Why does someone that looks good (in the right light and make up) but doesn't have two brain cells to rub together get paid millions for a movie deal (even if they can't act)? Why do even dumber football stars get paid even more? Double if they've got a paternity suit or killed someone in the past?
Why also are teachers, nurses and other public servants that actually contribute to our quality of life paid so little?
My life is richer when I'm not watching brainless celebs and sports stars on TV and I could live my life 100% without any of them. I would not be living my happy comfortable life, however, if it wasn't for teachers / nurses and other public servants.
Someone help me understand why completely useless dreggs of society get paid so much. Please.
A measure of the quality of life is not confined to the 'better' things in life.
Most people feel the need to relax, have fun and dream a little. Sometimes this is a reward for having done well, for others this may be an escape from not having everything they might wish.
The argument for paying celebrities / sports stars huge amounts of money is fairly simple. Put those people on the screen / field and huge numbers will pay to watch, replace them with people with 98% of their 'talents' and hardly anyone will watch.
A teacher or nurse touches the life of hundreds of people, celebs reach tens of millions.
Another thing to remember is that having money through celebrity also has a burden. First, on a personal level public adoration is like an addiction, it is very difficult to deal with 'lows' after the 'highs' of performing. This is a major cause of the drug dependencies found in non-sports celebs - just look at rock stars.
Secondly, 'people' extract a price for their adoration. Celebrities become public property and have little or no private life unless they are very, very lucky.
No celeb (with any future) will complain about stuff they need to do while in their public persona. Tom Cruise is a good example - will sign every autograph request at a premiere - he arrives hours early to do so.
Julia Roberts explains that she makes movies because she loves it, the $25 million fees are for having to put up with the massive media and public intrusion.
The intrusion into stars private lives is because of the insatiable appetite that the paying public has for coverage of their favorites.
Only the very few very lucky or very litigious stars have a true private life.
Finally, money is only function of how much people will pay - supply and demand.
If the world only had a few thousand teachers, nurses (I hesitate at public servants ;-)) perhaps they would be the superstars being paid the huge amounts of money?