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Celebrity Role Models

If you've been following the weather, then you know we've had our share of cold....and yes, I mean COLD....weather this past week here in Florida.  Cedar Key had the coldest temps in four or five years one morning when it dropped to the 20's.  Most days it didn't climb out of the 40's.  And that's mighty cold for us Floridians.  Factor in the 25/35 mph winds......and I ended up with a vicious sinus headache yesterday morning.  So as I sat there hoping the Sudafed would work, with a heat pack on my neck to relieve the pressure, I was watching CNN.  All of the coverage was about Brittany Spears latest escapade.

 

Sorry, but I don't have an ounce of sympathy for this girl.  She surrounds herself with losers, refuses to listen to anybody with intelligence and continues to self-destruct.  She's a sorry excuse as a mother and I could go on and on.  But after they finished yakking about her, it was on to Lindsay Lohan......another one that's been in and out of rehab all to no avail.  She was photographed drinking from a champagne bottle New Years Eve.  Nice.  Very nice.  And Paris Hilton?  Just another one that I'm sure will make the headlines in a negative way before this year reaches an end.  They're train wrecks......all of them are total train wrecks.  Personally, I could care how they live their life or the destruction they cause to themself.  But what does really tick me off is they're "supposed" to be role models for our young girls.

 

So as I sat there listening to their latest ordeals, I got to thinking.  I got to thinking back to when I was ten to fifteen years of age as to who my celebrity role models were.  And lemme tell ya.....it's like we're now living on a different planet. 

 

I adored Annette from the Mickey Mouse Club.  And Sandra Dee staring in films with Troy Donahue.  I wanted the panache that Audrey Hepburn possessed.  And I longed to be as chic and classy as Jacquie Kennedy.  How I wished I had the sultry, sensuous, looks of Natalie Wood or the singing voice of Connie Frances.  And I always, always, wanted to dance as well as all those girls on American Bandstand.  Those were healthy and good role models.  Perky, wholesome teens with swingy-ponytails and bright eyes.  Sophisticated women that had style and beauty and compassion. 

 

What on earth has happened?  Now we have young moms having their children taken away from them due to drugs and drinking.  Stars of TV programs, that all the young girls watch, getting pregnant at 16 and saying "I don't know how this happened."  Celebrities being photographed without underpants on, leaving clubs drunk and laughing about it, going to rehab centers like they're spending time at country clubs. 

 

So who do we blame?  Who's feeding this insane frenzy?  The parents?  The media?  The judges that are too lenient with these celebrities?  And where does it all end?

 

I feel it's a combination of all of the above.  The parents of the celebrities, the parents that allow their own children to buy into this circus......purchasing the CD's, watching the tv programs, dressing like 18 when they're only 10.  The media for being the fools they are, chasing these celebrities around for the first scoop.  And yes, the judges for not being tough enough with sentencing.  I also feel very bad for young girls today.......with the trash that's "out" there, who on earth could they look up to as celebrity role models? 

 

Just my opinion.  See you here next time...................

Posted on Saturday, January 5, 2008 at 06:00AM by Registered CommenterTerri DuLong in | Comments10 Comments

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Reader Comments (10)

So you're watching CNN and saw nothing on the Iowa caucuses?? I stopped by thinking you might have some comment here. You're an Obama fan, right?

I'm glad you fingered the media among those fanning the flames of our notorious youth. I do blame them. I never heard of Jamie Spears until the media doused her with a shower of publicity over her pregnancy. Watch, now the paparazzi will follow her every move. You can't buy that kind of publicity in Hollywood. And it makes me ill.

January 5, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterBig_Dave_T
I think people just like to see trainwrecks... plus with the internet and the avail. of this gossip stuff it's just been fuel to a fire!
January 5, 2008 | Unregistered Commentergoofy girl
Of the women you listed off admiring (as did I and many others in our age bracket), only a few really led admirable lives-- Annette, Audrey Hepburn for instance. The rest had their demons but the media wasn't the same then. Hollywood could protect its stars but today it's gone nuts. It is very sad and Britney probably has mental illness that is genetic given she had a grandmother who killed herself and also had gone off the deep end mentally (or so I read somewhere). If Britney had people around her who loved her, not were after the fatted calf to feather their own nests, they'd be encouraging her to get serious help before she kills herself or someone else.

I don't know if we are better off knowing the truth about who the celebs are or whether it was better when it was hidden, but I agree with you that it sure is icky to have to hear about it on all of our supposedly serious news programs. If young people (the guys aren't much better in that young bunch) admire them, that's a very discouraging thing for our future. One could hope they might see what train wrecks these young people are, but who knows...
January 5, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterRain
I think there is one good thing that has come out of all of the media attention to Britney, Lindsay, Paris, et al. (call me naive, if you will). As younger stars, they were role models for our youngsters, I agree. Now it is all about the consequences of what they are doing (rehab, jail, losing child custody). It's not a pretty picture, but I think it should make our young ones stop and think what can happen when you don't play by the rules. It's a very ugly picture they are being shown, and nothing to be emulated.
January 5, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMarge
There are some thoughtful comments here! Yes, I've felt the same way about these women.,.who have been everything, yet have nothing. I don't have any answers. But I hope my granddaughter (who's only 2 1/2) will somehow come through it recognizing her worth and not selling out short.
January 5, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAlice
I remember when I as young and NEWS was just that News, not celebrity gossip. And yes Brrrr Cold!
January 6, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJoyce
Love your choices for role models. I have three daughters, Natalie (Wood), Debbie (Reynolds) and Christine (just because she looked like a Christie). I thought about Marilyn but didn't succumb to the temptation.
January 6, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterDonna Bker
Well, I am older than you so I thought Sandra Dee was just silly and Bubble headed>(lol) But she certainly wasn;t a bad role model the way Brittany Spears is...I must say, I DO feel sorry for her because she is a very sick young woman and no one seems to be able to keep her from the "self-destruct" she is living through...One feels she may not survive this, and that is sad on many levels---Thatshe had children is appalling and lets hope their father is NOT sick in the same way she is...!Lindsey Lohan...I feel this young woman is trying....and she hasn't quite conquered her addictions yet...I wish her well, and I hope she conquers this---She is a very talented young womasn....At least she doesn't have any children at risk! This is a different wor;d we live in now, Terri...far far different in so very many ways that when I was growing up...And I agree, it is like we are on another planet.
I hate what has happened to our so called "NEWS"....it is ALL Tabloid/gossip driven now...cause thats what sells soap, as they say....A sorry sorry situation!
January 6, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterOldOldLady Of The Hills
My granddaughter is five years old. She is limited in the number of hours she can watch TV, but when she does, it is PBS, Sprout, or Noggin. She does not even know Hannah or the High School Musical kids. Over the holidays my niece was talking about taking her six year old to a Hannah Montana concert.Man!!!A six year old at a concert!!!My DIL was shocked because these shows are aimed at Junior high children and not preschool.I think this is part of the problem. People should not let your children grow up too soon.
As far as Britney, she needs professional psychiatric help before a disaster happens. Her children need a mentally healthy mom.
January 6, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterBeverly
The only thing I feel sorry for Britney about is I honestly think this girl has mental problems...also I despise both her mother and Dina Lohen for not being better mothers and allowing their kids to grow up so quickly. With the little Spears pregnant it is proof positive that their mother was out for herself more than her kids. (not about a kid getting pregnant but that both Spear kids seem to need attention so badly) I would almost bet the little one got pregnant on purpose to make the cover of all the magazines. I hate that all these trashy and truly worthless celebrities are what my little nephews and niece have to look up to. I wish the media would stop writing about them. That would help.
January 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterDeana

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