Status-Conscious Monkeys Shed Light on Celeb Obsession

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2005 — -- Judging by the explosion of celebrity-driven media, America's obsession with the J.Los and Bens, Brads, Jennifers, Marthas and Donalds seems to have never been greater.

Actress Angelina Jolie criticized the public's fascination with the famous and influential on ABC News' "Nightline" earlier this month. "Why is anybody giving any attention?" she said. "Because I made a film? Because I wore a dress to something? It's silly, and it feels very shallow."

But what if our celebrity obsession is more primal than that? Scientists at Duke University say it just might be.

Dr. Michael Platt, a neurobiologist at Duke University Medical Center, led an experiment with 12 adult male rhesus macaque monkeys that he says may help explain the fascination with celebrities like socialite Paris Hilton.

Platt conducted the experiment by offering thirsty monkeys a choice: their favorite drink, in this case Juicy Juice cherry juice, or the opportunity to look at computer images of the dominant, "celebrity" monkey of their pack.

Despite their thirst, they chose to look at the pictures.

"What is celebrity for a monkey but their status?" said Platt.

Monkeys with status have food, power and sexual magnetism -- everything the others crave. The impulse to look at these "celebrity" monkeys was so strong, it superceded thirst.

But they were not willing to give up the juice to look at pictures of subordinate monkeys, Platt found. In fact, they had to be bribed with extra juice to watch the rhesus riffraff.

Interestingly, the "celebrity" monkeys, says Platt, were just as interested in their fellow celebrities.

"A male can be at the top of his game and suddenly plummet," he said, sounding like he were describing any workplace situation. "Either if there's a new guy in town who enters the group who's high-ranking, or if his alliances fall apart, right?"

The male monkeys were also willing to pay (with more juice) to see female monkeys' hind quarters. Monkey porn? The study, after all, is called "Monkey Pay-Per-View."