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As Luce (? the guy with the monkey data) implies, I think the thing about celebrity culture is that it's a `super-normal stimulus' for our natural inclination to spend some time every day socializing. But I also think (as many have said) it can become an obsession. Like Arthur, mine is more for news/politics than celebrity. I think this means I get enough social stimuli in my normal life, but when I'm working I'm often looking for something that might reset my own priorities, especially when they are getting tedious at the moment. (I think expecting the news to do this is a post Sept 11 thing -- I think as upsetting as that was, it was also a rush that made us all feel special & fragile and start valuing our families more --- there's apparently an associated baby boom!)
Enough theory, the cure for this kind of obsession I've found is just putting the right kind of things in front of myself. Just like not having cookies in the house so I won't eat them. Find websites with really fantastic, inspiring poetry (or biographies of poets -- even Wikipidia will serve there!) and put these on your bookmarks lists right by all your celebrity links. Then, when you're procastinating (we all need a break sometimes!) it's more likely you'll remember and/or choose to click on something that will help you with your work than something that's a pure sponge.
