Did you think that people are most interested in reading ‘How to lose 10 kg in one month?’ or, ‘How to prevent global warming and save the earth?’

Well, I’m sorry to disillusion you if that’s what you thought. Fact is, we only check out stuff about weight loss when the long-postponed visit to the doctor is looming over the horizon. As for saving the earth, it is often relegated to the bottom of our list of things to do, as we have more important stuff to worry about:

1. My tooth hurts like hell. I’ve got to see the dentist this week or my jaw is going to drop off.
2. Mom’s visiting. Got to scrape the gunk off the dining table so she doesn’t realize we eat from bowls in front of the TV.

To get back to our topic, what are the three top searches on Google? Celebrities, celebrities and celebrities, of course. There’s even a term referring to this craze: celebrity worship syndrome, an obsessive-addictive disorder in which you get caught up in the details of a celeb’s personal life. This ranges from mere admiration of their performance to an addiction that makes you rave about marrying them or impels you to invade their homes.

This is probably a natural response to the constant blitz of information we are bombarded with, about what our film stars and sportsmen eat and drink, wear and drive. One article characterizes this obsession as ‘Junk food for the mind. Quick. Convenient. But not exactly nutritious. We gorge ourselves on images of wealth and success because they appeal to our appetite for prestige.’

Now, what could be wrong with some harmless time pass? The problems arise when celebs are often in the news for all the wrong things: drunk driving, fisticuffs, violent affairs. They are hardly the right role models for our children either.

But does anyone care? These guys and gals are fun, free and foolish and make for entertaining reads. Even modern business moguls have been known to promote a delicious arm candy or two!

Hmm… that reminds me. I’ve got some catching up to do on Twitter. Vivek Oberoi is trending! He compares himself and his Krrish role to Heath Ledger and the world found out why Aishwarya dumped him.

So which star do you follow when no one is looking? Share your thoughts. And remember, we’re talking of stars in any field, not just films.