Celebrity Brains Evolve

8/9/2019 Celebrity Brains Evolve

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26 June 2013 Last updated at 00:49 GMT , BBC

Viewpoint: Did our brains evolve to

foolishly follow celebrities?

Our obsession wit !e"ebrit# !u"ture is a resu"t o$ our poor"# adapted brains, ar%ues so!ia"

antropo"o%ist Ja&ie Terani'

( "o)e a %ood *uote'

One o$ a""+ti&e $a)ourite *uotes !o&es $ro& Mar Twain, wo on!e wrote to is $riend -(

a& sorr# $or te "en%t o$ tis "etter, but ( did not a)e te ti&e to write a sort one-'

(t.s an apo"o%# ( a)e o$ten repeated in b"oated ra&b"in%s to $riends and !o""ea%ues, andit.s a wonder$u""# wr#, pit# insi%t' T#pi!a" Twain, #ou &i%t sa#'

/!ept tat it.s not' Be!ause, as te person wo re!ent"# pu""ed &e up $or usin% it to"d &e, te

true autor o$ te *uote is in $a!t a "ess we""+nown ren! tiner, B"aise as!a", wo !oined

it in a "etter to a !o""ea%ue in 16' ( "ooed it up and te# were abso"ute"# ri%t'

5nd it turns out not to be te on"# *uote (.)e been abusin%'

(.& sure &ost o$ #ou are $a&i"iar wit /instein.s bri""iant re$rain: -Te de$inition o$ insanit#

is doin% te sa&e tin% o)er and o)er a%ain and epe!tin% a di$$erent resu"t'- (t.s probab"# te&ost $a&ous tin% e said, apart $ro& -/&!2-'

On"#, tere.s no re!ord o$ i& e)er# a)in% uttered tese words' Te $irst ti&e te# appeared

in print was in 1971, in a 8ar!oti!s 5non#&ous pa&p"et, so&e 2 #ears a$ter te %reat &an

died'

Tere are &an#, &an# si&i"ar ea&p"es'

inston Cur!i"", Bena&in ran"in and Martin Luter ;in% a)e probab"# said "ess tan

a"$ te tin%s #ou.)e eard te& *uoted on' Be!ause *uotes are ust so &u! &ore *uotab"e

wen te# !o&e $ro& indi)idua"s wo are $a&ed $or teir wit and wisdo&'

(t.s O;' Be!ause &isattributin% *uotes ee&p"i$ies our tenden!# to %i)e too &u! !redit to

!e"ebrities'

a&e is a power$u" !u"tura" &a%net' 5s a #per+so!ia" spe!ies, we a!*uire te bu" o$ our

now"ed%e, ideas and si""s b# !op#in% $ro& oters, rater tan trou% indi)idua" tria"+and+

error'


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!ase o$ tose Twain and /instein &is*uotations' Tis raises te *uestion o$ weter wat is

said is as i&portant as wo said it'

5noter ea&p"e o$ te wa# in wi! !e"ebrities a!t as !u"tura" &a%nets is tat we $re*uent"#

!op# traits tat a)e "itt"e, i$ an#tin%, to do wit wat &ade te& su!!ess$u" in te $irst p"a!e

+ "ie te !"otes te# wear, teir airst#"es, or ow te# ta"'

Tat.s basi!a""# te reason tat !o&panies sponsor stars to use teir produ!ts' Ce"ebrities are

a"wa#s on te T= and in te &edia, so o$ !ourse %ettin% te& to wear #our brand o$ eans or

wristwat! is a %reat wa# to %i)e te& eposure'

But it.s not ust about %ettin% #our produ!ts in te pub"i! e#e' >ou wou"dn.t now $ro&

i&a%es on T= or in a newspaper or on a !o&puter s!reen wat ind o$ underpants ?a)id

Be!a& wears, wat !o$$ee Geor%e C"oone# drins, or wat per$u&e Be#on!e s&e""s o$'

Co&panies %et !e"ebrities to ad)ertise tese inds o$ produ!ts be!ause te# now tat our

per!eptions o$ )a"ue are a!ti)e"# in$"uen!ed b# $a&e' Ce"ebrit# endorse&ents not on"# &ae produ!ts &ore )isib"e, te# &ae te& &ore desirab"e'

