Community: Real Life

Idolising idiots


Kate

Kate is 17 and lives in Staffordshire. She's hoping to study English Literature at University.

Kate thinks it's about time we stopped spending hours idolising people who've become famous because of the money they were born into or their ability to party hard.

What makes an idol? Surely it's courage, individuality or talent? Yet in today's culture these characteristics, are no longer the reason a person is seen as an example to others. Today, we're more likely to merit 'qualities' such as wealth, beauty and popularity - but why put more worth on such features?

I find it hard to understand why so many of us look up to these attributes more than someone who's earned their fame through hard work and ambition. What's so inspirational about one's ability to party excessively for a living? Does Lindsay Lohan actually make any films any more, or does she spend more time going out drinking and being told off by a director for not working hard enough? Yet many of us want to be like her and read all about her latest exploits. The word 'celebrity' is hugely distorted these days. Now you'll be named as a celebrity simply for; sleeping with someone famous; going on a reality TV show; owning huge breasts; or because you married someone famous. Shouldn't status be earned through hard work and positive qualities? Is gaining publicity and wealth through acting exceptionally stupid, vain and obnoxious really something to aspire to?

Take the heiress, Paris Hilton, for example. In my view, she's representative of the many celebrities girls look up to today - wealthy, beautiful, vain, advantaged and entertaining. She is almost untouchable; young girls strive to be her, men yearn to have possession of her. She is the stunning, unattainable young woman of today, flaunting her body and boasting about her sexual exploits. Then there's her home made porn video, which was apparently 'leaked' to the press. Even so, her reputation failed to suffer too much from the shock of seeing her stark naked on a bed - you can guess the rest. Paris epitomises our society's obsession with sex and beauty, emphasised by her statement: "If you have a beautiful face you don't need big fake boobs to get anyone's attention." Such a comment could be harmful to the young by reinforcing the idea that beauty can get you popularity and happiness. What about intelligence, talent and goodwill? The individual, who helps others, sets an example and shows determination, is far more deserving of appreciation.

Paris Hilton is not alone. There are many 'celebrities' and reality TV stars (I could name most of the Big Brother housemates) who repeatedly act stupid for television. Even though we tell ourselves they are there purely for our entertainment, we're still influenced by their sense of fashion, quirky language and attitude. It's no wonder that young people feel stress to act and look a certain way if they're subjected to these kinds of people time and time again.

"The individual, who helps others, sets an example and shows determination, is far more deserving of appreciation."

Skinny models on the catwalk also have a lot of influence over the young. Experts now estimate that one of every 100 women between the ages of 12 and 25 suffers from anorexia, while one of every seven women in the same age group develops bulimia. Men are also increasingly developing eating disorders, and while it's true that a lot of these individuals may have had their own reasons for harming themselves, surely the media has distorted their perceptions of beauty and happiness? We moan about Victoria Beckham's skinny body, and we even hear of other celebrities having a dig at her, yet so many of us starve ourselves to look just as good in a pair of hotpants or skinny jeans.

The media's fixation with sex, violence and vanity is another example of how young people are being misled into false ideals of success. For example, the average child sees approximately 1000 murders, rapes, or assaults on TV per year. This had led to the debate over how these images affect people in the long run and whether it encourages violent behaviour.

However, there is hope. Not all celebrities of today are anti-intellectual or inept - some do show how talent and hard work can be prized. The singer Gwen Stefani is one of them, with her ever-changing image and individuality, or Pink with her witty opinions in her songs, as she quotes, 'What happened to the dreams of a girl president... oh where, have the smart people gone?'

Exactly who is worthy of admiration is an individual's choice, and what I see as inspirational in one person, may not be so for another. But I think this growing obsession with glorifying people based on wealth, beauty and status is undermining the worth of characteristics such as intelligence and charity. Someone who's admired by impressionable teenagers should have a responsibility to set a moral example. Their positive qualities should outweigh the negative, but then that wouldn't be entertaining, would it?

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