Exactly what kind of an example do you think Celeb's are setting for our youth.

Petra - posted on 10/26/2010

I agree with everything you're saying, Krista - and further, the only part of a celebrity worth emulating would be their talent. If my son loved Tiger because of his golfing prowess and wanted to become as good a golfer, that admiration of his talent is separate and apart from Tiger being married and having affairs. I think you can emulate a celebrity to the extent of finding inspiration in their talent, but once you try to emulate that celebrity in anything else, you're crossing a line into some kind of fantasy modeling... which is where the whole role model issue comes in. Wanting to be as good an actress, and wanting to be like, Nicole Kidman, are two different things. You've got to teach your kids the difference between fantasy and reality.

Jodi - posted on 10/25/2010

My oldest is still a toddler, she doesn't watch any TV which would expose her to these people (and won't for a LONG time), we don't have magazines with these people in them in the house (and if Lohan or Hilton or anyof them start showing up in Highlights High Five or Family Fun, you can bet I'll cancel that subscription!). When the times comes that my daughter is exposed to these types of celebrities I will try to use them as examples...examples of how NOT to live your life, of what choices NOT to make and give her real role models to look up to instead (hopefully someone like myself or my husband!).

Krista - posted on 10/25/2010

Celeb criminals should be punished by the law at the same extent as any other person but i dont think they should be blamed for other peoples stupidity.

Exactamundo.

And I can see the role model argument perhaps when it comes to entertainers who are specifically TARGETING youth as their market. Miley Cyrus, Hillary Duff, the Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber -- these people OWE their success to 'tweens. So I can understand the argument that it would be stupid of them to get involved in situations that could make their pedestal a little shaky -- not from a morality point of view but from a simple PR point of view.

But someone like Tiger Woods, for example. Sure, he accepted the endorsements. Why wouldn't he? But his market is NOT little kids or 'tweens. So why should his moral behaviour (as long as it's not illegal), be an issue? Why was anybody holding Tiger Woods up as a role model in the first place? Because he can play golf? Whoopdee-shit. That never made him worthy of being anybody's role model.

I just have issues with the idea of singers or actors or athletes being held up as role models in the first place. So they can sing, or act, or hit a ball...why does that make them worthy of emulation? Why does that make them a role model?

Thrusting the "role model" mantle on a celebrity is not only unfair to them, it is unfair to us. We can certainly find better role models, and leave the celebs to their partying.

Sal - posted on 10/25/2010

i am 2 sided on this, yes like it or not they are role models, shouldn't be but are, but who i really think needs a slap on the wrist is the media....who cares, really who cares.....bring back the old day glam, where they looked great, made movies (or songs, played sport, ran the country) and their personal lives were just that....not for public veiwing, yeah we got sanitised wedding pics and stories of happy families but not all this crap, no one thinks that those happy snaps were all there was to their lives but do we really need to know everything, i get so sick of it, mels having marrige problem and is off an other rant, rhianna has a new tattoo, tiger had a thousand affairs, paris, lindsay, any of the other slutty, drugged up wanna bes wouldn't have an influance on our kids if they never saw them, they'd have to get real jobs and act like real people to get any where, now it is as profitatable to be notrious as it is to be talented and hard working...

Charlie - posted on 10/25/2010

I dont think celebrities are to be blamed for kids making bad decisions .

Teenagers have and probably always will make bad decisions , its been going on forever , probably before the word celebrity was in use , i highly doubt kids get in cars and say "hey lets be like Lindsay lohan and take drugs " or lets steal a car and crash it because someone famous did it , 6 of my friends died before i finished high school mostly in car accidents and it wasnt because of soe celebrity death wish .

You said it yourself "You are responsible for your actions no one else."

Celebrities are people too , some of whom are still teenagers themselves or not long out of being a teen .

Celeb criminals should be punished by the law at the same extent as any other person but i dont think they should be blamed for other peoples stupidity .

