As 2013 winds to a close, Internet bloggers have taken to releasing lists of what they consider to be the top celebrity scandals of the year. Among the slew of celebrities being thrown under the bus are Amanda Bynes, Justin Bieber, and Miley Cyrus—whose scandals I’m sure you’re familiar with.
Other than their recent headline-presence, these celebrities have one more thing in common—they were all once popular with children.
For parents, this is reason enough to publicly shame them for their seemingly unscrupulous behaviour.
Following Miley Cyrus’s legendary performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, the Daily Mail published an article written by a mother who laments what she describes as “shallow exhibitionism and lewd flaunting” from Miley when “she had a real power to influence in a positive, life-affirming way.”
The article then asks, “Where can girls like my daughter turn for more appropriate female role models?”
Let’s take a moment to realize how little sense this makes.
Celebrities are famous for their talent. No aspiring performer would turn down a deal because they don’t think they’re a good role model. They have dreams and get jobs in acting or sign deals in recording because they’re good at what they do.
Despite Miley’s scandalous video for her new single “Wrecking Ball,” the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. Why? Because she can sing.
The same goes for almost every other celebrity. Those who don’t fit into this model—think Paris Hilton or the Kardashians—aren’t taken seriously as role models in the first place, because they’ve never earned any merit in their fields. As a celebrity, you need talent to get respect.
When was it, then, that we decided they have the responsibility of being role models? Did they sign a waiver at the beginning of their careers detailing their values and promising to stick within them? No, and having talent in a particular area has never meant virtuous character. They are absolutely unrelated.
Anyway, don’t we all love to remind ourselves that celebrities are regular people outside of their work by poring over photos of them makeup-less or walking down city streets sipping Starbucks?
It’s too bad that your favourite actor is setting a bad example, but stop acting like it’s a personal offence that depletes your hope for society.
So, to those of us still crying over Reese Witherspoon’s arrest, or Miley Cyrus smoking marijuana on stage in Amsterdam, let’s leave the moral idolization to those who are famous because of it.
