I'm (obviously) not sure if this is related, but I know my brain has its own ideas about utility: I can easily recall the names of all seven castaways, and many actor's names in general, but I have to write down the names of people I worked with for two years so I can recall them later. And I can feel this messed-up sense of utility: even though I know in the abstract that real people's names are far more important,…
IMHO one remembers the names of celebrities because the TV has hacked ones brain.