Who are these people???

Celebrities are multiplying at a frightening speed, and their status is more and more prominent as the years pass. Suddenly, teeny boppers are "it" people whom we're supposed to watch for fashion tips and assurance that being human and committing the crime of yawning is OK, because hey, even celebrities get sleepy!

What kind of a society are we living in when our role models are Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan (Lohan being the better of the 3, and that's not saying much)? I doubt there was this kind of questioning back when Audrey Hepburn was the "it" girl. Maybe because Audrey Hepburn actually worked for her fame until the day she died... I mean, the woman starred in some legendary films like Breakfast At Tiffany's, and saved lives around the world. She was the Angelina Jolie of her time, and though Angelina Jolie's steps are recounted in a slew of magazines and entertainment news shows, she has more right to be in the spotlight than Ms. Hilton because of her good deeds alone.

What exactly has made Paris Hilton a celebrity? Is it just because she has money? Lots of people have money, their shopping sprees aren't documented the way Paris Hilton's are. And what about Nicole Richie? She appeared out of nowhere and to my knowledge did nothing worth remembering other than emaciate herself and wearing designer clothing to cover her protruding bones. Was it that show The Simple Life that made Paris and Nicole celebrities? Did that many people really watch that garbage to elevate these two lumps into trend-setting divas? Lindsay Lohan makes a little more sense, I guess. At least the girl has done some real work, but she's 19 and has mostly starred in Disney movies.

I suppose the celebrities that are the subject of every magazine cover and piece of entertainment news nowadays are nothing but fluff. Perhaps that's why they need all the media attention-- because their work lacks staying power, while their shopping sprees and personal problems make them household names. Hmm... I guess I answered my own puzzlement.