Over the years, there have been many celebrity scandals, such as Ellen DeGeneres being toxic to her staff on her show, or even cheating scandals among celebrities such as Dave Grohl.
While celebrities can be role models for people, society tends to idolize celebrities and think that they can do no wrong, when in reality they are just everyday people. Celebrities shouldn’t be placed on a pedestal because they are normal people, just like us.
Both fans and media tend to build celebrities up as “perfect” people who can make no mistakes because of their celebrity status. The media also tends to create unrealistic standards with celebrities, especially when it comes to body image. Fans tend to defend bad or questionable behavior by celebrities because of their status and the fan’s personal interest.
However, the assumption that celebrities can do no wrong creates unrealistic expectations for both the public and the celebrity.
For example, Ariana Grande has had numerous controversies over the years. In 2015, Grande was caught licking donuts in a California shop saying that she hates America and hates Americans. After this controversy, she issued an apology statement and a video apologizing.
Even though this was a smaller offence, it sparked an outrage on social media and goes to show that celebrities can make stupid mistakes.
When celebrities do mess up, fans tend to feel betrayed or outraged, especially when it comes to social media. Fans may make comments going against said celebrity or even potentially unfollow that celebrity.
Another example is when old social media posts of Season 7 “Love Island USA” star Cierra Ortega resurfaced. Ortega was featured in 29 episodes of the season before she was kicked off of the show.
Ortega had previously used a racial slur against the Asian community on her Instagram story. Fans of the show called for her removal based on the precedent that Yulissa Escobar, a contestant on the beginning of Season 7, was kicked off the show after posts of her using racial slurs also resurfaced.
After getting kicked off of the show, Ortega made an apology video on Instagram and TikTok, but people on social media went crazy, with some comments saying that she was only sorry because she got caught. Ortega made a mistake and should be able to learn from it. We shouldn’t be cancelling celebrities whenever they do something wrong.
Celebrities already tend to live under intense pressure due to their celebrity status. Some celebrities already feel like they are supposed to be role models for society and because of that are under pressure and scrutiny, which could potentially add to making mistakes. However, artists like Selena Gomez and Rihanna feel that being “perfect” creates unrealistic expectations.
Just because someone is famous doesn’t mean it erases human flaws such as anger or jealousy. When we expect perfection from someone it strips away their humanity. We should not be expecting perfection from anyone, let alone a celebrity.
We should also be separating the art from the artist. People are human and make mistakes, but it doesn’t make their art any less good. For example, instead of seeing a musician as a perfect celebrity role model, people should see them as someone who is imperfect but still makes music that people enjoy.
Although idolizing celebrities can be considered cool and fun, try putting yourself in the celebrity’s shoes. Knowing that everyone is watching your every move is stressful and can lead to celebrities suffering serious mental health challenges. We shouldn’t believe everything we see on social media, especially with celebrities, because behind closed doors they could be struggling.
Celebrities don’t have perfect lives and we should stop assuming that they do. No one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes; it’s just a part of life.
