True Life: I'm Addicted to Celebrity Culture (It's not what you think)

Not Them

Them

I admit, the title to this post may be misleading. I do not deny that I am obsessed with celebrity culture. But make no mistake, I do not worship at the alter of the vapid. I respect celebrities for the projects they pick, the integrity they retain outside of their films, and the quality of their work. To me, movie making is art and actors are artists. So in my mind, being obsessed with Fincher or Burton is akin to someone liking Van Gogh or da Vinci; its all art, just in different mediums.
So what form does my obsession come in? The normal, obnoxious, movie snob variety. I can rattle off Oscar nominees, directors' past projects, and even composers with relative ease. After ever watching every film I read every single thing there is to know about the movie via http://www.imdb.com and then repeat them to anyone who will listen.
However, at the same time, my obsession goes a bit further than average. I don’t just follow casting and production news, I also follow the private lives of celebrities as well. I follow the hook-ups/ break-ups/ marriages/ arguments of stars like brokers follow the stock market. I pride myself on being able to give the name and ages of all of Angelina's children and their countries of origin. To me, knowing about the lives of the people in the film enhances the viewing experience. I find it fun to say, “can you believe how well so-and-so did in this film despite the break-up he/she was going through” or “the chemistry these two have is so easy to see, it’s no wonder they got together shortly after the film was released.”
It is a hobby of mine, the same way guys collect stats from their favorite teams, I collect information from my favorite celebrities. I was giddy with excitement over the news of Natalie's pregnancy/engagement and titter with excitement over the potential Sandra/Ryan romance. People find it odd that in conversation I refer to celebrities by their first names like we're old friends. And to me, we are. I've followed so many of these people's lives from an early age (I'm looking at you Dan, Emma, and Rupert) that I feel a connection to them. This makes me enjoy films even more. Plus, I love being that girl who's a know it all when it comes to films. My friends sometimes wait to watch movies with me because they want to know my reactions and opinions.
 I want to know if its the same for all you movie fans out there. Do you care what actors are married (or married to directors, one of my favorite combinations) or is something that you find boring? Do you think actors' personal lives affect their films? Comment below!