Western celebrities aren't a form of escapism any more because they're constantly on social media breaking the illusion. They're no longer just their characters. They're real people with bad opinions and horrible takes just like the rest of us, so the illusion has been permanently dispelled.
You don't have to worry too much about an anime or video game character getting drunk and calling all their fans Nazis on Twitter because anime characters aren't real. This keeps the fantasy real. Even when writers decide that your beloved childhood character is suddenly a pedophile, you can simply dismiss it as bad writing and refuse to accept it as canon. You can't do that with an actor who embodies a role in every way.
I think another issue is that so many celebrities are increasingly so fake in everything they do. Limited life experience, limited ambition and drive, and still being paid the big bucks in spite of being soulless husks compared to some of their predecessors.
And top of that they've become the most outspoken and whiny bitches, despite being well off financially and career-wise. It's of little surprise that "influencers" and vtubers seem to command just about as much attention and respect now, comparatively.
Western celebrities aren't a form of escapism any more because they're constantly on social media breaking the illusion. They're no longer just their characters. They're real people with bad opinions and horrible takes just like the rest of us, so the illusion has been permanently dispelled.
You don't have to worry too much about an anime or video game character getting drunk and calling all their fans Nazis on Twitter because anime characters aren't real. This keeps the fantasy real. Even when writers decide that your beloved childhood character is suddenly a pedophile, you can simply dismiss it as bad writing and refuse to accept it as canon. You can't do that with an actor who embodies a role in every way.
I think another issue is that so many celebrities are increasingly so fake in everything they do. Limited life experience, limited ambition and drive, and still being paid the big bucks in spite of being soulless husks compared to some of their predecessors.
And top of that they've become the most outspoken and whiny bitches, despite being well off financially and career-wise. It's of little surprise that "influencers" and vtubers seem to command just about as much attention and respect now, comparatively.