately, TV shows and movies tend to embrace affluent lifestyles. Our TVs are dominated by images of classy women with perfect hair, expensive designer clothes, shoes, and jewelry. On the other hand, men are often in sleek designer suits, driving luxury vehicles and investing billions of dollars into real estate and yachts. The current society seems to enjoy watching these types of shows for reasons that are not yet fully understood. Although watching the rich on TV is peculiar, it’s a lifestyle for many.

Lewallen states that the sudden interest in watching shows and films of rich people is something that puzzles the older generations (169). Zsila et al. state that these shows are an escape from what is considered an everyday life (655). The authors also state that watching these shows and movies offers comic relief to the audience. When watching such shows, people often become engrossed and fascinated about the problems of wealthy people. By so doing, they consider their problems to be less significant compared to what they have just seen.

One of the reasons we watch shows like "Keeping up with the Kardashians" is that we want to live their lifestyles. The Kardashians live a luxurious lifestyle that most people only dream of. Living like the Kardashians is fascinating-flying around in private jets and walking red carpets in designer clothes. Whereas some people know exactly what they want, others are not aware of what they want for themselves.

Second, we often watch these shows because they are fun. The rich celebrities and their children are often considered spoiled brats who make decisions regardless of the consequences. It is fun knowing that as much as we like them, we can never be as crazy as they are living a normal life. Therefore, people watch these shows for reassurance. In normal society, crazy is something that is looked down upon to the extent of pointing to mental illness. Therefore, seeing people broadcast their problems all over the internet and TV makes us feel better about ourselves. Farnoosh Torabi stated that movies and shows are "an entertaining escape, where we could see how the "rich” lived, and experience” (Schulten).

Third, we watch such shows because they’re different. Humans are often driven by curiosity and get fascinated by things that are different and unique in relation to their immediate environment. The Kardashians are super-rich and live a luxurious lifestyle. Most of the people that follow and watch their shows are not rich. Therefore, seeing how the rich spend their money and time is interesting.

In addition, we love watching the rich on TV not only because we desire to have their lifestyle but also because we like identifying their flaws and proving that they are not perfect. According to Salek, ordinary individuals do not possess the characters depicted by rich people (15). Ordinary people are not as cold and corrupted as the stereotype of wealthy people.

As a result, making such a realization comforts us and makes us appreciate the good things we have in our lives. However, part of us still wants to live the life of the rich we see on TV. Therefore, you find people going to work and doing everything in their power to make more money and live the luxurious lifestyle seen on TV.

Besides the fun and experiencing the life of the rich, we often watch this kind of show for motivation. For many people, wealth and fame are the measures of success, and one cannot be considered successful when they are not rich and famous. Therefore, watching these shows helps us use the life of the rich as the standard measure to see our position on the scale. Doing so helps us know the difference between our lives and the life of wealthy people, which determines our actions in our studies and work.

In conclusion, most people watch rich people on TV because they want to achieve the same lifestyle as rich celebrities. A lot of people put in extra effort at work, but they feel they are not well rewarded for their work. Therefore, watching the rich on TV is a way for them to seen people live a life they desire. Some people watch the rich on TV for motivation, whereas others do so for fun and entertainment. Regardless of the reason, people should know that they are the gasoline fueling the lifestyle of these rich celebrities.

 

Work Cited

Lewallen, Jennifer. "Living in a Material World: Celebrity Media Culture and Neoliberal Ideology in the Digital Age." The Routledge Companion to Media and Poverty. Routledge, 2021. 169-179.

Salek, Thomas A. "Money doesn’t talk, it swears The Wolf of Wall Street as a homology for America’s ambivalent attitude on financial excess." Communication Quarterly 66.1 (2018): 1-19.

Schulten, Katherine. Student Voice Teacher's Special: 100 Teen Essays+ 35 Ways to Teach Argument Writing: from The New York Times Learning Network. WW Norton & Company, 2020.

Zsila, Ágnes, Lynn E. McCutcheon, and Zsolt Demetrovics. "The association of celebrity worship with problematic Internet use, maladaptive daydreaming, and desire for fame." Journal of behavioral addictions 7.3 (2018): 654-664.