Strange how modern idols are as much villains as they seem heroic! We seem to be living in a society that reveres drug addictions and criminals, and we cannot get enough news about their scandals and escapades. There is now a direct correlation to a star being arrested for some misdemeanor or the other, and his / her next song / movie / concert becoming a runaway hit. I am sure that in most cases such incidents are stage managed just for that effect. But what message is being sent to the youth? What is (and who bears) the social cost of such marketing gimmickry?
The entire entertainment scene is riddled with modern day celebrities who live continuously on the edge of acceptability. From Mel Gibson to Lindsay Lohan, our children get inundated with unacceptable stereo-types and for parents trying to use role models to drive home messages of perseverance, talent and character, this world has suddenly become dry. Tiger Woods and Wayne Rooney are hardly the role models that one could use to motivate their kids. Even the rags to riches stories of sports stars and actors, frequently sound hollow as the hero self-implodes with a descent into hedonism, as soon as he gets his new found wealth. Actors and TV stars seem to bask in negative publicity, and there are many who add nothing to the arts, but acquire notoriety and wealth based on some depraved actions. Short termism and quick profit, are the order of the day as people bask on a day’s fame to rake in money that others would take a lifetime to earn.
Who is to blame then, when young kids turn to drinking and smoking and drugs and bad behavior to emulate their idols? An exaggerated focus on clothes and hair styles, living on unearned money and taking the easy way out is all that they seek. To say that one is "Bad" is now good, and "Cool" is defined by a set of behaviors that just a few years ago would have forced the parents to send the child to a correctional institute. It is not uncommon to see children being encouraged to have a small drink or smoke a cigarette in the presence of their parents, from an early age. They may call it supervised conduct, but you might as well give the teen a loaded gun to shoot themselves with.
What did happen to the wholesome values that we grew up with? Speaking and treating others (especially seniors and elders) with respect? Taking responsibility for our actions, and along with that, our future? How did we lose sight of those values, and start rewarding depraved behavior? Who changed the censorship system that used to ensure foul language was kept off the airwaves and guarded the content that was flashed on the silver screen? Was it MY generation that is responsible? Did we forget the fact that just because we could, did not mean that we should have changed the fabric of our society?
Who is to blame then, when young kids turn to drinking and smoking and drugs and bad behavior to emulate their idols? An exaggerated focus on clothes and hair styles, living on unearned money and taking the easy way out is all that they seek. To say that one is "Bad" is now good, and "Cool" is defined by a set of behaviors that just a few years ago would have forced the parents to send the child to a correctional institute. It is not uncommon to see children being encouraged to have a small drink or smoke a cigarette in the presence of their parents, from an early age. They may call it supervised conduct, but you might as well give the teen a loaded gun to shoot themselves with.
Whether or not you have children yourself, you are a parent to the next generation. If we can only stop thinking of children as individual property and think of them as the next generation, then we can realize we all have a role to play - Charlotte Davis Kasl.
What did happen to the wholesome values that we grew up with? Speaking and treating others (especially seniors and elders) with respect? Taking responsibility for our actions, and along with that, our future? How did we lose sight of those values, and start rewarding depraved behavior? Who changed the censorship system that used to ensure foul language was kept off the airwaves and guarded the content that was flashed on the silver screen? Was it MY generation that is responsible? Did we forget the fact that just because we could, did not mean that we should have changed the fabric of our society?
Humans are not perfect and were not made to be, but idols and heroes carry an additional responsibility. They carry the hopes and aspirations of an entire generation and their parents, who look up-to and try to emulate them, as leaders and guides. Their words and actions reverberate in fragile minds which are easily influenced and torn asunder. The machinations of the press combined with the barrage of endorsements for these fallen heroes, subconsciously reinforces the link between degenerate comportment and overblown reward. The result is a mass replication of conduct unbecoming, by a vast populace that has neither the talent nor the connections to reach their aspirations. This disenfranchised group spreads the disease of frustration, further corrupting the environment that they influence. It is strange how a few years ago, what I would have preached as freedom of words and action, now I view as an affront to my senses.
Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good - Joe Paterno
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