Celebrity Role Models: Do They Help or Hurt?

Teens and celebrities - ever since the beginning of the entertainment business, there have been celebrities in the spotlight and thousands of us young fans to adore them. Ask any of your friends, and chances are there is one particular musician or movie star that they look up to, who they wish they were…their role model.

Some may make their devotion to their role models a little more obvious than others. They may plaster their walls with pictures; line their shelves with souvenirs and autobiographies, or collect mini-dolls that resemble their idols. They might even dress like their celebrity idol by wearing similar clothing and shoes, jewelry and hairstyles.

Whether you are a crazy wannabe or a quiet admirer of a celebrity, the fact remains that just about every one of us has someone whom we identify with, we idolize, and someone we respect. But what should we look for in a role model who is a celebrity? And more importantly, what images and ideas are today's hottest celebs representing to teenagers?

Obviously, what we look for in a role model is personal, and the answer will be different for every individual, but there are still some general qualities, almost requirements that people tend to admire and look for in his or her role models.

First, we look for someone with that confident, independent, "I'm in control of my own life" vibe. Another important feature we look for in a role model is someone who is hard working. In the real world, not everything is handed to you on a silver platter, and it is important that we understand that to reach our goals we need to work hard. What better way to learn this lesson than to look at some of the successful celebrities who knew what they wanted, had a dream, and then worked with dedication and persistence until they reached their goals.

It's easy to whip up a list of characteristics that would be great for a role model to possess. But no one is perfect, and with all the new up-and-coming celebrities competing for popularity, the positive role model qualities are often discarded in favor of the devilish, sexy, rebellious, and standout behaviors that grab your attention and unavoidably influence you. The question comes down to this: What are your celebrity role model's good and bad qualities, and is his or her overall image going to help you, or hurt you?

Take for example one of the most popular North American pop sensations, Britney Spears. She is a huge role model for thousands of teenage girls, no questions asked. So let's take a second to focus on her good qualities.

• She started singing and performing at a very young age, and has been working hard ever since to make it big in show business.
• She is grateful for the opportunities she has been presented with and despite her huge success, seems to remain close with her childhood friends and family.
• She is also very confident in herself, and emphasizes that she will be who she wants to be, and no one can stop her. But now we're crossing into the negative qualities, because her actions show that who she wants to be includes: wearing next to no clothing, selling out to the media, and trying to project a "not so innocent" vibe.

So overall, Britney Spears has both positive and negative role model qualities. But which side wins? Well, let's just say that when she is up on stage, half naked, we don't exactly think about her childhood ambitions.

But it's not just musicians or actors that we teens have as role models. Many teenagers often identify themselves with specific characters or roles that actors have played rather than the person playing the character or role. These characters can have the exact same effect in projecting both positive and negative images on the fan.

Take for example the ditzy blonde character Elle Woods played by Reese Witherspoon in the movie Legally Blonde. On the one hand, she possesses negative attributes. Applying to get into Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend, she comes across as knowing absolutely nothing outside of her clothes-makeup-looking pretty-for-boys world. She is not hard working and expects everything in life will come to her wrapped up in a pretty pink bow. However, as the movie progresses her positive qualities become more and more apparent and begin to outnumber the negative ones. First and foremost she is friendly and non-judgmental; she gives everyone from the meanest girls to the biggest nerds a place in her heart. She is also very determined, and no matter what the situation, she has a positive outlook on life. In the end, Elle's overall image is one of an empowered and independent sophisticated female, and not some blonde airhead, which is definitely a good influence for any girl who chooses her as a role model.

But what happens when we find out that our celebrity role model isn't as angelic as we'd like? Do we toss them out the window and find another? No.

The point of determining a celebrity's positive or negative qualities is simply to be informed. If we are aware of the negative images and qualities a celebrity has, we can avoid being influenced by them. Instead, we can identify with the qualities of people, which are going to help us become a better person in a positive way. We need to set goals, and stay true to ourselves.

Brittany R., 16
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

* Reprinted from Positive Teens Magazine Volume 5 Issue 3, May/Jun 2003

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