Why are we so invested in celebrities’ bad behaviours?

From viral wardrobe malfunctions to public meltdowns and jaw-dropping luxury purchases, celebrity missteps have become instant cultural talking points. Every celebrity slip-up becomes an immediate discourse, from Kim Kardashian’s nail extension flying across the Met Gala carpet to Mark Hamill’s pants falling down whilst presenting the BAFTAs, and Georgina Rodriguez’s flashy engagement ring.

But why are the media so quick to jump on this, and why do we follow suit?

When in reality we don’t really know these celebrities, we simply read what we see online and think we know everything about them

Part of the reason why we are so invested in celebrities’ bad behaviours can be seen through basic human psychology. For example, the social comparison theory, which puts forward the idea that we enjoy seeing those perceived as ‘above us’ fall from power, restoring a sense of fairness. Watching a celebrity make a bad decision – be it overspending, being arrested, or having a wardrobe malfunction – offers an alternative side to the glossy perfection we often see online. The fact that we form somewhat of a para-social relationship with what we see online means that any misstep made feels strangely intimate, almost as if a friend has slipped up. When in reality we don’t really know these celebrities, we simply read what we see online and think we know everything about them. It is this emotional closeness which makes the failures of celebrities more compelling and sometimes even more satisfying to watch.

Outrage and controversy have also become more ‘clickable’, and unfortunately, outperform positivity in metrics. Celebrity misbehaviour is cheap content with guaranteed engagement. This 24/7 cycle demands constant drama, allowing for controversial behaviours and mishaps to become a renewable resource. Ultimately, making the lines between entertainment and news blurry, nowadays celebrity gossip is treated with the same seriousness as a political scandal.

Not only do press incentives shape what we see, so does the use of social media platforms. Almost all celebrities are now in control of their own platforms leading to more unfiltered behaviours. For example, Tana Mongeau who has made a name for herself though her outrageously wild stories and public persona. ‘Shamelessness’ has almost become a marketing and branding tool, as controversy now means visibility, and visibility and relevance go hand in hand. As a society we reward and praise boldness, unfiltered posts and an “I don’t care” attitude, encouraging celebrities to lean into excess and hence attracting vast media attention.  This pressure to remain culturally relevant has meant that celebrities have had to force themselves to push boundaries in increasingly outrageous ways.

As long as a scandal generates clicks, likes and shares celebrity shamelessness will only escalate

We now live in a culture that glamourises excess: luxury hauls, quiet luxury, and billionaire culture, making such extremes feel normal. Post Covid-19 pandemic and the current cost of living crisis has made people far more sensitive to displays of wealth, intensifying the flashback that celebrities face. The public expects celebrities to show humility or responsibly but react when this is not achieved. This rise in authentic culture and claiming to want more ‘real’ celebrities has led to us also criticising and punishing celebrities when that reality is unflattering.

Our fixation on celebrity missteps reveals far more about us than it does about the stars themselves. Their controversies are deep rooted in psychology and are amplified by a media ecosystem that thrives on outrage and mishaps within a culture that glamorises excess whilst also demanding authenticity. As long as a scandal generates clicks, likes and shares celebrity shamelessness will only escalate. In the end this cycle of being invested in celebrities’ bad behaviours only persists because it serves all that are involved: the stars in front of the camera gain visibility, the media has a flow of engagement and as audience we gain a spectacle that we can’t seem to look away from.