The effect? Well let’s see, celebrities have the uncanny power to get the average person to throw down some of their hard-earned money on generally worthless, below average garbage that said celebrities just can’t stop talking about.

The cult of celebrity has it’s claws sunk deeply into the upper epidermal of society’s fashion sense too. Who else owned a Michael Jackson “Beat It” jacket with the diamonds and sequins? What about a pair of Jordan’s? How many more style magazines or celebrity red carpet events do you have to pass by or click over with your remote? Enough already.

You wind up with a half decent cocaine habit and designer clothing and what do you know, Lindsay’s next fashion trend will include something from the County with a hint of orange and steel manacles? You can’t keep up…but you try.

Of course the whole weight issue has plagued everyone since Alley McBeal ruined it for all the skinnies out there. Seventy-three pounds soaking wet wasn’t good enough for her and she had to take it to under 70 pounds. Thanks Ally. How is any girl supposed to be self-respecting when she can’t even maintain a healthy 56 pounds on vomiting and booze?

Everyone has been so consumed with how do they look, what diet they are on, what amphetamine they take, and forget that these cheaters have personal cooks. They have nannies and trainers and endless amounts of greens that pays for all of that. But, little girls see Paris in a size negative three and figure they need to be at least a 0 or else they can expect to hear fat girl jokes in school.

Has celebrity done anything besides endorse alcoholism, wreckless partying and driving habits, the “I can get away with anything because I’m a star” attitude, foolish spending habits and influencing the lower level humans into buying the crap they produce? The answer is yes. Celebrities stood up for Hurricane Katrina, Rita, the tsunami, 911. Celebrities give to different charities and do work for lots and lots of causes that need it. Not everyone is a terror on the highway or out on their weekends doing amateur porn and having their boyfriends post it on YouTube.

And for as much as you want to put these people on a pedestal just so you can kick them off it, remember that they are all going through the same things everybody else is except the paparazzi aren’t chasing regular folk around to see if they are wearing underwear.

Who hasn’t passed out in a buddy’s car? Drove a little intoxicated? Slept with someone they regretted? Looked like garbage? Gained weight? Got arrested? No one? Please, these people are going through what everybody else does on a daily basis. The biggest difference? Mary Hart is shoving a microphone in your face when you shave your head, check in and out of rehab three times and forget about your children.

Celebrity has permeated this society with its icy daggers of excess and extremism. It has taken time, money, and interest and has given not much more than below average talent on above average faces in return. Remember, however, no one told you to get the Spice Girls Greatest Hits vol. 5, you did that on your own. And as psychotic, indulgent, heartless, maniacal, foolish, and sexually loose these people behave … you only have yourself to blame.