Los Angeles, Aug 19 (IANS) Actor Ricky Gervais has hit out at the modern obsession with fame and says celebrity culture is responsible for the dumbing down of society.
The 55-year-old, is shocked by modern society's obsession with fame and the effect it has had on people's behaviour, and he believes that social media trolling has directly come from it, reports mirror.co.uk.
"There's no difference now between fame and infamy. I don't know where it's going to end. We've got trolls which are rewarded with a column in a newspaper. People would rather be laughed at and despised than not be known. They need to go, 'I was here'," Gervais said.
"People want a voice and they get desperate and go, 'Look at me.' Serial killers want to be famous. Not all celebrities are terrible. But it's often the ones who shout loudest that get heard. I think it is quite dangerous," he added.
The comedian also claimed that talent shows like "The X Factor" are to blame for people's increased interest in becoming famous, describing music moghul Simon Cowell's show as a con.
"We're all victims of it. We are conned all the time. When people go on 'The X Factor', they know deep down it's a lie. They know that for every one person that's got a career, 10,000 are back in the shoe shop. It's the same mentality as people playing the lottery. They think, 'Someone's going to win it, it might be me', " Gervais said.
"Everybody wants to be famous. Now, anyone can get on television if you're willing to either be good or make an absolute prat of yourself," he added.
Gervais also hit out at the success of the Kardashian family, insisting the actions of Kim Kardashian West and her sisters do not set a good example to young people.
"If a little girl sees Kim Kardashian making 50 million pounds from just being herself, why is that little girl going to train to be a doctor?" he said.
