So, I was watching “Access Hollywood” last night … I mean, um, before I could change the channel, I saw this segment on “Access Hollywood” about how the newlyweds from Fox’s “Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire” are probably going to split up.

Apparently, he used to beat up one of his girlfriends, and she claims that because she’s a Christian she was never married in the eyes of God.

I’m no theologian, but I’m pretty sure God gets Fox, lady.

Like many Americans who happened to be watching “Access Hollywood,” I asked myself, “If they can’t make it, is there hope for any of us?”

Then something strange happened. The Millionaire piece ended, and a segment on Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones began. One of the biggest celebrity weddings in years bumped from the top spot by a rich abuser and a gold-digger? What’s the world coming to?

We are fixated with celebrities and for a long time we have defined celebrities as movie stars, rock stars and athletes. In the last year, however, ordinary people have begun achieving celebrity status in huge numbers.

“Who Wants to be a Millionaire” is still consistently the highest-rated show on television (unless ER can keep killing off cast members). The big winners on “Millionaire” have their faces splashed all over “Extra!,” People and other trashy celebrity tag-alongs.

At this rate, it won’t be long before nobody knows whom Demi Moore is sleeping with and Jim Carrey will walk down the street without turning a single head.

The possible ramifications for the newly deified everyman are even more amazing. Imagine watching Barbara Walters interview your neighbor, Gus. Or what about opening a “Nude Celebrity” site on the Internet and finding pictures of your 10th-grade English teacher Mrs. Flanagan.

Anything can happen when John Q. Public becomes a celebrity. Imagine emerging from dinner at Denny’s to a wave of paparazzi, or having people regularly stop you on the street and ask “aren’t you that guy that works at Jiffy Lube?”

These examples may seem silly, but this is what we are approaching. The average “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” contestant’s only real accomplishment is being able to chronologically arrange a series of Burt Reynolds’ films faster than a few other people.

Honestly, I think the public’s fascination with ordinary people may be a good thing.

Far too many people spend their lives looking up to celebrities. They set their watch by “Entertainment Tonight,” tape Princess Di’s funeral and actually collect every series of TV Guide covers.

It really is sad to see so many people believe that Elizabeth Taylor is somehow better than them. Our society recognizes people like Elizabeth Taylor who have talents in certain areas, usually acting, sports or music.

The result is a society of people with an extreme inferiority complex. Even people who never aspired to be actors or musicians themselves feel inferior to those who are. Where’s the logic in that?

Just because you don’t happen to possess the talents that are lauded by the public at large doesn’t mean that you’re not a talented person. There are plenty of talented social workers in the world who will probably never make the cover of Newsweek.

There’s nothing wrong with going to see your favorite actor’s latest movie. Everything else about their life has no bearing on yours whatsoever.

My dream is that eventually, people will ask “what’s the big deal with these instant, ‘Who Wants to something or other’ celebrities?” The answer is nothing. Guess what, there’s no big deal about Michael Douglas and Catherine Z to the J, either.

Gossip about random people who happen onto game shows is just as valid as gossip about the stars, and hopefully seeing enough ordinary people like themselves will make people realize that they are no better and no worse than the so-called “stars.”

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Ben Godar is a senior in sociology from Ames. He is assistant arts & entertainment editor for the Daily and totally doesn’t watch “Access Hollywood” on a regular basis. He swears.