The Dilemma of a Celebrity

In a time where fabricated stories are indulged like soft drinks, and tall tales are published for a quick buck, the celebrities of today face unimaginable amounts of pressure from the constant gaze of the public fueled by the watchful eye of the media.

Their actions are criticized and constantly made available to the public. Although many people feel that celebrities have a responsibility to be role models, it is not a title that should be given so freely.Society should not consider celebrities to be role models because they have not all earned it, most celebrities do not even want the attention, and children of today are too easily influenced by their actions. “A role model is a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people,” defined by Dictionary.

com A celebrity usually has qualities that involve fame, wealth and power, which are not negative qualities but are not what make a good role model.According to Brande Victorian a writer for Madame Noire, “once you become a performer your private life and a lot of the personal decisions you make are put on display for millions of fans and the public at large to critique, but that doesn’t make you a role model, that makes you visible. ” Celebrities today are given the designation of role model long before they have actually produced any meaningful actions to deem them role models. This undesirable position for many celebrities is the root for much of their criticism received by the media.The celebrity population has faced perpetual scrutiny from the public for actions that would normally be ignored if it were someone else. All people in a position of fame know this certainty.

The idea that as a celebrity one cannot do what they please without being deemed irresponsible or called out for setting bad examples is a disheartening reality. Many celebrities have voiced their opinions of whether or not they were role models.Charles Barkley was one of the most notable figures to speak on the topic, telling people in his Nike commercial, “I'm not paid to be a role model. I'm paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. ” Alongside Barkley the controversial pop star Rihanna, according to Adam Rathe, said in an interview with vogue magazine, “See, people… they want me to be a role model just because of the life I lead. The things I say in my songs, they expect it of me and [being a role model] became more of my job than I wanted it to be.

But no, I just want to make music. That’s it. ” It is unfair for Rihanna to be robbed of her creative freedom as an artist in order to accommodate her image as a forced role model. With a halfhearted attempt to lead an exemplary life she is depriving herself and her fans of a genuine image of her true ideals and ambitions. The influential reach of a celebrity’s action has a substantial impact on the youth of today. With their vulnerability to these celebrities influence, the position of role model should not be taken lightly.

Brenda Brockes backs this by saying “Last year, a survey found that the top three career aspirations for five- to 11-year-olds in Britain were sports star, pop star and actor, compared with teacher, banker and doctor 25 years ago. ” With this change in society it is easy to conclude that the youth of today revolve their wants around those of celebrities. Caroline Knorr, a writer for Common Sense Media claims that, “Studies show a direct link between role models, advertising, and the effects that both have on our kids' behavior.”There are many examples of this today such as the popularity of the term YOLO and SWAG; trendy music artists such as Drake and Lil Wayne coined the two very popular terms amongst children. The enormous influence that these celebrities have over children can be beneficial but the possible negative influences far outweigh the good. There are many advocates that feel celebrities are role models for society no matter their outlook or choice.

Karl Malone is one of those supporters. In his article on Sports Illustrated he proclaims that, “We don't choose to be role models, we are chosen.Our only choice is whether to be a good role model or a bad one. ” Malone argues that it is the duty of the celebrity to accept their title as a role model if they accept all the fame and glory. However the truth of the matter is that these individuals are normal people just like the rest of society.

Their failure is inevitable and guaranteed to be broadcasted to the world. Matt Kitto expresses that, “We need to take ownership of our lives and stop looking to flawed individuals for clues to how to live our lives.”The ideal situation would be to take responsibility for ones own actions rather than lay blame on the celebrities. In a society where celebrities face endless amounts of criticism and unreasonably high responsibility for their influence, it is a realistic truth that most celebrities cannot meet these qualifications of a good role model nor do they wish to meet them.

As a society we should not consider the celebrities of today to be role models for several reasons. Instead, we should ask ourselves, “would I be good role models and would I meet these expectations myself?