Psst... Did You Hear? |
We Live in a World of Shadenfreude

By Zinnat Ali

   

ie : eT

Wit is it about gossip? What makes
it so tantalizing that we keep coming
back for more? Day after day we feed
our unsated need for sensationalized
stories with blog updates by Perez Hilton,
salacious statements from Entertainment
Tonight, and grocery store tabloids
screaming scandals from their oversized
headlines.

In recent years, gossip has
become more prevalent in our society
than ever before. Gossip is reported on
the nightly news, dominates magazine
covers, and is the focus of some of the
most popular websites. Maybe it’s the lure
of living vicariously through hard partying
celebs, or maybe we get off watching the
psyches of the rich and famous snap under
our unyielding scrutiny—or maybe we

just want to feel better
about ourselves and
look to hopelessly
4 lost celebrities to up
f our self-esteem.
Je eat
faces of celebrities
are plastered
everywhere we look.
Conversations at
f water coolers centre
around an array of
pantyless starlets
and analysing the
latest celeb DUlI-related mug shot. We
are even privy to the activities of the
rich and famous as they attempt to clean
themselves up at private rehab clinics.
With the advances in technology,
there is a phone and a camcorder in every
almost cell phone. Information is being
transmitted throughout the world in a
matter of seconds. Privacy is on its way to
becoming a mythical concept. Is anyone
safe anymore? You can barely turn your
head without reading about the drunken
head-shaving antics of Britney Spears,
or seeing pictures of Lindsay Lohan
generously sharing her cocaine with her
closest and most trusted girlfriends.
People tend to think gossip is
bringing our society closer. It is something
we all have an opinion on. It starts
conversations and promotes interaction.

It gives us something to bond over and
to find commonality with others. And if
that’s the case, what does that say about
us as a species? Now we are bonding over
the pain, suffering, and humiliation of the
people who we’ve put on these pedestals.
Are our lives so sad that we need gossip
for entertainment as a diversion of how
pathetic and boring we have become? Are
we so pitiful that we need to feed off the
tragedies of others to make us feel good
about ourselves?

But maybe we can’t help it?
How can we turn away when we are being
pummelled with images of Britney’s birth
canal, with videos of Kanye West doubled
over crying over the death of his mother,
and with secret recordings of Dog the
Bounty Hunter on a racial tirade? How
are we supposed to help ourselves if it’s
being set out on silver platters urging us to
devour it all? We’re gorging ourselves on
gossip and returning for seconds, thirds,
and fourths.

There is a certain breed of
celebrity who can maintain their privacy.
With pictures of celeb outings popping up
on the Internet within minutes of arriving
at the latest hotspot, it’s a virtually
impossible task. And while we might
not be privy to the day-to-day activities
of someone like Mandy Moore, we can
easily track down Britney Spears, Jessica
Simpson, Lindsay Lohan and other

fame mongers. It’s obvious that some
celebs can’t function without having all
the flashbulbs pointed in their direction.
After all, there’s no such thing as bad
publicity, right? So, while Paris and
Nicole rant about their lack of privacy
from the paparazzi, you have to wonder
why they’re complaining while lunching
at paparazzi stalking ground, The Ivy.

If celebrities are looking for our
attention—if they behave outrageously
to get it—are we just victims, caught in
their manipulative webs? And if we are
victims, doesn’t that really just mean
we are simply sheep, easily hypnotized
and herded into whatever direction they
choose for us? Is gossip a gateway into an
awaiting Orwellian future, distracting the
masses with fictionalized wars between
Paris and Nicole while Big Brother looks
on?

So, what is the truth and how
do we make sense of it all? Is gossip
harmless—just a medium to bond over
and give our fragile self esteems a boost?
Or is gossip and our addiction to it just
simple manipulation? Maybe the real
issue is finding a balance and realizing that
the more attention we give celebrities, the
more outrageous their antics will become
and soon flashes of vajayjays and nipslips
will seem mild in comparison. Whatever
the case may be, I’m sure we’ll find the
answer on perezhilton.com.

