Why We Look To Celebrities For Relationship Goals

The Internet came to a screeching halt this week when a celeb couple favorite announced their separation. Chris Platt and Anna Faris are calling it quits.

The buzz around what happened turned into a mourning period for fans. The couple that looked so happy, and was every fan’s model of relationship goals, was breaking up.

But why do we look to celeb relationships as our inspiration for what we hope our relationships can be one day?

Simply put, to us, celebs seem to live in a fairy tale and it’s a fantasy world we all wish we could be a part of.

Celebrity culture dates back to the ancient Romans and their fascination with Gods. The word ‘celebrity’ is derived form the Latin word ‘celebritas,’ meaning ‘frequented’ or ‘populous.’

Striving for fame and fortune was a huge part of the Roman’s identity, and many looked to the Gods as inspiration. Just think about the story of Hercules and his fame for being the son of Zeus who lived among men.

When it comes to celebrities and how they live their life, for many of us, they become role models. They depict a life we wish to have or strive for. That means when we see a picture of a happy, loving couple on the red carpet, we admire it and hope that one day we will have something similar.

Following their lives so closely results in us feeling attached to them, their lives, and their struggles. We feel invested which translates to feeling sorrow or remorse when we find out in the press their relationship is ending.

The thought of, “If she can have that so can I,” crosses our minds when it comes to how celebrities live. If single-mom Sandra Bullock can adopt a child, so can I.

But something to keep in mind is celebrities are real people, not fictional characters. Although their life seems glamours and mimics a fairy tale, they still have real-world problems.

Strip away the money and the red carpet movie premiers and they are still regular people, they just live a very extraordinary life.

Because of this, we have to remember that not every aspect of their relationship is picture perfect. Behind closed doors there are issues and disagreements, and we have to remember that not every relationship is perfect.

It’s similar to Cinderella syndrome, the idea that movies or fairy tales are a true representation of how love and romance should be.

But we all know by now that Prince Charming isn’t going to ride up on a white horse and save us, because it’s not reality.

The same goes for celebrity relationships, only their relationships seem to be a perfect fairy tale. Just like ordinary people, break-ups will happen.

So instead of looking to celebs for #RelationshipGoals, it’s time to look at what goals we want personally in our own relationships and make sure they are realistic enough to make happen.