January 21, 2007: Conflicted Celebrity Worship

You've gotta love the provocative quotes about celebrity disovered and offered up by the apparently conflicted celebrity hound Liz Smith, like the one she uncorked today: "Celebrity worship is a reflection of moral and aesthetic relativism and the insecurity many feel about their social status in a highly competitive society . . . There is a growing uncertainty in American society as to what does or doesn't deserve respect and admiration," writes Paul Hollander, sociology professor at the University of Massachusetts.In other words, do we buy fame for fame's sake, no critical analysis involved?