THE DEHUMANISATION OF CELEBRITY: “CELEBRITIES, THEY ARE NOT LIKE US”

Abstract

The advancement of media has posed a dehumanizing phenomenon towards celebrities as they
have unattainable standards and expectations set by the public. The main objective of this paper
is to explore how the public describes a celebrity that they like or dislike. The study is qualitative
as it is a phenomenological study. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The
participants were interviewed on Google Meet, and the data were then analysed using thematic
analysis. The present study discusses the data by categorizing them into several sub-themes
under reasons behind their attitude and behavioural attempts to engage with celebrities on social
media and outside social media. It is found that the reasons behind the participants’ attitudes
towards the celebrities are talent, outward behaviour, ideology, physical appearance, and
personality. The behavioural attempts to engage with celebrities on social media are avoidance,
digital altruism, and fulfilling life satisfaction. The behavioural attempts to engage with
celebrities outside social media are influencing others, operational planning, keeping up with
updates, expressing enthusiasm, and self-control.