By Jordan Bickham
Staff Writer
In a society in which celebrities are glamorous symbols we consistently find ourselves under their influence, and following their lead. These figures take up numerous aspects of our lives – we see them in magazines, on the television, on the Internet and just about everywhere else.
As an older sister, I have seen the impact celebrities and entertainment can have on people, something I saw firsthand in my younger sister. At 10 years old, she absorbs just about everything, especially celebrities. Needless to say, when she talks about boys and her “love life,” I connect that characteristic with Taylor Swift. And when she sasses me, I know that she learned it from a recent TV show.
Our society glorifies these celebrities and television shows by displaying them on commercials, in magazines and on TV that can give negative examples of what we truly should be like. Not only are they humans like us, but they have the added pressure of constantly being in the spotlight—something that can be a curse and a blessing.
Keeping that in mind, should anyone be idolizing celebrities or characters on television?
One prime example of the negatives of idolizing your favorite celebs can be seen at the Oscars that took place Feb. 24. Ted director Seth MacFarlane hosted the ceremony. The beginning of the ceremony, MacFarlane stayed relatively family-appropriate, but towards the end, he brought out his friend, Ted, who went into a series of horrible, inappropriate jokes.
Not only does this make me question who we should be looking up to, but also whether that should even be on pubic television for everyone to witness.
For some, they see this as a series of misplaced dirty humor on family television, but others learn from this. Others watch this horrendous show and take away from this, showing that celebrities have a wide range of influence.
The famous teenage heart-throb, Justin Bieber, has also been a negative influence recently with his actions towards the paparazzi. News has been swirling around the singer and his violent, inappropriate behavior towards them. Recently, he has been reported for frequently cursing at them and even physically attacking them. But, while he has been behaving horribly, he is still the idol that many teenagers around the world look to.
Although celebrities have such a range of influence over their fans, few keep that in mind as they go about their daily lives or perform on TV. They are far from perfect, but with such an impact, they should keep their influence in mind. As seen with both Justin Bieber and MacFarlane, power can be easily forgotten and their impressionable fans or viewers can be ignored.
Yes, celebrities are everywhere we turn, but that does not mean we have to look up to them or model our lives and after them. Instead of focusing on those who are on the front of the latest magazine, we should be looking to the guidance and influence of those who improve us. While celebrities have a wider range of influence, they are not necessarily wiser than our favorite teacher or more compassionate than our parental figure.
Celebrities may have the influence, but they do not necessarily have the wisdom or guidance of many close to us in our life. Choosing the right people to look up to is a major component of yourself. Idolize those who make you a better person rather than those who are more well-known than yourself.
