Celebrity role models ..... do they really exist?!
August 13th 2007 02:45
The image of the celebrity is becoming a national obsession, people want top be like them, dress like them, and even smell like them. But is the celebrity role model actually real or is it just how the media portray certain famous people that make them into role models?
I recently typed celebrity role models into Google and the first three results that came up were David Beckham, I stopped and thought about whether this footballer was a good role model or if the media’s infatuation with him has turned him into the “ideal family man”.
David Beckham is one of the most famous celebrities in the world .It is a well known fact that he dotes on his 3 children Brooklyn Romeo and Cruz , he once missed a match with Manchester united to stay home with Brooklyn when he had a fever. It is also a well known fact that David Beckham is one half of the most famous super couples to have ever come out of Britain.
David and Victoria’s average annual income is around the £19,000,000 mark (and that’s just what David makes from his advertising deals and salary from real Madrid!) not to bad for kicking a football around all day! David and Victoria have built up a multimedia business empire around them, they have clothing ranges, perfume ranges, Victoria has music, and yet they manage to look after 3 sons, one of whom has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy, and run various businesses while giving of the perfect image of family life.
Victoria has recently come under scrutiny because of her ever thinning figure and I think that she deserves this criticism , women should be happy with their body’s and not feel pressurised into feeling that they have to be thin to be successful and that they have to have certain clothes and look a certain way to be popular.
This is the main flaw of the media, they give people a certain image to conform to and if people don’t then they make a mockery of them in the papers and in magazines for example, charlotte church gets taunted by the media for being a bit overweight, I don’t think this is fair because that is telling girls they should be ashamed of themselves if they are a bit over weight instead of encouraging them to be happy with themselves with the way they are.
Many people believe that this is where a lot of eating disorders in teenagers stem from wanting to be part of the idyllic celebrity world. Various celebrities have themselves admitted to having their own eating disorders, for example Sharron Osborne has told how she has and still does suffer from bulimia she said: "It's bad, but I'm really trying to get better.” teen star Billie piper has also revealed that she suffered from serious bouts of anorexia but has now recovered.
Another question I found myself asking is should celebrities be aloud to do what they please and get away with it , does it not send children bad messages and teach them bead values in life?
For example Madonna and guy Ritchie recently went to Malawi to adopt 13 month old David Banda , since then there have been reports that the boys father didn’t know Madonna wanted to adopt him that he was told she was going to educate David and take him back when he was older(this has since been proved false after it was revealed he was paid by a newspaper to say that to them) there has also been outrage at the fact that it usually takes 4 years and various safety checks for a couple to be able to adopt and even then it is not for certain they will get the child , but Madonna finds a child she wants and brings it back to England after a number of days let alone years. There was such outrage about this because human rights groups in Malawi thought it was unethical to be able to take a child out of its home land just because she is a famous and rich woman.
Another example of celebrities sidestepping the laws is when Britney spears was caught driving with her son Sean Preston on her lap. Britney claimed she was being chased by paparazzi at the time, the police didn’t follow it up even thought it is a felony in America to do that.
I guess what my point is, is that do we put certain people on a pedestal and build our expectations of them up to the point where we feel like we know the person better than they know themselves? Should we be shocked when they act like normal human beings and slip up sometimes? And is it fair to victimise people for their faults?
I recently typed celebrity role models into Google and the first three results that came up were David Beckham, I stopped and thought about whether this footballer was a good role model or if the media’s infatuation with him has turned him into the “ideal family man”.
David Beckham is one of the most famous celebrities in the world .It is a well known fact that he dotes on his 3 children Brooklyn Romeo and Cruz , he once missed a match with Manchester united to stay home with Brooklyn when he had a fever. It is also a well known fact that David Beckham is one half of the most famous super couples to have ever come out of Britain.
David and Victoria’s average annual income is around the £19,000,000 mark (and that’s just what David makes from his advertising deals and salary from real Madrid!) not to bad for kicking a football around all day! David and Victoria have built up a multimedia business empire around them, they have clothing ranges, perfume ranges, Victoria has music, and yet they manage to look after 3 sons, one of whom has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy, and run various businesses while giving of the perfect image of family life.
Victoria has recently come under scrutiny because of her ever thinning figure and I think that she deserves this criticism , women should be happy with their body’s and not feel pressurised into feeling that they have to be thin to be successful and that they have to have certain clothes and look a certain way to be popular.
This is the main flaw of the media, they give people a certain image to conform to and if people don’t then they make a mockery of them in the papers and in magazines for example, charlotte church gets taunted by the media for being a bit overweight, I don’t think this is fair because that is telling girls they should be ashamed of themselves if they are a bit over weight instead of encouraging them to be happy with themselves with the way they are.
Many people believe that this is where a lot of eating disorders in teenagers stem from wanting to be part of the idyllic celebrity world. Various celebrities have themselves admitted to having their own eating disorders, for example Sharron Osborne has told how she has and still does suffer from bulimia she said: "It's bad, but I'm really trying to get better.” teen star Billie piper has also revealed that she suffered from serious bouts of anorexia but has now recovered.
Another question I found myself asking is should celebrities be aloud to do what they please and get away with it , does it not send children bad messages and teach them bead values in life?
For example Madonna and guy Ritchie recently went to Malawi to adopt 13 month old David Banda , since then there have been reports that the boys father didn’t know Madonna wanted to adopt him that he was told she was going to educate David and take him back when he was older(this has since been proved false after it was revealed he was paid by a newspaper to say that to them) there has also been outrage at the fact that it usually takes 4 years and various safety checks for a couple to be able to adopt and even then it is not for certain they will get the child , but Madonna finds a child she wants and brings it back to England after a number of days let alone years. There was such outrage about this because human rights groups in Malawi thought it was unethical to be able to take a child out of its home land just because she is a famous and rich woman.
Another example of celebrities sidestepping the laws is when Britney spears was caught driving with her son Sean Preston on her lap. Britney claimed she was being chased by paparazzi at the time, the police didn’t follow it up even thought it is a felony in America to do that.
I guess what my point is, is that do we put certain people on a pedestal and build our expectations of them up to the point where we feel like we know the person better than they know themselves? Should we be shocked when they act like normal human beings and slip up sometimes? And is it fair to victimise people for their faults?
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