Last week, another tragedy struck in the land of endless bliss. Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum officially decided to go their separate ways. Ever since this important information hit newsstands, the general public has been in a constant uproar regarding the situation. The world is heartbroken over this couple’s decision to call it quits. However, disappointment and melodrama are two very different issues. Every post I see on social media regarding the breakup has said something along the lines of, “love is dead” or “if those two can’t stay together, what chance do any of us have?” Whenever another celebrity couple turns into dust, these same posts seem to resurface. Yet, time and time again, love continues to live on around the world. Not long ago, I too would join in on these tangents with the people of the internet. We would grieve together and become way too emotionally invested in other people’s not so private lives. While I still love seeing my favorite celebrities fall in love, I have stopped allowing myself to obsess over their romances as I have in the past. No one is safe from heartbreak, so why should I compare my relationship to theirs?
Everyone loves a good love story. There is a reason why romantic comedies consistently rack in so much profit. Romantic tales have been adored for years, but they tend to be even more meaningful when they involve people one feels a personal connection to. Celebrity culture has exploded over the past 25 years. Hollywood stars have always held a certain prestige and fame to their name, but it’s only been in the last few decades that fans can go further than just watching someone’s films on a Friday night or listening to a record for the 5th time during a single day. Now, we are able to see practically everything. Where celebrities go, who they are with, and for how long. Every single move can be traced. It’s fascinating, but also quite frightening just how invested we can get into another person’s life. Because of this intense ability to see into the lives of celebrities, fans often feel as if they truly know the famous individual. Trust me, there was a period of my life when I was certain Niall Horan and I were soulmates since we had SO MUCH in common. The fact of the matter was, I didn’t actually know him at all. We know the versions of celebrities that they feel comfortable sharing on social media and the other versions that occasionally are captured by paparazzi (cue no makeup airport shots here), but we don’t really know them. Never are we able to see their text messages, their private snapchats to their friends, or their conversations with family members on holidays. There is an entire side to them that we are completely sheltered off from.
So, if we don’t know the individual like we think we do, there is certainly no way that we really know the relationship either. Years ago, before ever even going on a first date, I had so many expectations about what the dating lifestyle would be like. Date night would be every night and it would always bring with it an adventure. Me and my significant other would never be unhappy around one another. PDA was not only acceptable, but encouraged! Now, as a young college student in a somewhat serious relationship, I look back at my teenage self and laugh. If only I knew how ridiculous this all was. These celebrities, while they are real people, don’t portray realistic lifestyles, especially when it comes to relationships. It didn’t really sink in for me how frequently they must use their acting skills off camera as much as they do on. Couples will always look joyful in public. What are they going to do, cause a scene and start yelling in front of all the flashing lights? No, they are going to save it for when they are back home and put on a smiling face for all the fans.
This celebrity culture is so easy to feed into, but it can be mentally draining. If you put these high expectations on others, not only does it become more heartbreaking for them when they don’t work out, but it can create heartbreak for you as well. When the fans react so dramatically, the celebrity(s) in question can feel as if they didn’t just let their partner down, but the world down as well. Do we really want to make our favorite superstars feel even worse when they are already at one of their lowest points? Also, becoming this upset over and over again each time another breakup occurs in Hollywood is unhealthy on you. Not only does it cause unneeded stress but it also further helps you feed into the unrealistic expectations of love this culture has set up. Now, I am not saying that you can’t be saddened by other people’s heartbreak, but placing so much sorrow and pain into it is not healthy and can have the potential to negatively affect your current or future relationships. Therefore, I encourage you to still care and support your favorite singers, models, actors, etc, but please don’t go off the rails when they experience heartbreak, no matter how “perfect” they seemed in print.
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