Desiree - posted on 10/25/2010

Sorry Krista somehow I disagree because at the end of the day it doesn't matter if you did it because you love it or because you wanted to become rich and famous it is still about the choice you make in life and what you show the world.

And at the end of the day you still end up being a role model to the youth whether you wanted to or not. And when you accept the price or the endorsements and the pay then you accept what comes with it both the good and the bad. What I was trying to point out is that they just always seem to get off very lightly in comparison to "normal" people. I understand that they are human too. But don't think for one second that the sportsman/woman who has cheated in a game or bribed an official won't use the "Do You know who I am". Please that is also just being human and they will use their celeb status to get something they want or out of trouble. Even if it a parking ticket. I also agree there are good role models and in every single career out there there is both good and bad.

My role models in Life were also in my family.

I unfortunately have very high expectations of people and it what I expect of myself that I measure other people. I can't stand people with lack o f responsibilty or lack of self control. And unfortunatly these people have taken that responsibility on their shoulders and that from the lowly person in the street to greatest sportsman or actor in the world. You are responsible for your actions no one else.I believe in forgiveness of past mistakes but really not on an on going basis at some point it has got to stop being about "AH shame poor little girl she is having such a hard time at the top" to" Grow up it's time to face the consiquences of your own actions". Time to stop making excuses for these people.

Jennifer - posted on 10/25/2010

Lindsay Lohan just needs a good slap...end of!

Joy - posted on 10/25/2010

Celebs have never been my role models either. I also had the posters on my walls that Jenn Morris had....plus a ton of Billy Idol and Bon Jovi. I never wanted to BE Billy Idol...just wanted to do unspeakable things TO him lol!
As for punishing celebs for their crimes? I think they should be punished just the same as the rest of us. The problem is that they are usually handled with kid gloves and given lesser sentences than the rest of us and that's what pisses me off. OMG, POOR Lindsay had to spend a whole 13 hours in jail??? That poor baby. If it had been one of us we'd have spent months. Possibly more. Money truly can buy just about anything.
One thing that bugs me though, is how people were giving Miley Sirus (sp?) such a hard time with that one video she made where she was dancing and dressed more "grown up". Everyone was in an outrage because she is a role model for young girls. Well duh....the tweens love her. But she is growing up and that is something that can't be helped. If she wants to change her image, that's her decision and I think it was unfair to bash on her like a lot of the media did.

Jennifer - posted on 10/25/2010

Celebs have never and will never be my role models. For me my main role model is my mam, she's an amazing woman =] People who work hard for their successes are people to be proud of.

Krista - posted on 10/25/2010

But a lot of those people didn't choose to be "celebrities" Desiree. Professional athletes don't do it to become famous or to become role models. They do it because they are good at a sport and can make a lot of money playing that sport. If a basketball player has phenomenal skills, is he supposed to hide those skills so that he doesn't become TOO successful, and therefore, famous?

Or a musician -- a lot of them just want to be able to make a living off of their music and sell a lot of records and be successful. The fame is a by-product of this.

This reminds me of when Michael Phelps got caught with a bong, and everybody was clutching their pearls because he was supposedly a role model for children. Bullshit! He's an athlete who wanted to win medals and be successful. He never asked for anybody to make him a role model -- we THRUST that upon him, and then scold him and wag our fingers when it turned out that he wasn't squeaky-clean, but was (gasp) an adult with flaws and bad habits.

Desiree - posted on 10/25/2010

I disagree that they didn't choose their path actually they did. Unless you were born into it like Paris Hilton. Becoming a Celeb is a choice....And we all know exactly what the perks and downfall are. Beside that even if you are born to celeb status it is also your choice to follow the path of the doped up drunkie on the corner (Amy Winehouse comes to mind) or remain clean and sober and do good with your life. Their are many people who are born to it and keep out of the media. At the end of the day it boils down to the choices made.

Kimberly - posted on 10/25/2010

I never viewed celebrities as a role models growing up and I intend to instill in my daughter's head that they are not to be viewed as such now. Parents should be role models. I had many family members that I looked up to as well as teachers growing up. I pray that is the case with my daughter as well.

