What you mean apart from his drunken, homophobic, mysoginistic, xenophobia?!

besleybean wrote:

What you mean apart from his drunken, homophobic, mysoginistic, xenophobia?!

 
Oh.   That.

What I meant was that he managed to hide all that for years so he was well into his career before I realized what an ass he is.  So I was wondering if there was always something about him that put you off.

Well good for me that i don't like Cruise (with the exception of Magnolia where he is great, i think Cruise is massive overraten) or Gibson as actors to be further influenced in liking their work by their stupid choices. 

But what doesn't influence me in liking someone works, and i see this as being very important for some people, especially between the woman 
- if the celebrity smokes
- if he / she is or is not vegan /vegetarian/ fat/fit / / / ...
- if he/she gives autographs or makes fotos at whatever (un)appropaite time of the day
- if he /she supports or not the causes i support (i cannot cover with my support all causes either)
- if she /he cheats his /her wife /husband or get divorced
 

Those are interesting thoughts, Besleybean. 

I'm a strong believer in the human right to a private life, and I think good celebrity crushes go bad when they become too intrusive (for the celebrity).   After all, our crushes aren't really on the person, but on their public persona.    I think the real person should be given privacy and distance.

However, I don't think celebrity crushes are a bad thing in general.  I don't think it matters if the celebrity has a partner or not (or whether they're gay, etc.) - the whole point (I think) is that it's fantasy - it's not going to happen.  It's safe.   I think that's why they are so popular with girls growing up (didn't we all have them?  I know I did) - they're a safe way to practice those feelings of lust and adoration. 

They're also safe to have when you're in a real life relationship.  Having a crush on a real live person that you could have an affair with would be a serious risk to a relationship, if you ever lost control.    Crushing on somebody you don't know, have never met and aren't going to meet outside of getting an autograph is no risk at all.   (I go one step further and only seem to have crushes on fictional characters e.g. characters Benedict plays, characters in books, games, etc. Just try being unfaithful with one of them!).   It's just a fun way to play around with romantic feelings, and (I think) can be good for your relationship (it's pretty easy to shift those feelings to your adored, sexually compatible and beautifully available real life companion!). 

I'm talking personally of course, and I know that for some the crushes are much more powerful, and actually become real (some celebrities do end up in relationships with fans), or more obsessive.  And I suppose if having a celebrity crush means that you feel real life people can never measure up, then it could be negative and isolating. 

I don't think it's wrong to lust over somebody else's man, Besleybean - it's what you do about it that counts.  It's wrong (in my book) to seduce your friend's boyfriend.  It's not at all wrong to admire a celebrity from a distance, regardless of their relationship status .  (As long as you don't intrude on their life ... or adversely affect your own or other people's, I suppose). 

TM?

Oh well I suppose if it's just for relaxation...but yeah, teetering on the woo!

Well as they say, one man's cult is another man's religion.
I remain sceptical of them all.

Of course, but his work is still amazing,

So evocative and stays with you for a long time...

Oh and I've just remembered the classic for me...
Charlton bloody Heston.
Won't give him a  moment now, gun toting loon.

Very, very nice thoughts.  Liked how you put the different aspects of it, besley, something I try to keep in mind as well (along with that 'nobody's perfect' and to not compare myself to them any more than people I actually do know), and the also mentioned 'fairness' of what we critique them for.  Thankfully never went through that myself with someone I admired or at least never heard about any "scandal" (was never really fans of the people already mentioned), but there was definitely sympathetic puzzlement/intrigue whenever I heard fuss about one of them - both for the fans, and on the part of the person, wondering how they could voice such hatred, being so public?  Or with companies like those mentioned - yeah, easier to separate yourself from simply not buying their product.

Happens to plenty of people, but when you and your work are in the spotlight, it's kind of a shame… no one mentioned them yet, but remember how disappointed a lot of people seemed to be when this past year, both Woody Allen and Marion Zimmer Bradley (author of the favorite 'The Mists of Avalon') had children who spoke up with abuse allegations.    Heard some very thoughtfully commentary, similar to comments here, about those who would still love their work, but were sad it was 'colored' by that knowledge now.