Celebrity Scapegoats

When do we begin taking responsibility for what influences us and our children? Time and again, we are bombarded by so-called experts claiming that the stars' exploits are damaging to our children and our society. Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and other celebrity personalities are often targeted as the cause of many of our societal problems. Where does finger-pointing get us? "She's way too thin! Girls think the need to look like that to be attractive! It's their fault! It's the media's fault for continuing to plaster front pages with their images!" What good does this really do? Has it occurred to us that they are living symbols or symptoms- that they are a result, rather than the cause - of an underlying problem?

No, you aren't encountering a 'sympathizer,' just a point of view that is attempting to view the issue from a different perspective - a perspective that just might lead us to a new way of thinking about some of the problems we face today and how to address them.

Yes, it's tragic that countless girls are struggling with eating disorders or that teens are becoming sexually promiscuous or engaging in drug use. However, we must look at the cause. We can not, as rational beings, claim that the cause of the problem is celebrity behavior and exposure to media coverage. There are underlying problems in individuals who behave in these ways. There is an existing trait, a predisposition if you will, that makes certain individuals more vulnerable to destructive (self or otherwise) behavior. Those predispositions are what need to be addressed. Genetic factors, traumatic childhoods, abusive parents, poor education or other factors directly impacting individuals are the most likely culprit for destructive behaviors - not Mel Gibson's latest DUI charge, or the lyrics to a new rock song. Relating Britney's head-shaving to your daughter's desire to do the same should make you ask why she so desires to imitate such obviously disturbing behavior, rather than growing angry at Ms. Spears for her own personal psychosis.

What this boils down to is scapegoat-ism. We are looking for someone else on whom we can lay the blame for our failures. Rather than facing problems head on and searching for a solution, we search the nearest tabloid for a reason. We point to those in the spotlight and say, "Aha! You're the reason little Johnny made a bomb threat to his school!" When in reality, the reasons lie before our very eyes, in our every day lives.

So where does change begin? We could demand that the media stop publicizing negative behavior. However, that requires a large movement of many dedicated people. In the meantime, how do we use all this sensationalism to our advantage? Talk to our children! Point out that it's unfortunate that Celebrity X behaved in such a way or is struggling with a particular issue. Ask your child, "Have you ever felt like that?" or "What do you think could make someone do something like that?" Require your child to be critical of their stars. Encourage positive role models. Be a positive role model.