When I was growing up, I just knew I'd be a famous actress or singer. Problem was, I was painfully shy and couldn't hardly sing a note in front of others, and except for that one line I had in a play at church with our high school youth group, I never acted! So, my plans of being famous and fabulously wealthy went to the wayside. And somewhere along the way, I decided I didn't really want to be famous.
Celebrities don't seem very happy to me. Most don't stay married more than five years at best, and so many are addicted to drugs and alcohol. When you make the kind of money they do, there are always leaches. Everyone, they say, wants something from you ... money, an introduction to someone, fame by association, etc. They say it's hard to know who to trust, and I can see that.
It really breaks my heart when I some of see the ones who became famous as children now that they are adults. I won't name names, but we all know who I'm talking about. They wear barely-there clothing ... or none at all. They're seen smoking dope or drinking, even if before they were 21. They mar their perfect, beautiful, young skin with hideous tattoo's.
Some of these young stars enjoy shocking people ... with their actions, words, and the way they dress. Sadly, they believe the old adage "bad publicity is better than no publicity at all". What they don't seem to understand is that most of the "publicity" is completely turning off a lot of people to their music or films. They think that getting a lot of hits on the YouTube video of their latest song is a good thing, but what they don't seem to comprehend is that a lot of those hits are from men just wanting to leer at their body. The majority of people viewing their video's aren't potential customers, they're perverts or curiosity seekers. They're people like me who watch the video to see what all the hype is about and feel a little queasy watching this talented young lady prostitute herself to sell a few CD's. Or they're boys and men who wouldn't be caught dead with a CD by this person, but they don't have a problem watching her writhe around naked, or nearly so. Their antics cost them more fans than they gain.
These young women think they are marketing themselves for a long career, but when you're using your body to sell your art, you have a limited shelf life. At some point, it's inevitable that age will take it's toll, and then you're in for a life of plastic surgery, botox, and collagen injections. We've all seen the stars who go to extremes to look young, and they end up looking like caricatures or something out of a horror movie. We see people's faces stretched so thin it looks like they're peering at us with their face pressed against a sheet of glass. They're faces are frozen from showing any emotion, even happiness, and their lips look like they're having an allergic reaction to something and need to go to the Emergency Room!
Then there are the young, beautiful young women with no discernible talent, hell-bent on being famous. Most of them have near perfect figures and generous, God-given assets ... who then decide they need breast implants. They always get ridiculously large ones that look completely out of proportion on their slender frames, and they end up looking comical, not sexy. They're skin is stretched to the breaking point. Their new silhouettes don't look natural. Of course, when they spend that kind of money for a new chest, they want to show it off ... and they do, wearing tiny tops or dresses that are one sneeze away from public indecency. I think plastic surgery has failed if your first thought is "Yup, those puppies are fake." They don't see that, of course, and they assume the stares sent their way are looks of appreciation rather than the looks of pity that they are.
The media, and the population at large, reward these women for their bad behavior. Young girls dreaming of becoming famous watch their scripted "reality" shows and buy their books on relationships ... this despite the fact that most of these celebrity "authors" have never had a successful relationship ... nor do they actually write the book that carries their name! A little sour grapes there? Perhaps, but I think celebrities who write books just because they're famous and know they'll sell cheapens the word "author". For one thing, they don't actually write them ... someone else does, but they get the praise. There are celebrity authors who actually write their own books, and others who have a ghost-writer because they know they aren't a author, but they genuinely have something to say. I've read those kinds of books, but the other ones ... no thanks.
There are a few young celebrities who haven't fallen victim to their fame. Dakota Fanning and Taylor Swift come to mind. Fame and fortune doesn't appear to be what they were seeking ... they just wanted to write and sing songs or act in movies. That's what they enjoy doing, and considering how good they are, I truly think that's what they were put on this earth to do! Both of these young women make boatloads of money, are recognized everywhere they go, and they are in high demand ... and they did it all without using their bodies to sell their work. In the world they live in, it takes someone with high morals and personal integrity to stay true to who they are. I have a great deal of respect for these two talented young women. There are others, but those are the two that pop into my mind first.
I know Taylor Swift has taken a lot of flack for writing about the boys and men in her past. I heard one celebrity talk show host, when speaking of Taylor Swift, say "I'll bet she's still a virgin!' ... as if giving your body to whoever wants it is good, or acceptable, behavior! I don't think it's anyone's business if she is or not. She's quite beautiful, so I'm sure she's had a multitude of offers ... and kudos to her for not falling victim to these men! I do find some of her songs to be a bit juvenile, but you know what? She was a juvenile, or just barely wasn't when she wrote them! I love her voice and I love singing along with her, and I have no problem buying my daughter her CD's. I love it that my daughter looks up to her. Ms. Swift is beautiful, talented, down to earth, and from everything I've heard, wouldn't dream of making a salacious video to sell a CD. And I admire that.
I have only watched a handful of the films Dakota Fanning has been in, and she's been outstanding in all of them. I think it's safe to say that this young woman is going to be in demand for the rest of her life. She's one of those rare individuals who was born with the gift of acting. Some people learn how to act, but it seems she was born already knowing what it takes some people decades to master. She's grown up in a world saturated with drugs and alcohol, a world where promiscuity is rewarded, and yet she remains untainted. And I admire her for that.
A lot of young celebrities could learn quite a bit from these two ... either you have it, or you don't ... and if you have to use your body to keep your name in the press ... then you don't have it.
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