"I guess I can start. I think celebrities earn way too much money."

"Really? Like, even celebrities who do a lot to help people?"

"Yeah, like Oprah?"

"Or like Bill and Melinda Gates?"

"I'm not sure Bill and Melinda Gates count as celebrities…"

"And even if they were celebrities, they're more the exception than the rule."

"What do you mean they're 'more the exception than the rule'?"

"Well, think about it. Most celebriteis aren't known for their generosity."

"Yeah, instead they're known for arbitrary things. Like being attractive."

"Or for being born to parents who own hotel chains."

"Well, hold on. We're aren't saying that all celebrities are valuable to society."

"Right, we're just saying that generally speaking, celebrities are more valuable to society than the average joe."

"Valuable in what ways, though?"

"Well, there are a bunch. Maybe they have entertainment value."

"Yeah, or really rare talents."

"Or maybe they're famous for being really good role models."

"This is all beside the point, though. The question was't whether celebrities have value."

"Right, the question was whether anyone deserves to make as much money as celebrities do."

"And you don't think anyone does?"

"No way! Not when poverty rates are through the roof."

"Or when people with obviously valuable jobs, like teachers, make as little as they do."

"Or when one of the most common reasons someone becomes famous is whether they happen to be born to a family with money."

"Look, we aren't saying that teachers should earn as little money as they do."

"And we also aren't saying that people should get to become celebrities because their parents are rich."

"Then what are you saying?"

"That groups of people should get to decide who they value."

"And that the people they value should get to make more money than the people they don't."

"At least in principle."

"But we aren't talking about hypothetical situations, here."

"Yeah, we're talking about our answers to the question of whether actual celebrities are earning too much money."

"We get that. But you have to consider the big picture."

"We are considering the big picture."

"And we're saying that most celebrities aren't as valuable as you're pretending."

"Or at least, we're saying that they aren't so much more valuable than all the people they out-earn."

"But we're just small groups of people."

"And celebrity value isn't determined by what small groups of people think. It's determined by what everyone thinks."

"Celebrities are overpaid. Plain and simple."

"Would you apply that thinking to all celebrities?"

"Even people like Serena Williams?"

"Yeah, or people like Kate Middleton and Prince William?"

"Members of the Royal Family aren't exactly celebrities…"

"Plus, that kind of behavior is pretty unusual for celebrities, don't you think?"

"What do you mean 'pretty unusual'?"

"The vast majority of celebrities don't have much social value."

"Most celebrities just live lavish lifestyles and show off their wealth."

"Or they get famous on twitter for taking selfies in expensive clothes."

"We don't mean to say that all celebrities are famous for legitimate reasons."

"We just mean that most of the time, more valuable people tend to be more famous."

"What do you even mean by 'valuable'?"

"Maybe they're incredible athletes, or maybe they're generous with their wealth."

"Yeah, or maybe they stand up for what they believe in."

"Some of them are famous for building up their communities."

"But you're distracting us from the actual question, here."

"Yeah, we weren't asked whether famous people were ever helpful or good…"

"And you disagree with us?"

"Of course! Celebrities earn ten times more than they should."

"Especially when you consider how much the top 1 percent makes."

"Or when you consider how little the rest of the country makes."

"Hold on. No one here is saying that the rest of the country should make as little as they do."

"Also, no one is saying that top 1 percenters should be as outrageously wealthy as they are."

"Ok, then what exactly is the point you're trying to get across?"

"The point is that society itself should get to decide who is and is not valuable."

"Right, and the more valuable the person, the more reasonable it is for them to earn a lot of money."

"At least that's how it ought to work."

"But we aren't talking about how thing ought to work. We're talking about how they do work."

"Yeah, we're talking about the fact that celebrities are way overpaid in this country, especially compared to the average citizen."

"Look, we hear you. But you're not hearing us."

"We hear you loud and clear."

"And we're saying that the amount of money celebrities earn is a huge problem in society."

"A huge problem, indeed."

"But it isn't up to us to decide whether this is a 'huge problem'!"

"Right, it's up to the country to decide whether or not this is a problem."