My heart was pounding at an incalculable rate when she sat next to me at dinner. The poise in her gait and the genuine gentleness in her eyes entranced me. She was conservatively yet sophisticatedly dressed in shades of gray, but not quite 50.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the director, writer, and producer of my favorite documentary “Miss Representation,” is everything a woman should embody, and then some. Conversing with her was mesmerizing, but this wasn’t my first surreal encounter with stardom. 
It’s common knowledge that Americans share an unhealthy obsession with celebrities (so much, that celebrity worship syndrome actually exists and is frequently diagnosed), but the source of the issue is debatable. People all too often blame the media for their celebrity worship, but I beg to differ. When I saw that I, too, blindly fell captive to this idolization, I realized the root of the problem was me.
I took a Soul Cycle spin class over the summer in Manhattan. The fitness company is known for its celebrity clients like Jake Gyllenhaal, Lady Gaga and in my case, Katie Holmes. My excitement grew to new heights as she walked right by me, looking like a normal human being who finished exercising: a mess (granted, she was going through a high-profile divorce after a marriage that was deemed “mission impossible” from the Tom Cruise couch-jumping get-go).
My confusion in all of this was why was I nearly as intrigued by a mere in-person brush by Holmes as I was when having dinner, side-by-side, with an accomplished director whom I admire. I never cared much for “Dawson’s Creek” or Suri, the fashionista of toddlers. I even chatted it up with A-lister Alec Baldwin at a political event in New York and felt the same surge of star-struck awe, yet I have no idea what “30 Rock” is about (and I admittedly called the man Alex at first).
The comparisons made me sick, namely because I prided myself off of not giving into much reality television (I stick with “Family Guy” and “Seinfeld” for shows, though that can’t be any better for our brains). I accused the media for my feelings toward these actors/actresses I don’t even know. TV shows, magazines, movies and news channels were all to blame. Even CNN currently has a poll up asking readers if Jessica Simpson should stay on WeightWatchers.
Watching the daily coverage of Holmes’ divorce subconsciously reeled me in. Simply being in spin class with her was, well, amazing to me, largely because I’ve seen this person over and over in the media. Thus, I figured they were at fault for brainwashing me and every other college student into thinking celebrities are newsworthy gods, making meeting these people a “holy” experience in and of itself.
Hold the phone; are they? Do I not have the ability to form opinions on my own? I think people (including myself at times) are too hard on the media. Yes, they’re incessantly reporting on the mundane details of Justin Bieber’s romantic life, but we are making the conscious decision to read that headline and the rest of the story.
Our personal consumption in these celebrities, whether it be clicking on their nonsensical headlines or watching any of the reality shows on E! Network, is to blame. Essentially, it’s ourselves. We can’t continue to look at the media with an accusatory eye for simply providing these celebrity-infested materials when we’re the ones watching it.
Indulging in these guilty pleasures isn’t something to beat yourself up for though. While I was taken aback by my sudden interest in Holmes and Baldwin solely from meeting them, I shouldn’t be disgusted with myself. I don’t let these people’s lives consume me.
But if you’re one of many who find it’s more important to literally keep up with the Kardashian’s more than the wars in Syria, the protests in Egypt, or the progress of Superstorm Sandy, then I’d suggest taking some high quality time to contemplate what’s important in life. Turning off E! wouldn’t hurt, either.
Point your finger at the media if you will, but take into account that you still have three other fingers pointing right back at you for a reason.
Geena Maharaj can be reached at maha8007@stthomas.edu.