If the White House party crashers, Michaele and Tareq Salahis, were looking for fame they certainly got it with reports of them crashing the recent White House state dinner last week. While we may be amused, fascinated, and intrigued by the story, it may be hard for us to admit that they may well reflect our American culture and ourselves more than we care to admit.
Media reports have claimed that the Salahis have a long history of inflating their wealth, fame, celebrity, and connections with a lavish wedding, statements about being a former NFL cheerleader, facebook photos of them with celebrities, and so forth. Reports also have stated that they are not as successful or connected as they claim.
The Salahis seem to well reflect our American culture, only on steroids! We live in a culture where we strive recklessly for fame, wealth, and connections with those whom we worship (usually celebrities from the entertainment industry). Think about it. We have countless magazines and TV shows that provide stories of the rich and famous. Many of us probably know more about the lives of Hollywood and sport celebrities than we know about some of our own family members, friends, and neighbors. There are so many reality shows where regular folks can become overnight stars. People are even willing to make fools of themselves on national television shows in order just to be on television and become famous. I'm amazed that so many people are eager to showcase their personal troubles on Dr. Phil for example. Furthermore, it is remarkable to me that those who have had a horrific personal tragedy, such as a sudden loss of a loved one that might make national news, immediately make efforts to be available to reporters and, of course, the morning news/entertainment shows like the Today Show and Good Morning America. I can't imagine how someone could tragically lose their child, for example, and within 24 hours are seated in a New York studio talking to Matt Lauer for a few minutes about their experience.
So often in America, we strive to turn our ordinary lives into extraordinary ones through fame and fortune. Why is this the case? While there are likely a confluence of factors that contribute to America's obsession with fame and fortune, one psychological theory that can help us understand this phenomenon better is social comparison theory. In a nutshell, social comparison theory states that we make judgments about ourselves and our well being by comparing ourselves to those around us. It's the "keeping up with the Jones" mentality. So, in America we are constantly bombarded with information from magazines, television shows, movies, and so forth that glorify the lives of the rich and famous. For example, isn't it remarkable that there is always some awards show on television where the entertainment industry (broadly defined) find a way to give awards to themselves and we get to watch and cheer for our favorites. Oscar night, for example, is a big night in America, isn't it? We compare our lives to theirs and desire to approximate their lives as much as we can. Perhaps we try to do this in small ways wearing the same clothes, hairstyles, perfume, and so forth as our favorite celebrities or, like the Salahis, we try to do this in a much grander way by crashing a White House dinner or staging elaborate events.
Rather than focus so much of our attention on singers, actors, models, athletes, comedians, and political figures, imagine if we lived in a culture that focused attention on those who work tirelessly to make the world a much better place. Doctors, nurses, school teachers, firefighters, police officers, clergy and all those people who run the homeless shelters, soup kitchens, battered women's shelters, and so forth. Imagine if we have television shows and awards for those who do amazing things to make the world a more humane and just one. Then, perhaps the Salahis would have been trying to elbow their way into the homeless shelter and soup kitchen rather than the White House.
So, be honest, if you could crash a White House dinner, meet the President, Vice President, Katie Couric, and other celebrities and not get caught, would you do it?
