Glossy magazine covers, photoshopped photographs and over-the-top glam contribute to the image of celebrity women as so perfectly sculpted that they are not human. Celebrities have somehow been stripped of the title of being people first and foremost and have become fictional characters who are void of feelings and emotions outside of their respective careers. Female celebrities are often easy targets because of the highly invasive and personal surveillance of their lives.
Somehow, women are seen in society as the ones who need the most care and attention, yet are simultaneously the ones who receive the harshest criticisms — when they asked for neither.
It’s never enough for female celebrities to simply exist as male celebrities do — they have to be criticized for the decisions they make, no matter how miniscule. They are scrutinized for every pound, wrinkle, outfit, tweet, selfie and partner they choose, but get scolded when they lose weight, get Botox, hire a stylist, tweet less, edit their selfies or break up with their partners. The second they have some sort of emotional breakdown, need a break from their careers or simply choose to live their lives in privacy, they are seen as aloof and uncaring. In society, women are seen as needing to provide unconditional love and encouragement.
The unrealistic amount of social responsibility that is put on women, particularly celebrities, doesn’t make it unusual for them to unplug and retreat to a private sphere. Ironically, though, this is exactly where society likes to box women in: their private, domestic lives. It is why it's so much harder to be a female celebrity than a male celebrity. Women are expected to fulfill traditional roles of staying inside, being nurturing and caring for the family. The second they step outside of that, they are open targets for hyper-sexualized comments or insults — judgments that a male celebrity would not face. These are not only disturbing, but they are a double-standard and simply render female celebrities unable to live freely.
We blame Kim Kardashian West for her highly publicized life, and are simultaneously frustrated that she has decided to take a break after her traumatic robbery. We get angry when Demi Lovato wants to take a break from music, but feel uncomfortable when she discusses her mental illness.
We are confused as to why celebrities, for lack of a better term, want to be human.