@o w# is tisA Ce"ebrit# !u"ture is o$ten portra#ed as so&etin% re"ati)e"# new, a produ!t o$

a &edia+saturated but so!ia""# ato&ised so!iet#'

5"tou% ( a%ree tat te $or& o$ !e"ebrit# !u"ture as no doubt been saped b# te &odern

wor"d, it is rooted in &u! &ore basi! u&an instin!ts, wi! a)e p"a#ed a e# ro"e in our

a!*uisition o$ !u"ture and a)e been !ru!ia" to te e)o"utionar# su!!ess o$ our spe!ies'

e &i%t $o!us on te antropo"o%# o$ presti%e' resti%e is a $or& o$ so!ia" status tat is based on te respe!t and ad&iration o$ &e&bers o$ one.s !o&&unit#' (t is parti!u"ar"#

interestin% $or antropo"o%ists be!ause it see&s to be a uni*ue !ara!teristi! o$ our spe!ies,

and so&etin% tat is uni)ersa" to a"" u&an !u"tures'

(n oter pri&ates, so!ia" ierar!ies are t#pi!a""# based on do&inan!e, wi! is di$$erent

$ro& presti%e be!ause it i&p"ies $ear, and te treat o$ )io"en!e'

(ndi)idua"s de$er to &ore do&inant ani&a"s be!ause i$ te# $ai" to "et te& a)e wat te#

want ten it wou"d be per!ei)ed as a !a""en%e to teir status, wi! te# wi"" de$end b#

$or!e' Man# t#pes o$ ierar!# in u&an so!iet# are si&i"ar"# !ara!terised b# do&inan!e'


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5"tou% te bias $or pre$erentia""# i&itatin% presti%ious indi)idua"s as %enera""# e"ped

pro&ote te spread o$ adapti)e bea)iours, antropo"o%ists a)e su%%ested tat it !an &ae

us sus!eptib"e to !op#in% traits tat are o$ no use in te&se")es, or wi! &a# e)en be

ar&$u"'

Te reason $or tis is tat presti%e+biased "earnin% is a )er# %enera" strate%# tat is tar%eted atsu!!ess$u" ro"e &ode"s, rater tan spe!i$i! traits' Tis is pre!ise"# wat &aes it su! a

power$u" and $"eib"e too" + be!ause te traits tat &ae so&eone su!!ess$u" wi"" )ar#

si%ni$i!ant"# in di$$erent en)iron&ents, so it &aes sense to !op# woe)er appens to be

doin% best at a parti!u"ar ti&e and p"a!e'


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But in our so!iet#, wit its !o&p"e !"ass s#ste&, di)ision o$ "abour and &e"tin% pot o$

!u"tures, te !riteria $or su!!ess are $ar &ore )aried and opa*ue' Man# !e"ebrities a)e

a!!o&p"ised teir su!!ess in $ie"ds "ie sport and &usi!, wi! &ost o$ us a)e "itt"e ope o$

e&u"atin%'

But we sti"" i&itate wat we !an be!ause our brains are pro%ra&&ed to asso!iate presti%ewit adapti)e bea)iour' 5nd be!ause $a&e is te pri&ar# !ue o$ presti%e, te &ore attention

!e"ebrities %et, te &ore te# attra!t'

(t.s not surprisin% ten, tat $a&e as be!o&e an end in itse"$' Be!ause in te &odern wor"d, it

does not rea""# &atter wat #ou are $a&ous $or'

(ndeed, wi"e !e"ebrities toda# %et &ore attention and presti%e tan at an# oter point in

u&an istor#, we are $re*uent"# bein% to"d not to o"d te& up as ro"e &ode"s'

But + seen $ro& te e)o"utionar#, antropo"o%i!a" perspe!ti)e tat ( a)e set!ed out + #ou

&a# as, wat are !e"ebrities $or i$ te# are not to be ro"e &ode"sA

# %i)e te& te bene$its o$ our presti%e, i$ it is not re!ipro!ated wit an#tin% tat &i%t

be o$ use to usA

(n ponderin% tose *uestions, we wou"d do we"" to re$"e!t on te words o$ @a&ue" Jonson:

-To %et a na&e is one o$ te $ew tin%s tat !annot be bou%t' (t is te $ree %i$t o$ &anind,

wi! &ust be deser)ed be$ore it wi"" be %ranted'-

5t "east, ( tin tat was @a&ue" Jonson'

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Celebrity Brains Evolve