WENN.com has recently received their tallies for an online poll naming the “Best Celebrity Role Model’. Now, taking the poll into context, which was more “fun and interesting” than “serious and scientific”, the results aren’t too shocking. But, yea, they are a bit “off”.
Here’s the raw data.
1. Angelina Jolie (43%)
2. George Clooney (23%)
3. Miley Cyrus (15%)
4. Bono (14%)
5. The Jonas Brothers (5%)
Now, here’s the spin. Apparently if you are at one time a probable cult-member, confused sexually, religiously, and when doing press interviews, married to Billy Bob Thorton (to whom you relentlessly engage in PDA with), and possibly attracted to your biological brother — you can come back and redeem yourself. All you have to do in marry Brad Pitt, adopt some children from Africa, make a few trips a year there, get involved in charities, and make saving a continent your primary concern.
Okay, in all fairness, those are all well and good causes, but as a whole, it’s hard to agree with Jolie as the top celebrity role model due to past disscretions. To her credit though, none of them were illegal nor harmful to anyone outside of herself, irregardless of how strange they may seem.
George Clooney, the guy does a lot of great work with the UN, and tons of other wonderful causes. He’s charming too… that’s a good trait to wish for the kids right? But, considering America’s culture is essentially founded on marriage and the family unit, it’s hard to see Clooney as someone the average American would want their son to become… rich, charming, successful, but without kids and no intention of ever having any. Just watch Up In the Air to see how that lifestyle jived with the typical American family. A good attempt at a role model, but he misses on key points.
Do I even need to justify Miley Cyrus with a response? It’s obvious that she hasn’t lived a long enough life to really see how her life is going to turn out (though most have their guesses), and the few years she has lived haven’t been particularly “rode model worthy”.
She was the cute daughter of a one-hit-wonder who got her own TV show on Disney. Okay, that’s cool. Apparently she didn’t let the fame go to her head for a while. That’s another plus, but since then she has shown an unabashed want to show as much skin and dance as sexually as possible. Don’t worry, I am aware that teenagers have sex and this is just what they do when they are 17, point taken. The problem is, it’s not what most would want their kids to be doing, if they had the choice. Therefore, role model — no, realistically depressing realization of the modern American teenage girl — sure.
Bono. Okay, I know a lot of people out there hate Bono. I guess the guy can be a bit “much”, or annoying with the whole “lets save a continent of people before two generations are wiped out due to an incurable disease which is rapidly spreading”. Did you read that last sentence? I mean the guy at least has a real reason to be annoying. Most of us don’t get our morning coffee and we take it as a free pass to give the guy who cuts you off in traffic the finger, while screaming obscenities out the window hoping they take notice and a chase ensues.
Bono, instead, chooses to write music (which I personally enjoy — and so do a lot of other people) to fund his efforts and get the word out. It’s certainly nice not to see him in the tabloids every day as well. Agree or disagree with the guy’s politics, he actually got legislation passed in Congress working with President George W. Bush. He did something that really happened, and really affected people’s lives. So, he seems actually worthy to be on the list, but once again, the life of a traveling rock-star doesn’t jive with the average American’s hope for the kids — though it is a nice dream, the reality never seems to match it (like in every episode of Behind the Music).
Okay, I can actually see The Jonas Brothers on the list. At first you think, no… this is crap. Sit and think awhile and your conclusions start to change.
They are devoutly religious, which most Americans approve of and hope for their kids growing up, i.e. to believe in something greater than themselves to give their life purpose and meaning. They don’t have drug problems, seem well-adjusted, and don’t make too big a fuss about anything. They aren’t in other people’s faces about “doing more and saving the world”, and they seem alright being teen idols for a while, working in the music industry relatively unnoticed till they are 30, and then not be heard of again. You have to admire that in a way.
In the end, Bono, George Clooney, and the Jonas Brothers actually seem worthy (each in their own strangely appropriate way) to be in the top 10 of celebrity role models. The problem is, the less you know about a celebrity, the more they should be seen as a role model — but they can’t get on the list. And so it is. The paradox of the American culture. Only a good deed goes unnoticed, or if seen, it ceased to be a good deed. Maybe.
Who is your “best celebrity role model”? Are they on the list? Think I have it all wrong? Let me know in the comments.
Article written by Lee C. Jaster on GotchaMovies.com. Reposted with permission.