The shift was accelerated by the arrival of moving pictures. Between 1901 and 1914, 74 percent of the magazine articles about famous people were about political leaders, inventors, professionals, and businessmen. After 1922, however, most articles were about movie stars.

With the arrival of television, the faces of the stars became as familiar as those we saw across the breakfast table. We came to know more about the lives of the celebrities than we did about most of the people we know personally. Less than seventy years after the first appearance of the moving pictures, the shift from hero-worship to celebrity-worship was completed.

Today an appearance on a television talk show is the ultimate proof of "making it " in America. Actually, the term "talk show" is misleading. Celebrities do not appear on such a program because of an actual desire --- or ability --- to talk, but simply to gain recognition, and prove, merely by showing up, that they are "somebody."

Being a guest on a talk show does not require qualities of wit, eloquence, brilliance, insight, or intelligence. A former talent coordinator for "the Tonight Show," says that when he would ask a scheduled guest, "What would you like to talk to the host about?" the reply he got most often was, "Have him ask me anything." This, he says, usually meant, "I am a typical Hollywood actor, so I have never had an original thought and I have nothing to say of any interest to anyone anywhere."

Most host are grateful just to get someone who will fill the room with sound. One talk show coordinator comments, "We look for the guest who is sure to talk no matter what. Ten seconds of silence appears very awkward on television; thirty seconds is disastrous. A guest who's got to think about everything he says before he opens his mouth is a ratings nightmare."

This kind of attitude rewards smooth, insincere talk, and makes hesitancy look like stupidity.

"We couldn't have George Washington on our show," says one talent coordinator. "He might have been first in the hearts of his countrymen, but today he'd be dragging his bottom in the ratings."

 （一）常用动词及短语

 （二）常用习惯用语

 show up  出现，露面

 somebody  重要人物，大人物

 come to realize  认识到

 make it  成功，达到目标

 fill…with  使…充满

 moving picture  电影

 accelerate  加速，促进

 be sure to do  一定要，肯定会