Misc Post #1- The Celebrity Culture in Aspen

I was in Aspen this weekend, and it seems as though the celebrity culture has completely taken over that place. I grew up in Los Angeles, so I am incredibly interconnected to celebrity culture and wannabe starlets. Los Angeles, particularly Beverly Hills, is associated with wealth, snobbery, and of course celebrity (since being a celebrity partially entitles you to be both wealty and snobby).

Aspen used to be a place of extraordinary natural beauty. While it still is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, it is now a hotspot destination for the rich and famous. Even though I saw no celebrities while I was there, it was clear that the many celebrities who have visited Aspen have left their mark (and probably have marked their territory). Pictures of celebrities in Aspen were on almost every wall of each restaurant and store I went into. The most interesting celebrity that kept popping up was the infamous Mariah Carey.

Mariah Carey is known for her over-the-top, diva behavior. Her obnoxious and arrogant persona has clearly dribbled into the personality of Aspen. The people were clad head to toe in shiny Montcler jackets ($1500 a pop) and I have never seen so many fur coats (all floor length, all probably close to $10,000). "Celebrity" can be so closely associated with entitlement and snobbery, and I think this is incredibly unfortunate. I was in one of the most beautiful, remote places in the world, and all I could think was, "Get me out of here!"