I mean, really. I understand the argument - if someone is going to be in the public sphere, market themselves to impressionable youngsters, and thereby become a role model for said wide-eyed tykes, then they shouldn't do anything outrageous or morally base (otherwise newborns might start mimicking them as soon as they come out of the womb, society will explode, etc., etc.). But, what about when celebrities do things that aren't really that bad? And, furthermore, who decides whether what they do is morally deplorable or not?
The two examples I used above, Miley Cyrus sipping a beer in Spain, and 24-year-olds posing suggestively in a magazine, are two such instances of the media once again completely sensationalizing situations that really aren't that big of a deal. So what if Glee's stars posed suggestively in GQ? They're 24-year-olds, I think they can make that decision for themselves. And what does it say about our sexually repressed society if there is such a large backlash about a dozen sexually suggestible photos in a magazine? We all know where sexual repression leads.
I think our society not only needs to reexamine it's priorities and values, but also the ways in which our media tends to be, frankly, a little melodramatic.
I agree. I remember when Britney Spears first debuted the video for "Baby One More Time." My sister and I were disgusted with the way she wore her school uniform, a look that probably wasn't intended for nine-year-olds to appreciate. For years I resisted against rolling or hemming my uniform skirt, probably in response to Brit's choice of outfits. I think often we don't give kids enough credit; they often choose role models appropriately and emulate people who are a little closer to home.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well. I think it is interesting that the media assumes celebrities sign a "morality agreement" as soon as they choose to enter the public sphere. There is no such thing and holding celebrities to these standards is ridiculous. They did not ask to be anyone's role model.
ReplyDeleteThe problem I see is that the media place an unnecessary amount of cultural significance on celebrities instead of individuals who are doing good. Being a celebrity should not immediately qualify you as a role model for the greater good of society. The media should instead promote individuals who are actually bettering society, who do qualify as a more generally accepted form of role models.
http://gawker.com/5690531/how-to-be-sexy-but-not-too-sexy-a-photo-essay-by-the-cast-of-glee/gallery/
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on this issue. I think it is outrageous how much the media scrutinizes celebrities like the ones you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that celebrities such as the Glee cast members and Miley Cyrus should not be considered "Role Models"at all. They are celebrities and that is it. People out there in the media and elsewhere who scrutinize these celebrities for their actions need to focus their attention on people who could actually be considered role models to the youth. Further it is the responsibility ofparents to educate their children on what a role model really is, and that person is certainly not a teenage pop singer.