Lindsay Lohan. Snooki. The new and ‘grown up’ Miley Cyrus. Hollywood has never been the great bastion for moral values, but the latest generation of celebrities and cover models is particularly troubling. Their clothes, their choices, and a blase approach to drugs, sex and alcohol that make the 70’s look like a playdate… it’s enough to make most parents shudder.
But it’s a celebrity-obsessed world, and our daughters idolize media icons the way we used to, in the days of Tiger Beat and America’s Top 40. However, there are ways to help them find positive celebrity role models. Here are some tips.
Find celebs with a cause
Many celebs have lent their name to a worthy cause. Angelina Jolie is a goodwill ambassador; Cameron Diaz raises funds and awarenes for the environment. Help your child find her own passion, and then research on a celeb who shares it. Does she like animals? Look for someone who works to protect endangered species. Do you have a relative or family friend who is fighting cancer? Find a star who has battled the disease and won.
Warn them of the reality show mentality
Reality show stars are paid to create drama, lots of drama—and the footage is edited to heighten the most scandalous bits. Plus, these stars don’t actually work on a role or try to improve their acting skills. They just act as stupid and loud as they can.
Talk about how reality shows are not actually reality, and that most people have to work very hard to achieve a goal. You don’t even have to focus on TV celebs. Talk about writers, painters, and other performing arts, or the scriptwriters, directors and editors that put a film together.
Talk about the work behind the glamour
Magazines and TV shows only highlight the fun side of celebritydom. Emphasize the kind of sacrifices tht these celebs must make, such as leaving their families for weeks at a time to do a shoot, the long hours on the set, and the auditions and rejections they had to go through before they made it big.
Reflect on the mistakes of the celebs
When a celeb scandal takes over the news, grab the opportunity to talk to your child about what happened and what she can learn from it. ‘What did she do wrong? What are the consequences? What would you do if you were in the same situation?’
Photo from popcrunch.com