Pop idols are celebrities who burn brighter than regular stars. If a star is someone you can recognize on the street, an idol is someone who will cause a stir at a public appearance.
Without fans, an idol is just an ordinary person, like you and me. As Reese Witherspoon once said while announcing the Oscar for best make – up, movie stars look just like people in documentaries (纪录片) if you see them without make – up.
I was once invited to a private party where about half of the guests were stars and the other half entertainment reporters. Guess what? The good – looking ones were the reporters because they tend to be young, and they glow without make – up.
Some idols are born; some are made. Most idols are created by a machine called the entertainment industry. They may have some charms and talent, but not enough to become famous. They are the raw material out of which a star, or even an idol, is made. An army of behind – the – scenes assistants will hype (炒作) or even make up their virtues and hide their shortcomings.
Paris Hilton is the kind of star who possesses no real talent buy yet is quite well – known. This is the result of endless hype. If you are thrust into the limelight often enough, you can become a celebrity without having any talent.
Television contest shows create a much fairer more transparent (透明的) platform where young people can compete and showcase their talent. The soap opera is another platform for idol making. These drama series are long, giving an actor much needed exposure. The actors and actresses are always well – lit, made up and beautifully dressed. Now all they need is some good dialogue from the scriptwriter (编剧).

偶像是比普通明星更火更亮的名人。如果说明星是一个你走在街上就可以认出的人，那么偶像在公开场合露面就将造成轰动。
没有粉丝，偶像只是一个像你我一样的平凡人。正如丽丝·威瑟斯彭曾经在宣布奥斯卡最佳化妆奖获得者时说过，如果电影明星不化妆，他们就像纪录片里的人一样。
我曾应邀去过一个私人聚会，其中大约一半的客人是明星，而另一半则是娱记。结果呢？那些长得好看的是记者，因为他们往往看起来年轻，而且他们的气色不是化妆化出来的。
一些偶像是天生的；另一些是炒作出来的。大多数偶像是由一台叫做娱乐行业的机器所制造出来的。他们可能有一些魅力和才华，但不足以成名。他们是制造明星甚至偶像的原料。舞台的后面有一个团队的助理在为他们炒作，甚至假造他们的美德并隐藏他们的缺点。
帕丽斯·希尔顿就是那种没有真正才华，却众所周知的明星。这就是无休止炒作的结果。如果你被闪光灯曝光的频率足够高，你就能成为一个名人而无需任何才华。
电视竞赛节目为年轻人竞争并展现才华创造了一个更公平更透明的平台。肥皂剧则是另一个制造偶像平台。这些电视剧很长，所以给了演员急需的曝光率。这些演员往往处在柔和的灯光下，妆容齐整，穿着优美。现在，他们所需要的仅仅是编剧赋予的经典台词了。