Celebrities and Media Folklore
From Amy Fisher to Princess Diana, to Ashlee Simpson, to Will Smith-How one event in their lives became media folklore. The media just loves to latch on to certain public events no matter what they are. It becomes the most talked about thing in the country and maybe even the world.
Amy Fisher who was the teen lover of an older man by 20 years, Joey Buttafuoco, shot his wife Mary Jo. She miraculously survived and Amy received seven years in prison. At that time in 1992, Amy Fisher was the biggest headline for weeks in America. Her arrest, trial, and public announcements from lawyers, law enforcement, and the Buttafuoco's themselves were plastered all over TV and magazines.
Princess Diana, one of the world's most renowned people, was killed in a violent car crash in 1997 while trying to escape the paparazzi. Her death and the royal family were the center of talk and magazine/newspaper covers for months.
Ashlee Simpson in her infamous 2004 lip sinking incident on Saturday Night Live was tabloid heaven for media moguls and of course the most recent incident with Will Smith slapping Chris Rock in the face. This of course resulted in all kinds of media explosions, especially Smith's Public Relations managers as they were just about to go through their own PR version of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
These cases and cases like these were field days for the media and PR folks. The overall question remain-why does media get hooked on certain people and topics?
Well first of all, according to a BBC Article called "Psychology: Why Bad News Dominates the Headlines," people tend to concentrate on the bad, negative news more often. This is mainly because people are vigilant at perceived danger or something that may be a threat. This is why they may tend to focus on negative media. Also reporting and investigating stories that are usually thought to be exciting or shocking pumps up the adrenaline and interest factors much more.
The more famous a person or place is, the more newsworthy the story becomes. When Winona Ryder was caught shoplifting in the early 2000s, the surveillance video was all over the web and on TV. Same thing with the more recent Will Smith and Chris Rock altercation at the Oscars in March. Even places such as Hollywood which are super famous are often plastered everywhere if any type of crime or scandal happens. Most recently shootings, assaults, and muggings have made their way into the media spotlight all because they happened in Hollywood.
These facets of pop culture have seemingly stood the test of time as they showcase people in their less-than-perfect selves. I believe in addition to perceived threats, the public latches on to anything negative to feel better about themselves and also to know what not to do. Hopefully, we all can learn a little something for others, even if they make the biggest mistakes of their lives.
By Tonie Lopez