My Hero
Wherein Our
Heroine Takes a Shot at Irrational Expectations.
I've never understood the position of
celebrity role models. Any time a celebrity does something unpopular, stupid or
criminal, they are lambasted for deserting their "role model" post. But what
does it mean to be a role model?
The task of being a role
model is impossibly difficult. You are expected to comport yourself perfectly
at all times, be polite to every fan who wants a piece of you, make good
decisions at every turn, and - oh, yes - produce quality product in your regular
"day job," be that music, films, television, sports, etc. Which of us mere
mortals (and despite how pretty and rich these people are, they are in fact
human) has a shot at getting even one of those right, especially on a bad day?
And therein lies a real problem with the whole role model concept: absence of
realistic expectations. Parents who lambast their kids' favorite star for being
asleep at the role model switch are expecting a standard of behavior they could
probably never meet under similar
circumstances.
For those who
see evil intent in every "wardrobe malfunction" and the beckoning hand of vice
in every televised curse, I have a mantra for you: "It's not about me." There
are bad choices - even criminal ones - getting made every day by those in the
spotlight. No, they are not for emulation, but neither are they made with the
express intent of making your kid burn to copy them. A decision to behave
differently may be made for a host of reasons, but not necessarily because a
child they don't know has made a papier-maché pedestal and placed them on
it. I have heard a few of these juvenile "role models" speak, and what comes
out of their mouth leads me to believe that smart choices are probably beyond
their powers. It's too bad, but you're not going to make a boy-band member any
smarter by standing on the ramparts and screaming that he has irrevocably harmed
your child with his heedless
behavior.
It is true that the
specter of role modeldom lurks in every successful entertainment or sports
career. So, say the righteous, if they don't want to be a role model, they
shouldn't act/sing/throw a ball for a career. I'm sure none of those righteous
people has ever had an unwelcome and inappropriate duty foisted upon them by
their job. I'm equally sure they would be up to every conflicting standard of
behavior a protean public expected of them. Examining the facts, what is there
about being a celebrity - aside from possession of a place in a spotlight - that
makes these people role models? Answer: nothing. There is nothing in the
training for these careers that enables a celebrity to be of use as a moral
guide. Stars didn't get famous because they are good people, they got famous
because a large segment of the public is willing to pay good money to watch them
do something pretty frivolous. If they happen to be morally grounded (can we
agree on what that is? I thought not), that's a bonus.
Deep inside every erring
celebrity footstep, there are plenty of "teachable moments" for all of us, many
of them labeled, "Don't do this: it's stupid and it might get you
killed/arrested/ridiculed."
Another good lesson: the
creation of heroes is an activity fraught with peril, and anyone who indulges in
it is bound to be disappointed.
Posted: Tuesday - March 16, 2004 at 06:35 AM
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