 

Jamaica or Korea? Both have their charms

Sunny
Park

sunny side up

  
 

Wit all this ice and snow I
am thinking that Canada may not be the
country I want to spend the rest of my life
in. Yes, there are some really hot guys here.
I met this guy named Ryan, and he makes
me weak in the knees! His eyes, the way
he cooks, the way he fills my heart with
lusty desire... Still, I’m debating. I have
met some super-fine Jamaican people, and
the music that comes from there is out of
this world! Then again, I’m Korean, and
there is much to be said about my home
country. Let me share my thoughts with
you. Crank up the reggae, open a bottle of
Suju, and get in the groove.

exhausted from their busy city lives think
Jamaica is the dream country where they
can take an ideal rest. However, Jamaica
is not a place that they would choose to
live because South Korea is still a much
stronger country than Jamaica in regards
to economics, health, and education.
South Korea has a much
more developed economy than Jamaica,
as indicated by such things as Gross
Domestic product (GDP) and GDP
growth. A nation’s GDP is one of the ways
of measuring the size of its economy. It
shows how much fine goods the country
makes, or the quantity of their produced
goods and services in a given period of
time. According to the World Almanac
and Book of Facts 2006, South Korea’s
GDP was $925 billion in 2006, but it
was only $11 billion in Jamaica. From
these statistics, South Korea’s economy
was much higher than Jamaica. This
strong economy has translated into better
social services and more jobs in Korea.
In another statistic, GDP growth was 4.6
percent in South Korea, but it was only 1.9

 

The Jamaican
music of artists such as
Bob Marley, Desmond
Dekker, and Peter Tosh
are enjoyed around
the world. In South
Korea, listening to
Jamaican music is
becoming popular for
busy young Koreans
looking for some much-
needed relaxation. Also,
people who are usually

 

 

 

percent in Jamaica. South Korea’s high
economic growth comes from its export
of manufactured goods, while Jamaica’s
poor economic growth shows they have
serious economic problems.

Aside from a strong economy,
South Korea has a better health system
than Jamaica. According to the Almanac,
in South Korea the life expectancy for
males is 73.4 years and 80.6 years for
females. However, the life expectancy for
Jamaicans was much lower. In 2006, the
life expectancy for Jamaican males was
71.6 years and 75.1 years for Jamaican
females. South Korean infant mortality
(per 1,000 live births) was likewise 6.3
percent, but the Jamaican infant mortality
rate was 16.3 percent. Based on these
Statistics, it is possible to predict that
hospitals in South Korea are generally
modern and efficient while Jamaica
probably has old-fashioned hospitals and
an inefficient medical system.

Along with South Korea’s
strong economy and health system, South
Korea also has a better education system

 

than Jamaica. From the 2006 Almanac, the
South Korean literacy rate was 97.9%, but
the Jamaican literacy rate was only 87.9%.
Another statistic showed that the South
Korean ages of compulsory education
were from six to 14, while the Jamaican
compulsory education age was only from
six to 11. Compared to the country’s other
statistics, the rates of education is pretty
high in Jamaica However, Jamaica still
needs to improve their education system
because the leaders of Jamaica in the
future will have to be a highly educated
people who can greatly improve the
country’s economy and health system.

The 20th century was difficult
for South Korea and Jamaica. Both
countries suffered economy downturns
and social upheaval, and both are hoping
for a better future. If the Jamaican
government would try to develop Jamaica
into a highly developed country, Jamaica
could be one of the world’s strongest
countries. At that time, busy young
Koreans will start to think seriously about
living in the Jamaica with it is delightful
music.

All this
being said, Jamaica
does hold a special
place in my heart.
Truthfully, I’m still
leaning towards it.
What about you?
Where are you going
to live? Email your
story to the paper, let
me know your secret
future living desires.

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