I'm a celebrity and I'm better than you

This week, news circulated around the web about actor Josh Duhamel's brush with airport security. In a nutshell, Duhamel (known primarily for his work in the "Transformers" movies and his marriage to singing sensation, Fergie) was asked repeatedly by a flight attendant to turn off his Blackberry. He, and hundreds others, were en route from New York to Kentucky. According to other passengers, Duhamel refused to comply. Several said he was rude and indignant, thinking that the rules did not apply to him. To cut to the chase, the rules did apply to him and the plane was turned around on the tarmac and Duhamel was escorted from the plane by security.

Once upon a time, it seemed as though the general public was so enamored with celebrities that they could do no wrong. Now, however, there seems to be a groundswell of disgust for celebs who think they're better than the rest of us. This was very apparent in the reader comments that appeared on the Duhamel story posted on Yahoo!'s omg page (click the image to enlarge it if you need to see it better):


I don't care how annoying or frustrating traveling is nowadays. If you fly commercially, air travel is the great equalizer. The rules are the rules and travelers are nothing more than livestock, regardless of the amount on your W-2. Frankly, I think it's fan-freakin-tastic that Duhamel was escorted off the flight. And, shame on him for inconveniencing his fellow travelers because of his inflated sense of self and entitlement.

How about you? Do you think celebs should be given a reality check? Are they out of touch due to so much special treatment? Should more of them be escorted off the metaphoric airplane?

8 comments:

  1. It's happening fast~! The reality TV craze has done a lot to celebs, including taking away the jobs. The comedown has already begun. I'm kind of sad about it, being someone who actually studied Musical Theater.

    You are so right~! Air travel is no place for special treatment~! It's logical that his signal could interfere with traffic control and put everyone, including himself in danger. Celebs have not had good luck with plane travel, traditionally, so you would think this would be a no-brainer~!

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  2. I think we often-times confuse the status they have achieved for something else. Yes they are out of touch and yes we create them and allow them to be. An actor is just that and not entitled to inconvenience and ultimately threaten others. Thanks for the post about it.
    Jeanie

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  3. Hey Anita, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.

    If a celeb doesn't want to comply with the rules surrounding commercial travel, I say they should fly privately. Or better yet, do like John Travolta and earn their own pilot's licenses ;-)

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  4. I concur, Jeanie. It's a profession. Just a profession. It doesn't (or rather, shouldn't) entitle someone to be treated better than you or me. If we want to give anyone special treatment in our society, I vote for firefighters. :-)

    Thanks for weighing in on the discussion, Jeanie!

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  5. Jeez, that's just sad that this person was so delusional to think that the rules didn't apply to him.

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  6. It's the public's (the fans' and media's) fault. We glorify our celebrities. We place more weight and credibility on the words that come out of their mouths. We talk about them and photograph them constantly. And even their bad behavior gets them more press. Even though I'm not on Facebook, this is one great use of social media: to be witness to the stupidity and shameful behavior of celebrity and to let the world know it's not right. I wonder how many lives he inconvenienced that day over his childish behavior. I'm sure everyone on that plane would have loved to do more than escort him off.

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  7. I guess when you make a movie you get a new playbook that the rest of us don't. Unfortunately for them, that book isn't honored by the FAA, is it? ;-)

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  8. Oh, you're absolutely right! People are too obsessed with celebrity. Frankly, I don't get it. And, I concur, the public is largely to blame.

    If we, as a society, stop placing such importance on celebrity worship we'd be better off. I'm all for admiring someone's good work, whether it be an actor, a lawyer, an ad exec, or whatever. But someone who is in the public eye is no more important than the rest of us.

    Shame of Josh Duhamel for thinking his agenda was more important than the airline employees, the passengers, and the countless others who were no doubt impacted by the delay caused by his bad behavior.

    Thanks for taking the time to weigh in on the discussion, Jean! Always good to hear other people's opinions ;-)

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