Is it wrong to be obsessed with a celebrity?

Being "obsessed" with a celebrity is something very common—especially when we feel like we have "access" to them personally through social media. When we see celebrities or content creators in videos, movies, and TV shows; performing on a stage; or talking about writing our favorite books, we can often feel connected to them. Media consumption can make us feel things, make us laugh or ponder, or even feel seen because of certain characters or messages—and all of that can make us feel even more connected to the creators of those things.

We can learn all about celebrities' lives on the news, hear their music playing wherever we go, or see their books everywhere. Celebrities can seem so popular, charming, successful, beautiful, and relatable. It's easy to want to model our lives after them because, sometimes, we want to BE them. Sometimes that desire is so strong that it grows into an obsession.

To admire a person or their art is one thing, but indulging in an obsession with another human being is a dangerous slope for our faith, relationships, and mental health. Let's talk about some key reasons we'd strongly advise to reign in celebrity obsessions.

Reason 1: Celebrities are Human

We should not curate obsessions with celebrities because, just like the rest of us, they are flawed human beings. There's a big difference between simply being a fan of a celebrity or their artform vs. idolizing them as a person. They aren't perfect role models, they aren't always wise, and won't always have their fans' best interests at heart. All of us make mistakes and have days of being selfish or mean—and celebrities are not immune to that tendency.

Secular music artist, Hayley Williams of Paramore, candidly expresses this concern in her song Idle Worship—a play on phrase "idol worship." She challenges her fans to not "mindlessly accept celebrity culture and worship":1

I ain't your hero
You're wasting all your faith on me
I know where this goes
[I] think it's safe to say that your savior doesn't look a thing like me

Just as Hayley put it, our Savior does not look like her—or any other celebrities for that matter. Our one true Savior is Jesus Christ (1 John 4:14). Jesus alone deserves our adoration, worship, and praise. He is the One we should use as our role model. He is the One whose character we should emulate (John 13:15).

Instead of putting our trust in fallible human celebrities, we should put our trust in our unchanging and almighty God. Seek HIS wisdom rather than taking on the life philosophies of celebrities.

"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, 'He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.'" —1 Corinthians 3:19 (NLT)

Reason 2: Light Has No Fellowship with Darkness

"Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?" —2 Corinthians 6:14 (NLT)

Although the immediate context of this passage is related to believers having bonded or legal relationships with unbelievers, we can use this biblical principle concerning the people we allow to influence us. Let's examine at any celebrities we follow closely or greatly admire. Is the life they're leading one that is godly? Do they promote moral behavior, kindness, and respect for others? While aggressive personalities combined with drama can be enticing, it isn't something we should allow to permeate our own lives (Proverbs 1:10-19).

Once we've examined our celebrity interest, we should ask ourselves honestly: "Am I modeling my life after someone whose influence is enticing me to sin? Am I obsessed with someone who's leading a wicked or evil lifestyle?" Maybe the answer is "no," and that would be fantastic. But if it's "yes," then we would be wise to break away that attachment and pursue a closer relationship with Jesus.

"Don't do as the wicked do, and don't follow the path of evildoers." —Proverbs 4:14 (NLT)

Reason 3: We Already Have the Best Role Model

Jesus was unlike any other "famous person" the world had ever seen. To those around Him, He showed Himself to be a humble and unconditionally loving teacher and friend. As the Son of God, He humbled Himself and died a horrible death because of His great love for us (John 3:16-17). As followers of Christ, we are challenged to live humble lives that are modeled after Him (Phillippians 2:5-8).

Jesus continuously lived out what He preached, and we ought to do the same. We are new creations in Christ—set free from the bondage of our past sins (2 Corinthians 5:17). So we need to be selective about who we choose to model our life after—choosing to set our minds on what is good and healthy (Phillipians 4:8) rather than what causes harm and heartache.

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." —Romans 12:2 (NLT)

We can certainly look up to other people, learn from them, and enjoy the things the create. There's nothing wrong with reading celebrity news or following celebrities on social media—if those things are beneficial to you. However, we need to be careful who we mirror in our own words, thoughts, and actions.

There are plenty of people who exhibit godly character, and those are good influences that will encourage us to live a life of holiness rather than worldliness. But ultimately, we should strive to be like Jesus and live as He lived.

"If someone claims, 'I know God,' but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did." —1 John 2:4-6 (NLT)

RESOURCES: 1. Genius.com. "Lyrics for 'Idle Worship' by Paramore." https://genius.com/Paramore-idle-worship-lyrics.

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TL;DR

Being "obsessed" with a celebrity is something very common—especially when we feel like we have "access" to them personally through social media. We can certainly look up to other people, learn from them, and enjoy the things the create. However, we need to be careful who we mirror in our own words, thoughts, and actions. If a celebrity obsession causes us to sin or harms our faith or relationships, it's time to step back. Ultimately, Jesus is the One we should use as our role model and whose character we should emulate (John 13:15). Seek God's wisdom rather than taking on the life philosophies of celebrities (1 Corinthians 3:19).

Writer: Grace Murphy

Grace is a passionate writer and musician who desires to radiate Christ's light in a generation of teens and young adults navigating their life in a world of spiritual darkness. Recent founder of Christian rock band Lighthouse Saints, she desires to spread the message of God’s truth and love through her songwriting and voice! Grace is also an aspiring freelancer who has worked professionally in writing, editing, and social media content creation. In her free time, Grace enjoys meeting new people, reading lots of books, jamming out with her friends, and writing (sometimes overly dramatic) poetry.

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