Welcome to the celebrity world. A large chunk of Americans spends their time living vicariously through their idols. Everyday life revolves around what gossip magazines such as People, InTouch and Star print on their covers and the scandalous photos that draw attention while waiting in incredibly long grocery lines.

Whether it’s Brad and Jenn, Bennifer or Bennifer II (Affleck and Garner, that is), the public can’t seem to get their fill of these quasi-relationships that last as long as horrible music trends such as The Macarena. But despite celebrities wanting the paparazzi to stay out of their personal lives, a few minutes later they’re parading the new love interest on the red carpet with millions watching from the comfort of their couch.

The extent of this obsession has infused with another national pastime, reality TV. VH1’s entire Sunday night lineup is dedicated to former celebs living in a house or the full-figured icons struggling to lose a few inches. Apparently, even the semi-famous (Carey Hart) and those whose 15 minutes of fame ended more than two years ago (Omarosa) can still force people to watch aimlessly for countless hours.

But in the celebrity world, there’s nothing that beats the news of two superstars joining together. The gossip-obsessed population went crazy when news broke of Brad Pitt courting Jennifer Aniston. Prepubescent teens everywhere cried out when it leaked that Britney Spears and *NSYNC singer Justin Timberlake had begun making beautiful music with one another.

But if there’s one thing better than two celebs dating, it’s when they go through a very dirty, very public falling out. Bennifer was the talk of town and was plastered on the cover of magazines across the globe. The couple sent the paparazzi into overdrive as their every move was chronicled through camera lenses. The power couple couldn’t catch a break, though, as the two films that Bennifer collaborated on (Gigli and Jersey Girl) tanked at the box office.

Despite rumors of an ever-changing wedding date, the couple ultimately collapsed, with each partner quickly finding a shoulder to cry on. Lopez rushed to the arms of salsa singer Marc Anthony, and Affleck found love in the arms of ass-kicking TV heroine Jennifer Garner. And through all the turmoil, the trusty Entertainment Tonight and interchangeable gossip magazines were there to retell the heartbreak in great detail.

It’s amazing to see how many people know more about the relationships of strangers than the ones they’re involved in. The personal, intimate tidbits of famous couples have become public information, and the relationships that avoid the limelight stand the strongest chance of survival in a society with an unnatural fascination with these doomed mergers. In the celebrity world, most of these relationship are more of a business merger than an actual loving, nurturing relationship.