Are They Really Role Models?
Terrance Davis
ENG122: English Composition II
Instructor Claire Edwards
June 7, 2015
A role model, by definition, is considered one looked to by others as an example to be modeled after or even imitated. There should be some hesitation looking towards Hollywood or our professional athletes for a role model for the next generation because these celebrities don’t truly understand the magnitude of the spotlight, many of the situations that these celebrities are caught in are nothing more than publicity stunts, and there should be some recognition that, though these people are famous, they are still human and completely entitled to mistakes like everyone else. It should definitely be on the shoulders of the current generation to correctly breed, groom, and nurture the upcoming youth so they can be prepared and geared towards success. The pressures and stresses of being a celebrity are quite intense due to the fact that sources of media and entertainment have grown exponentially within the past decades. “Celebrities seemingly are everywhere- television, magazines, newspapers, radio, and the Internet. Celebrities, broadly defined, are well-known individuals who receive significant media attention” (Miller, F. M., & Laczniak, G. R., 2011, pg.1). This being said, it’s nearly impossible for these individuals to make a move without it being followed, stalked, traced, and, most and probably worst of all, judged. Just as the section in an article from Newsweek Global states, “It’s difficult to be the victim of domestic abuse no matter who you are because it’s often an issue of power and control.” When these celebrities have a private situation publicized, “It becomes a re-lived experience” (Crocker, L., 2013, para. 4). Simply put, it can definitely cause a traumatic situation to intensify if it’s consistently brought up to you when you are simply just trying to overcome it and move on. This is the blurry area within the spotlight I do not believe these individuals recognize.
Unfortunately, celebrities are pretty much in a place where nothing is safe from the public eye. Also, due to the constant adulation, admiration, and obsession that comes with being famous, we’ve all but removed these individual’s ability to attempt to focus, contain, and control their situations (Crocker, L., 2013, para. 3). We all have our share of experiences and moments in life that we prefer to keep behind closed doors for multiple reasons and celebrities are no exception to this just because of their fame. In fact, due to their inability to control their privacy, these celebrities deal with substantially more stress with having their personal experiences open to the public eye. So why do we continue the pursuit of their private lives? Though it’s somewhat simple to point to the obsession or envy of these people, there are those of us who have the pleasure, or displeasure of being in a situation where it is our job to discover as much unknown or private information of celebrities and make it public. One well known organization that bears this responsibility is TMZ. TMZ is credited with breaking multiple celebrity news stories, which are picked up by the mainstream media, such as Michael Jackson’s death (June 25, 2009), Britney Spears’s divorce (November 7, 2006) and the arresting of Mel Gibson for drunk driving (July 28, 2006) (McNamara, K., 2011, pg. 8). Essentially, they are a celebrity news website that “digs up dirt” on celebrities and distributes this information worldwide. Yet another section of the spotlight these people don’t quite understand. As mentioned above, there is a monumental amount of pressure that comes with being famous, as well as remaining on top. To the point, where if you’re name isn’t consistently mentioned in the media, you’re pretty much replaced. There are cases where events are planned for public attention or marketing purposes. Commonly known as publicity stunts, celebrities find their
