As heavy as celebrities’ sumptuously slathered plates might be, they are solidly outweighed by the degree of their thoughtless actions’ impact on impressionable fans.
Having a personal shopper, chef and butler must be such a burden, and receiving designer duds two seasons before they even hit the fashion week runways is probably very inconvenient. Earning millions of dollars for mediocre and unrefined talents must really make life tough. And those get-out-of-jail-free cards? They sound like a real pain in the ass.
Amy Winehouse’s recent paparazzi freak-out only reignited our skepticisms regarding less than decent celebrity behavior. And Paris recent rendezvous with her ex? We wouldn’t expect anything less from Hollywood’s first lady of bad behavior. And the media are way too hard on poor, little, underage Miley for her indecent pictures and 20-year-old underwear model boyfriend.
Let’s face it, celebrities complain about how difficult their lives are, how harsh the media can be to them and how they’ve missed out on “normal” things in life, but should we really empathize with their petty complaints? While they bitch over their lack of privacy, many other Americans are bitching about their lack of employment.
Really, we wish we could feel badly about that recent DUI, but are we supposed to believe that you couldn’t afford a driver for the night? It’s amazing, you can hire someone to buy your cocaine and weed for you, but a driver must be too darn expensive. And that $300-plus bottle of Cristal was necessary at the club, but the $13 dollar cab ride home wasn’t?
It just seems impossible to feel sorry for someone whose fame, or shall we say infamy, is not based on anything substantial. If Aretha Franklin had a wild night on the town, we might just let it slide — she is the “Queen of Soul” after all. If Frank Sinatra went a little crazy one night, we might overlook his lapse in judgment. But for repeat offenders like Paris and Lindsay, their talent does not outweigh their bad behavior.
Panty-less excursions, driving violations, cocaine possession, head-shaving, paparazzi attacking and blink-and-you-might-miss-it marriages are just a few of the many spectacles that have transitioned Hollywood into a modern celebrity culture.
If one sex tape and a semi-hit (mainly miss) song can grant you a get-out-of-jail-free card for easily avoidable mistakes, we need to step back and re-evaluate our celebrity culture and what makes so many idolize these public figures. The glorification of unruly behavior has allowed many undeserving individuals (think: Tila Tequila and New York — what are their real names anyway?) to become famous and capitalize off of our cultural obsession with spectacles.
And while we try to put ourselves in their shoes (or stilettos), we cannot disregard the fact that they chose their profession. Just as doctors know when they are entering their profession they will deal with blood, celebrities know that they will garner public interest and live under the microscope. Like doctors, celebrities are not perfect, but we all know that when doctors make mistakes, they don’t try to capitalize on them like celebs might. A doctor’s mistake is apologized for, not sold on DVD for the public’s viewing pleasure. If a doctor makes a serious mistake, his or her career is, in many cases, virtually over. But if a celebrity makes a mistake it does quite the opposite; it can boost their careers and make them household names. After all, any publicity is good publicity, right?
Some celebs, such as Jordin Sparks, Carrie Underwood and Rihanna separate their personal and professional lives, maintain upright images and continue to be positive figures for their younger fans. Maybe Miley and Lindsay can take a few pointers from their more well-respected, scandal-free colleagues.
Nina Tyler and Molly Marie Canales are sophomores majoring in English and print journalism, respectively.
‘Celebrity’ not a synonym for ‘untouchability’
Misbehaving celebrities need to realize their impact upon young fans — and change.
Published: Thursday, December 4, 2008
Updated: Thursday, December 4, 2008
3 comments
Taylor
So true, yet many refuse to see this truth. I applaud you for actually sticking up for your opinion unlike many others who allow themselves to be silenced.Keep sticking up for what you believe, and never will the outcome fail you.
maciel
whoever wrote this is the man ! or woman ! so true !!
Steph
I definitely agree!
