Dorian Gray's Celebrity Culture: The Dark Side of Fame

“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

You might think The Picture of Dorian Gray is just some old, dusty novel your English teacher made you read. You're right! But also wrong! Because it’s basically Oscar Wilde’s 19th-century version of a reality TV show, which exposes all the messed-up things about fame that we’re still dealing with today. I mean, sure, on the surface, it’s a Gothic horror story about a guy who stays young while his portrait gets all gross and twisted, but dig a little deeper, and it’s a dead-on critique of celebrity culture. Swap out Victorian high society for Instagram influencers, and suddenly, Dorian’s obsession with eternal youth and public adoration doesn’t seem so far off from our own obsession with filters, follower counts, and curated perfection. Wilde basically predicted the chaos of modern fame over a hundred years ago, and honestly? It’s kind of terrifying how spot-on he was.

The Birth of a Celebrity

Dorian Gray’s rise to fame isn’t all that different from how influencers and celebrities blow up today. Dude had two things going for him: a killer jawline and the fact that he was young and hot. In Victorian England, that was basically the golden ticket to being the It Guy of high society. Sound familiar? Fast-forward to 2023, and nothing’s really changed except now, instead of aristocratic salons, it’s TikTok and Instagram deciding who gets famous overnight based on who fits the current beauty standard.

But here’s where things take a dark turn. Dorian doesn’t just rely on good genes and charm, because he makes a literal deal with the devil (well, a cursed painting, but same vibe) to stay young and gorgeous forever. Think of it as the Victorian version of getting way too much Botox, filler, and Facetune except instead of just looking a little frozen, he’s trading his actual soul for eternal hotness. And honestly? That’s not even the craziest part. The real horror is how relatable it feels in today’s world, where people will do anything to stay relevant and camera-ready, even if it means losing themselves in the process.

The Ugly Truth Behind the Perfect Selfie

What makes this story slap is the way Wilde forces us to see the real cost of chasing perfection. On the outside, Dorian’s living his best life: partying nonstop, charming everyone he meets, and basically becoming Victorian London’s favorite himbo. But behind closed doors? His portrait, the one that’s supposed to age while he stays flawless, starts morphing into this grotesque, twisted version of himself, and reflecting all the awful stuff he’s doing while his public image stays pristine.

And that’s the genius of the metaphor. It’s exactly what happens in celebrity culture today. The Instagram feed stays curated and flawless, all golden-hour selfies and #blessed captions, while behind the scenes, the real person might be struggling, burning out, or completely losing touch with who they really are. We’ve seen it play out in real life way too many times: stars who seem to "have it all" suddenly crashing under the pressure, or influencers who spend so much time performing perfection that they forget how to just exist. Dorian’s portrait is like the original version of a finsta except instead of just being a private spam account, it’s a full-on horror show of his decaying soul.

Society's Impossible Standards

Here's where Wilde gets really smart about dissecting fame culture. Dorian Gray doesn’t just wake up one morning and decide, "You know what? I wanna be famous." Nope. Society makes him that way. Victorian England was obsessed with appearances like, "If you’re not rich, hot, and well-connected, do you even exist?" levels of obsessed. So when Dorian shows up looking like a Greek god with perfect manners, high society basically goes, "This one. This is our guy," and turns him into their golden boy.

Sound familiar? Because hello, that’s exactly what happens today. Social media, tabloids, and fan culture don’t just follow celebrities, because they also create them, sculpting them into whatever fantasy version of "perfect" we’re obsessed with this week. One minute you’re a normal person, the next, you’re shoved into the spotlight and expected to be flawless 24/7.

The Celebrity Trap

Fast-forward to today, and nothing’s changed except now, the pressure is worse. Celebrities aren’t just supposed to be talented or good-looking; they’ve gotta be role models, activists, fashion icons, and relatable besties all while never having a single bad day. God forbid they snap at a paparazzo or post an unflattering pic, because the internet will cancel them before you can say "PR crisis."

Wilde called this over a century ago. We love putting famous people on pedestals, worshipping them like they’re not human and then, the second they show any sign of being a real person (with flaws, emotions, and bad days), we turn on them like, "How dare you disappoint us?" It’s a rigged game. Celebrities today are trapped in the same cycle Dorian was, expected to be perfect, then punished when they can’t live up to the impossible fantasy we created for them.

