Celebrity Culture

I don't have that much time for celebrities. However, they have a role to play - to set an example or to highlight an issue in society.

I had never heard of Caroline Flack, until her suicide was reported in the media. Cue a lot of postings on social media to raise suicide awareness. Yes, you do detect an undertone of sarcasm there. Why? Well, before I expand on that, I just want to place a large caveat here. Nothing wrong with prompting people to look out for each other.

I dislike celebrity culture, full stop. Quite a few of the people who are now tearing their hair out over Ms Flack's suicide were, until she took her life, shredding the lady on Twitter, Facebook and whichever other forum, over what appears to have been a domestic incident. And now they are shedding crocodile tears over her untimely demise. My mind goes back to the death of Princess Diana, 22½ years ago. Although she reveled in the limelight, she also reviled being in the limelight. Celebrity culture is a two-edged sword. Yes, it can be beneficial to have press attention, to bring issues to the fore. But it inherently brings in press intrusion. Nowadays, it is also social media intrusion, which comes much closer to home. I remember Madeleine McCann, the little girl aged 3, who disappeared in Portugal in 2007. Kate and Gerry McCann engaged the services of the press to gain publicity for their case - to no avail. But it makes me ill to see repeated announcements in the gutter press that little Madeleine (who would now be 15) has been sighted or found, and the media intrusion into the parents' lives continues. They asked for it. Did they bargain on it?

Caroline Flack was a high-profile media figure. Perhaps celebrities should think twice about putting themselves open to interaction with Johnny Public on social media. Is it worth it?