Obsessions are the new obsession. As pop culture continues to control much of the media and capture the attention of the nation, it has become common practice to be a part of a cultural obsession revolving around an item or, more often, another human being. As strange as it sounds, a majority of the “obsessors” have never met nor made eye contact with the person they’re obsessing over. But don’t think for a second that this would stop them from creating countless fan pages, starting fake social media accounts and legitimately dedicating their every ounce of being to someone they will never speak a word to in their (slightly sad) lives. As we live in an age where someone like Kylie Jenner can paint her nails a different color and have 35 different articles written about going from dark to light purple, it is clear that our nation is absolutely and utterly obsessed with famous people.
Despite the openness and “honesty” that the nation witnesses when it comes to the lives of the Kardashian-Jenner clan (who recently released a series of wildly successful individual apps revolving around the ridiculously luxurious lives of each sister), there has been a drastic change of public interest. Ambiguity is the new black, and obscurity has blatantly come into fashion. With stars like Beyoncé, Rihanna and Lana Del Rey dominating the music industry while perplexing fans with their mysterious personas, cryptic messages and lack of explanations when it comes to anything and everything, it is obvious that we have fallen in love with people we will absolutely never understand.
Beyoncé flawlessly fronted the September issue of Vogue, and Rihanna just made the epic cover of The Fader’s 100th issue — but there’s a catch: neither of the superstars gave an interview to the publications putting them on the covers of their own magazines; neither of the superstars even answered questions through e-mail. No skyping. No phone calls. No actual quotations. Nothing. However, both magazines were unsurprisingly some of the most popular of the year. Both women publicly refuse to make statements about their lives, yet they have renowned publications literally begging to write all about them.
Beyoncé’s latest platinum album was dropped overnight and unannounced, and Rihanna has given a very minimal amount of information regarding her upcoming eighth studio record, “ANTi.” The only information we have the capability of knowing about them, comes from a few enigmatic Instagram photos every now and them. Even so, they continue to set trends, sell out enormous arenas across the globe and have millions upon millions of fans and followers.
Then there’s the ethereal Lana Del Rey. Although she tends to give the occasional interview, she might as well say nothing. She lives in her own world that no one has the ability to understand. Some who have worked with her have made claims that she is not even made for this Earth. Her unique and mysterious artistry creates a shield around her equivocal yet iconic persona. And, of no surprise, people are obsessed with her.
So, what has ultimately created our culture and driven the people of the United States to become so obsessed with what they cannot and will not understand? This question will most likely never be answered, as it seems ordinary people have become just as unpredictable as the perplexing stars they’re constantly obsessing over. But hey, everyone loves a good mystery.
