Celebrities Need to Become Role Models

Being a celebrity has become a very treacherous occupation. One has to have the courage to stand up and be judged by the masses every minute of every day. Then, they start to call you a role model. If life wasn't hard enough having every breath scrutinized, now you have to make sure every breath is as pure as it can be. Between performance schedules, family, and friends, it is no wonder that there are so many so-called celebrity role models having breakdowns or being admitted into rehab for one substance abuse problem or another.

A perfect example as of late is Britney Spears. She grew up in the spotlight, starting as a Mouseketeer. Cute as a button, moderately talented, her parents continued to thrust her into the spotlight even further, at a time when really all she needed was to grow up. Even if you were to remove the usual pubescent turmoil, constantly being scrutinized from such a young age was eventually going to take its toll. Then you add back in the facts that every young adult must face, growing up, taking on responsibilities, it is enough to make even the strongest of men crumble. Valiantly, she is attempting to make a comeback. Has enough time passed for her to live beyond her recently tarnished image? Can people move beyond her poor parenting skills and realize that she is a product of her environment? Many have in the past, and if she is truly a superstar, then she will rise above the recent trouble she has been experiencing and revive her career.

The trouble with stardom does not only affect musicians. It radiates to all areas of entertainment - sports, Michael Vick and his dog fighting ring; actors, Lindsey Lohan and her multiple stints in rehab; and even religious figures who were once highly revered have managed to fall from grace. Perhaps it's time to stop placing these people who truly are no different from the average Joe so high on a pedestal, giving them the illusion that they are above reproach.

All of these fallen "idols" are simply the "monsters" that society has created. It is not a giant leap for one to think they are omnipotent when entertainers from every field make more than the people in our society that give life, save lives. These people should be our role models. The ones who wake up every day not to count the amount of money they have made or are about to make, but contemplate what differences they can make in the world, as we know it.