From the birth of the Beatles, to Madonna’s new age of rebellion, to the emergence of Rihanna’s “Good Girl Gone Bad” image, teens have been idolizing celebrities and those in the media for decades. Although the showing of a young girls stomach is no longer "taboo" as it was in the early 1980’s, and the jirating of hips is seldom called “indecent”; the image celebrities, (or their agents perhaps) choose to convey to the public does in fact have a negative effect on society; especially teenage girls.
With so many celebrities “putting the carriage before marriage”, (having children out of wedlock), and personally displaying the recreational use of illegal substances, they set the standard for how teenagers should conduct themselves. It seems that America and networks such as MTV have no regard for decency, or traditional views on life with the broadcasting of shows such as “16 and Pregnant” and the MTV Video Music Awards; an event known to have a line up of raunchy performances and punch lines.
Personally, its frustrating to see young girls, such as Miley Cyrus, or even Rihanna convey themselves in such a negative light to other young women; freely allowing the depiction of themselves to be sex symbols, and only objects of desire. With all the power that they have, and the millions of young girls they have to ability to reach out too, they should advocate a message to aid teens who struggle with bullying, self hate, obesity, anorexia, or depression; not a message of indecency, negativity, and crudeness.
Teenagers all over America have now become immune to what is right and wrong thanks to the influence of shows such as “Jersey Shore” and “Real World”; a television series that actively promotes drunken acts, one night stands, and inappropriate language. What happened to being a lady, and conducting yourself with class as women did during the 1960's? When women and young girls parade themselves around in little to nothing and sing songs about partying, sex, drugs, and alcohol, it further allows men to only view them as objects, and have little to no respect for their bodies, feelings, or opinions.
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| Women such as Jackie Kennedy were idolized during the 1960's for their classy outfits and timeless style. |
For many celebrities, especially young ones, it seems that every statement, performance, or interview done through the media or social networking sites seems to only be geared towards the amount of shock value and attention they can receive. It’s a shame that the category of bad influences in media trumps that of women such as Candace Cameron or Carrie Underwood, who said "Successful people have a social responsibility to make the world a better place and not just take from it." I absolutely agree with Miss Underwood; and I wish other A-List stars felt the same way. If I had the privilege to empower people through media, make a stand against something, or broadcast a message to a wide range of people, I would make it a point to depict a positive message. I would take a stand against bullying, or be an advocate for Abstinence; something other than the provocative deeds celebrities display during this day and age.
