“To whom much is given, much will be expected” is an ideology that some Americans live believing. We witness this philosophy when individuals compare the work they do to the reward they expect in return. As a celebrity, one of the major downfalls is giving up your personal privacy in return for stardom and, in many situations, an abundance of money.
The payoff for being a celebrity can be wealth, stardom and being able to influence many people across the globe without meeting them. For some individuals, we find this not to be a problem at all. For others, this can lead to great amounts of depression and death.
“If a celebrity loses their mind because they can’t handle the pressure, then that is their fault,” said communications senior Aclesia Caraway. “They knew what they were signing up for.”
A number of celebrities hope to become famous because they’re gifted in their craft and would like to share that gift with the world. For example, let’s take Michael Jackson into consideration. From his adolescent years into his adult life, Jackson was one of the biggest celebrities the world of music has seen.
With his childhood being so publicized and his adult life even more publicized, Jackson never really knew a sense of privacy that most individuals are blessed to experience.
The time period when a young man hits the stages of puberty, including embarrassing voice changes and zits, is a time when many individuals would just like to hide themselves from the world. However, Jackson was forced to experience adolescence in front of millions.
During the unthinkable time of being accused of child molestation, Jackson was forced to face that heartache in the front and center of the public as well.
“I would hate for my personal business to be highlighted for just a day,” said UH alumna Andrea Coleman.
After asking Coleman why, she explained to me that she is a very personal individual and she likes to keep to herself if she isn’t familiar with an individual. She believes privacy protects individuals from having to deal with situations before they are mentally — and sometimes physically — prepared.
Coleman spoke on the idea that people sometimes push their problems into a “out of sight, out of mind” place because they are not equipped to handle the issue at that moment.
“My biggest issue wouldn’t be that I give up my privacy in return of becoming famous, but that the people around me may become harassed for the decisions that I have made,” said communication senior Deunbra Ivory.
UH senior Brittany Norwood is suing Houston Texans running back Arian Foster for emotional distress and child support, as reported by IBT.
Whether the accusations are true or false, Norwood has opened herself up for ridicule. Indirectly, she has become famous through her connection to Foster. Norwood may be okay with the media’s intrusion on her life, but her friends and family may not be.
The media don’t just come after the famous — they also attack the people that are seen to be closest to you. Norwood’s family is now being questioned about whether this scandal has anything to do with the reality TV show that Norwood and her mother are planning. Now, not just Norwood’s privacy has been invaded, but her mother’s has been as well.
No matter the situation or the circumstances, I believe that individuals should have some sort of privacy. The way celebrities are forced to live their lives as if they are always being watched is dangerous for their minds. Having to face an unwanted situation in front of the world could send many over the edge — even into a psychotic breakdown.
The feeling of never being alone to meditate and relax without worry is a dream for many celebrities. Sure, maybe as a celebrity, you know that it’s a possibility that your personal life will become a movie for everyone else’s life, but that does not make it right.
The president of the United States considers the risk before becoming the president, but if he was to get assassinated tomorrow, I’m sure that people with mindsets like Caraway’s would be a bit more sympathetic to the deceased.
“Holding a gun to someone’s head isn’t the only way that you can kill a person,” said biochemistry senior Hafis Anafi. “Kill a person’s spirit, and they’re good as dead.”
Opinion columnist Derail Texada is a broadcast journalism junior and may be reached at [email protected]
I was friends with her uncle growing up and I babysat her when she was a little girl. Not only is she very beautiful and extremely intelligent but she also comes from a wonderful and genuine family with morals and values. Of course someone is always going to pull the gold digger card in a situation like this especially when your dealing with a pro ball player and a blonde bombshell but don’t be so quick to stereotype. This girl is a senior in college at 20 years old and is very intelligent and level headed. She has made a wonderful decision in keeping this baby knowing that her world will not be easy. How self-less is that?!?! And people want to call her a gold digger?!?!? I’m sure she knew this would not be easy and now it’s her and her child against the world. Brit keep your head up. And as for Foster he’s a liar, a cheater, and acts like a little bi*** in front of cameras. I hope she does dig down and find some gold digger in herself and takes his ass to the cleaners. He is wrong for the comments his a** made to her in reference to their unborn child.
Intelligent and level headed? Good one! She decided to burn coal and got burned herself. She and Romina Reinhart are very dumb. They thought they were special. She should have aborted as we don’t need anymore offspring of “feetsball playerz” and “blonde bombshell” burners.
Even worse than being a gold digger is that she burns coal. No self respecting “blonde bomsbhell” would do that to herself. My favorite line to burners is to tell them that their ugly offspring “it looks just like you”. They are to dumb to understand the irony.
I wonder what her father thinks. Too often I those old guys pushing a grocery cart with the spawn of their burner daughters. You can see the shame in their eyes that they failed as a parent.
Yeah. Their daughters told them that this guy is different, blah blah blah. He’s not like the stereotype. Then the girls father ends up paying for the kids while the absentee sperm donor is knocking up more burners. Disgusting
She should have went to the planned parenthood by UH. Its in the third ward for a reason
Wonderful decision keeping his baby? The prisons are already full of criminals raised by single mothers. Single mothers have created many of the criminals the rest of society has to suffer from.