The worst part? We know it’s toxic. We know no one can actually be that perfect. But we keep doing it anyway. Wilde’s basically sitting in the afterlife like, "Told you so."

Fame's Double-Edged Sword

Oscar Wilde isn’t just some old-timey hater yelling, "Fame bad! Stay humble!" from his Victorian porch. Nah, he gets why fame is so intoxicating. Like, imagine thousands of people screaming your name, hanging on your every word, treating you like you’re some kind of god, yeah, that’d give anyone a power rush. Dorian lives for that high. The validation, the influence, the way he can basically do whatever he wants because, hey, he’s Dorian Gray, and who’s gonna stop him?

But fame isn’t just confetti and red carpets. It’s exhausting. It’s like being trapped in a never-ending performance where you’re always "on," always playing a character. Real friendships? Hard to come by when everyone wants something from you. Authenticity? Good luck keeping that when you’re constantly molding yourself to fit what people want you to be. Over time, the real you starts to fade, replaced by this hollow, polished version that pleases the crowd.

The Downward Spiral

For Dorian, fame is an addiction. The more people adore him, the more he craves that high, and the further he’s willing to go to keep it. And that’s where things get real dark. He starts chasing bigger thrills, doing worse things, all because that initial rush of attention isn’t enough anymore. It’s a vicious cycle: the more he loses himself, the more he needs the fame to fill the void.

Sound familiar? Because we’ve seen this exact storyline play out in real life way too many times. Child stars who grow up in the spotlight and spiral once the applause fades. Influencers who start out posting fun, relatable content but end up completely burnt out or worse, unraveling in real time for the world to gawk at. The saddest part? We love watching the downfall. We’ll cheer when someone rises to fame, then grab popcorn when they crash and burn. 

The Social Media Mirror

If Wilde were writing today, Dorian's portrait would probably be his Instagram account. We curate our online personas just like Dorian maintained his public image, by showing only the highlight reel while hiding our struggles, failures, and ordinary human moments. The portrait ages and decays while Dorian stays beautiful. Our real lives get messier while our feeds stay perfect.

The parallel is almost too obvious: we're all mini-Dorians now, seeking validation through likes and comments, carefully managing our digital selves while our authentic selves sometimes get lost in the process.

The Price of Perfection

What makes The Picture of Dorian Gray so haunting is how it reveals the true cost of our fame obsession. Dorian gets everything he thinks he wants like eternal youth, beauty, and adoration, but loses his humanity in the process. His story is like a warning about what happens when we prioritize image over substance, appearance over character.

Modern celebrities face mental health crises at alarming rates, often struggling with the same issues Dorian faces: the pressure to be perfect, the loss of privacy, and the difficulty of maintaining authentic relationships when everyone wants something from you.

Why This Still Matters

This book remains relevant because it forces us to examine our role in celebrity culture. We're not just passive observers here, because we're active participants in creating the impossible standards that destroy the people we claim to admire. Every time we dissect a celebrity's appearance, criticize their choices, or demand perfection from them, we're contributing to the same toxic system that consumed Dorian Gray.

This book challenges us to think about what we really value. Is the temporary thrill of fame worth sacrificing your authentic self? And as consumers of celebrity culture, what responsibility do we have for the people we put on pedestals?

It's a mirror reflecting our own obsessions back at us. In a world where everyone can be famous for fifteen minutes (or fifteen seconds on TikTok), this feels more urgent than ever. Maybe it's time we learned from Dorian's mistakes before we all end up with our own hidden portraits, rotting away while we smile for the cameras.

(The Picture of Dorian Gray adalah gambaran dunia ketenaran dan konsekuensinya yang tak lekang oleh waktu. Saat kita mengikuti perjalanan Dorian, mau tidak mau kita akan melihat bagaimana hal itu mencerminkan tantangan yang dihadapi selebriti modern saat ini. Buku ini membuat kita berpikir tentang gambaran yang kita lihat online dan tekanan untuk menyesuaikan diri dengan gagasan kesempurnaan dari masyarakat. Pesan Wilde telah melampaui zaman Victoria, tetap melekat pada kita saat kita merenungkan naik turunnya ketenaran dan apa artinya menjadi manusia.)