Seven and a half million celebrity magazines are sold each week in America, that’s eight hundred and twenty five million pages absorbed per week. This is one way media can craft celebrities into our idols and examples of successful people. Drawing nearly as much inspiration from these figures as our own parents or teachers, we follow them as some of our strongest human influences, whether they are good, bad or bizarre. Several Blake students welcome their weirdness with open arms.

Angelo Rustichini ‘16 notices the influence among Blake students, “Whenever some male celeb comes out with a new hairstyle, you can bet 5 or 6 boys will match the next week.” And his advice to those with an affinity for celebrity culture? “Sagging should stop.”

But what other celebrities are seen all over our hallways? “Kate Middelton is the Blake classic. Leather boots, white button-ups, blue jeans. England meets Blake. For boys, it’s the Timberland Boot, like my man Kanye or Jay-Z,” Katerina Papanikolopoulos ‘17 reported on the trends she had spotted.

Apart from fashion influences, another trend has taken the nation: baby names. With famous models like Frank Zappa (Moon Unit, Diva Thin Muffin) Jermaine Jackson (Jermajesty) and Jason Lee (Pilot Inspektor), new celebrity parents and icons like Kim Kardashian (North West) and Beyoncé (Blue Ivy) are following in the experimentation.

When the endlessly contemplative question (If you were a celebrity, what name would you give your child?) was posed to Blake students, a brave few fessed up. Rustichini ‘16 shared, “Tiger Blood. Why not,” Rose Byrne ‘14 chose “Olive Oil,” and Libby Rickeman ‘17 contemplated the fate of her child, deciding on “Wenis or Gloria.” Celebrities can influence the ways we think and act. Embrace the strange things, but remember to think about your own choices.