Did you hear that Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt broke up? The Brad and Jennifer split isn’t the only celebrity gossip spreading through campus. Other hot stories include Prince Charles marrying Camilla Parker Bowles and the ongoing Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachay marriage rifts. Students who love to gab about Hollywood and the celebrities who live there often purchase gossip magazines such as The National Enquirer or People for the scoops on the lives of the rich and famous.
Not surprisingly, it can quickly
become a vice.
The National Enquirer, National Examiner and Globe are classic examples of tabloids with headlines that include: “Ashley Olsen Caught In A Drug Scandal,” and “Brad & Jen: Custody Battle Over Dog.” They contain not only the latest celebrity gossip but also other features such as classified ads for psychics and miracle stories of people returning from the dead.
“Personally, I would never trust anything in the tabloids,” junior Jessica Hutchinson said. “I’ve found that all their stories are usually ridiculously false.”
Recent cover stories on celebrity news magazines such as Star and In Touch included “Poor Jessica! Is This the Final Straw?” and “Justin and Cam: Are They Secretly Married?” Like tabloids, they are crammed with gossip.
Arguably the most popular celebrity gossip magazines are US Weekly and People. Recent cover stories included “Orlando and Kate Split” and “Exclusive Photos! Trump’s Wedding.”
“I’d rather read US or People
because the gossip is toned down,” freshman Beth Glazer said.”It seems more factual.”
Some students simply cannot understand why people would purchase gossip magazines.
“(Celebrity gossip) is trash,” freshman Sean Gibbons said. “I don’t understand why people care about what celebrities do.”
Beyond finding out about how celebrities live or what they are wearing, students also buy these magazines to help put their own problems in perspective. These magazines present celebrities as real people who have problems just like everyone else.
“I think people want to be
included in the lives of everyone,
especially their favorite or not-so-
favorite celebrity,” sophomore David Wu said.

Kaitlin Stewart is a freelance reporter for the Daily Emerald