QOTD

Yes but...

Yes, they should be but not all of them. The whole idea of a role model is that you pick someone to look up to. This doesn't mean that every famous person should be a role model. If you look to writers for role models odds are you'd pick Mark Twain over Michael Crichton (at least I would). If you look to athletes you'd probably favour someone with a long career over a steroid user. So when it comes to teen celebrities why do people assume that every famous teen should try to be a role model. Look to Christina Aguilera instead of Britney Spears. Hayden Panettiere instead of Vanessa Hudgens. I think the real problem isn't that SOME celebrities aren't fit to be role models. It's that a lot of the public presumes that they all SHOULD be.

I agree with what bulletproofheeb said, but would like to add this: the problem is that people are picking real life humans as their role models. No matter how old they are, no matter how GOOD they are? They're still human and are still going to make mistakes. If you can't accept that your role models are human beings entitled to the same sorts of stupidity that "normal" people are? Then choose someone fictitious as your role model. Because otherwise you're only going to end up being disappointed.

Just...you know...don't choose any of the characters out of Twilight.

Celebrities are the last people to be looked up to as role models. Unfortunately they commonly are. Celebrities need to understand that when they take up on the fame and glory they have to pay a price: their lives are not private anymore and they have to watch their actions very closely. Most of them can care less if it means getting some attention.

newageamazon said:

I agree with what bulletproofheeb said, but would like to add this: the problem is that people are picking real life humans as their role models. No matter how old they are, no matter how GOOD they are? They're still human and are still going to make mistakes. If you can't accept that your role models are human beings entitled to the same sorts of stupidity that "normal" people are? Then choose someone fictitious as your role model. Because otherwise you're only going to end up being disappointed.Just...you know...don't choose any of the characters out of Twilight.

agreed. lol at the twilight reference. lol i'm sure Edward Cullen will be a great role model for boyfriends everywhere. jk

Call me old fashioned but I think the only people who you should model your behavior after (and whom your children should be taught to look up to) are people you actually know. I'm not so idealistic that I think people aren't going to look up to celebrities, or that there aren't any celebrities that aren't worth if not admiration at least respect, but people forget that celebrities aren't gods. They're just people who (through chance, circumstance, or the luck of the draw) got lucky and are able to do their jobs in an arena that a lot of people want to be in. I'm not saying that there aren't celebrities I respect, but I don't know them enough to call them my heroes or role models or anything. The people who I've always considered my role models are my friends, who are always there for me if I need them and help me put life in perspective, and my family who remind me where I came from. Don't forget that behind the facade of public life these people have to go home and live their lives. They've got their own shit to deal with, just like you, they just happen to have better stylists. Just my two cents.

i think that once someone is in the spotlight, that they're automatically considered a role model. And when something goes wrong or some scandal surfaces. The public is shocked that someone that should be a role model for young people, is acting the way that they are. I think that people in the spotlight, need to be very careful about anything they do, duh! I always say. if you wouldn't do it in front of your grandma, then you shouldn't do it at all. I realize that celebrities are just like anyone else, we're all human beings and such. But when a celeb who is a role model, especially for young people, makes a mistake, it's made into such a huge deal, because so many people put so much faith into that one person. And when other young adults/teens/children see how miley is posting these pictures, they feel like it's not that big of a deal. And that it would be just fine for them to do it also. It gives children the wrong idea of what is wrong and right.

There have always been child actors, singers, etc. I think the real problem is the entertainment media machine that has popped up around these kids,propping them up as "idols", and then using any little (or big) slip-up on their part to tear them down.
And unfortunately, the public eats that stuff up.
Not that I can think of any examples off the top of my head, ie Britney, Miley, the HSM kids (yes, all of them, you just wait!).

kitten76 said:

There have always been child actors, singers, etc. I think the real problem is the entertainment media machine that has popped up around these kids,propping them up as "idols", and then using any little (or big) slip-up on their part to tear them down.
And unfortunately, the public eats that stuff up.
Not that I can think of any examples off the top of my head, ie Britney, Miley, the HSM kids (yes, all of them, you just wait!).

Very true. I mean when Drew Barrymore was out getting wasted every night at 10 years old, there wasn't a You Tube or MySpace for her to post pictures of her late nights onto. It's not like celebrity is anything new, but the way it's handled nowadays is like vultures circling roadkill.

not gonna waste my time with this one...

rginger said:

kitten76 said:There have always been child actors, singers, etc. I think the real problem is the entertainment media machine that has popped up around these kids,propping them up as "idols", and then using any little (or big) slip-up on their part to tear them down.And unfortunately, the public eats that stuff up. Not that I can think of any examples off the top of my head, ie Britney, Miley, the HSM kids (yes, all of them, you just wait!).Very true. I mean when Drew Barrymore was out getting wasted every night at 10 years old, there wasn't a You Tube or MySpace for her to post pictures of her late nights onto. It's not like celebrity is anything new, but the way it's handled nowadays is like vultures circling roadkill.

Exactly. If she were out there doing that now, they'd be writing her obituary by now.
Not to justify it or anything, but in the past, Hollywood tried to cover up star scandals. They went from that to exploiting every personal problem for a buck.