Lindsay - posted on 10/25/2010

I agree with Krista E. These people did not sign up to be role models.

There are celebrities out there that choose to use their public status to do good things but that's no requirement. If people would stay out of their personal life and let them be, I'd suspect that a lot of these issues would drop anyhow.

Rosie - posted on 10/25/2010

celebrities were never my role models either. i guess the only thing that i've ever looked to a celebrity for is how to look beautiful. which is bad, but true. they need to stop airbrushing, and making these women look like toothpicks, and starve themselves to look like toothpicks and we're supposed to believe that's "normal". that is the only problem i have with celebrity.
nobody i know has ever looked up to a celebrity as a role model for behavior. seems kindof redundant to do so, lol!

Tah - posted on 10/25/2010

well i don't know who is worse, rappers...or doped up actors and actresses who drive that way and crash their cars over and over, carry drugs or go on racial rants..i don't leave it up to any entertainers to be role models to my children, that is up to us...

Jenn - posted on 10/25/2010

I know as a kid I used to hang up pictures on my wall from Teen Beat or Tiger Beat magazines - people like Kirk Cameron, Cory Haim, Corey Feldman, etc. But I don't ever remember wanting to act like any celebrities. I hope my kids would look to "real" people in their lives as role models. But I hear what you're saying and it is frustrating that they do seem to get away with more because of their status. One thing to keep in mind about most of these people is that they have MAJOR issues going on that are directly related to their celebrity status. I mean, imagine trying to grow up and/or live your life constantly being in the spotlight and every little thing you do wrong there are a million people just waiting to pick you apart and destroy your image. I couldn't imagine dealing with that much pressure. Sure, they chose this profession, but nonetheless, it's got to be a lot to deal with. Which is why many of them turn to drugs and alcohol to deal with life. Just like many "normal" people do - use drugs and/or alcohol as a way of dealing with life. The only difference is that "normal" people aren't out there in the spotlight for everyone to see.

Krista - posted on 10/25/2010

I agree that they should not receive different legal treatment.

As far as them being role models though, why are we even putting them in that role to begin with? I remember all the shitstorm about Tiger Woods' affairs and how he wasn't a good role model for kids anymore, and all I could think was, "He didn't sign up to be anybody's role model. He just wants to play golf and make money for it." Just because these people are public figures does not mean that we should consider them as potential role models.

Toni - posted on 10/25/2010

Tracey I disagree, they should be given the SAME amount of punishment, otherwise they beome martyrs and it wouldn't deter people from copying them because the punishments they were getting are not realistic for 'normal' people.

Tracey - posted on 10/25/2010

Don't buy the celeb magazines and don't watch their shows. I have as much interest in the private life (and I wish it was a private life) of the actor whose job it is to entertain me when I watch him in a film as I have in the private life of the person whose job it is to teach my child to read, or the person whose job it is to serve me dinner in a restaurant. I don't care about them and have taught my children that just because your job makes you lots of money it doesn;t make you special.
The justice system should make an example of these people and give them a harsher punishment than "normal" people, and for every interview they do about how tough it was to spend 6 hours in jail the article should give equal space / time to the victims of crime.

Desiree - posted on 10/25/2010

I agree with you I suppose I am a little angry at the waste of life. Waste always did upset me. I am lucky that both my son and my daughter have good heads on thier sholders. I just find it very sad though its always the rubbish that is in the news.

Toni - posted on 10/25/2010

Celebrities were never my role models, people around me were/ are. People like my mom, my nans, aunties, uncles, friends parents, teachers etc etc, I saw celebrities as what they are people who happen to be famous, the people around me such as my mom are far more important to me than any celebrity.

If you want your daughter to look up to realistic role models educate her that celebrities are people who make mistakes too. Show her celebrities who have made mistakes and but turned their lives around NOT the ones who haven't like Paris Hilton. Open dialogues with her about what these people are doing wrong AND WHY. Yes there are bad role model celebrities but there are also ones who set good examples.