True Love or Publicity Stunt?

In today’s society, in order for celebrities to stay popular, they have to be entertaining to the public at all times, both on and off the set or stage. This means that their every day life has to be exciting enough for tabloids, magazines, and paparazzi to talk about. For some celebrities, it seems like they are constantly in the news. In some cases, it is rarely positive publicity. Other cases are the complete opposite; they seem to be constantly overcoming heartbreak or falling in love or other happy and romantic things.

Celebrity couples  are always a hot topic for the press. Some of these couples are absolutely precious, end up getting married and then live happily ever after. The news and magazines don’t seem to have as much fun with these couples. They’ll make the front page of a magazine for an issue or two of a magazine, but after that, they’re old news.

Other couples almost seem to be too perfect for words. Singers who record a song together and notice a spark while recording (normally right before the song is released). Actors filming a new romantic movie who fall madly for one another while shooting (again, right before the movie is released). Romantic songs seem so much more meaningful if we believe the feelings portrayed in the song to be real. The same goes for a couple in a movie. America really is full of a bunch of hopeless romantics.

We never really know how real these “relationships” are though. In many cases, these quick flings are arrangements made by the two celebrities’ publicists who are looking for an extra way to get their clients’ names in the press. The “couple” arrives to premieres together, smiles together for pictures, maybe a quick peck for a camera or two, and then they move on their merry way.

Tabloids say that a major pro at this dating scam is Taylor Swift. How on earth would the blonde teeny-bopper singer ever be able to grab rebel artist John Mayer? Coincidentally, their relationship first hit the news right when their duet, “Half of My Heart,” was released. Their relationship fizzled out almost immediately after their song became a hit. As a huge John Mayer fan, I refuse to believe that he would ever date  a country pop-star like Taylor Swift. I have nothing against Taylor Swift and I actually enjoy some of her songs, but in no way could I ever believe she and John Mayer ever truly had a relationship.

While it’s impossible to really know how real any celebrity relationship is, it is definitely a topic that’s always of interest to the public. In no way do I believe that a couple’s personal life is any of my business, which is why this subject frustrates me somewhat. I believe that relationships should be a personal thing between a couple. This is one of the major reasons why I have so much respect for celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman who don’t air their dirty laundry to the public.

The idea of a celebrity posing in a fake relationship for publicity alone is sad to me. It shows how nosy society is today, and it also makes me think that celebrities do not respect themselves enough as professionals to think that they’re talent alone will get their name out there enough. But what do I know?

Here’s the video of Taylor Swift and John Mayer’s “Half of my Heart.” You can decide how real you believe this relationship is yourself.