If you really want to know how important celebrity news is all you have to do is spend time listening to the news from the weekend’s National Football League national anthem times. As the President continues to tweet his opinions about players and coaches standing for the national anthem the rest of the world simply seems to wondering whether or not the Commander-in-Chief can move on from the sports celeb news and address the need of the people in Puerto Rico as they struggle to survive the effects of a devastating hurricane.

Whether it is for celeb news about professional athletes or black entertainment news about musicians who are helping raise money for those in need, the latest celebrity news is often a needed distraction from the seriousness of natural disasters and world leaders arguing over the use of nuclear weapons. When the current administration, however, continues to make social media posts about celebrities and athletes, however, the lines between what is news and what is the most important can sometimes blur.
Consider some of these statistics about the entertainment industry and some of the most popular news items that make their way into the newspaper:

• $500 billion is the amount of spending power that the hip hop demographics are able to contribute to the American economy every year.
• $6.94 million people in the U.S. visited rhythm and blues, rap, and hip-hop concerts within a period of 12 months leading up to the spring of 2008.
• With an annual income of $300 million in 2014-2015, Floyd Mayweather was the highest celebrity earner.
• Given that nearly all of his films have grossed over $100 million, Will Smith is one of the film industry’s most highly paid actors.
• A 2011 Harvard Business School study concluded that signing a big-name endorser increases a company’s sale by $10 million a year and spurs a 0.25% increase in stock returns.
• $3 billion is the combined annual revenue for the celebrity gossip industry.

Whether you are someone who looks forward to reading the headlines about the President’s latest tweets or you are someone who is looking forward to entertainment news as a distraction from the difficult world news that fills the air and the internet, celebrity news captures the attention of many.