Pay attention to your influence

This is in regards to the March 10th article in the paper, the idolization of celebrities by Yetunde Ogunleye. While there is nothing to indicate the reporter’s source or polls to reference the numbers. I do however share some of the same views expressed by Yetunde.

I am not the type of person to pass judgment or come to an assumption, with just one person’s input. As well as not being easily influenced by someone merely stating opinion. With that said, I would have to say there is a direct line between celebrities and people who idolize them. As a society I feel we (as a people), should be very embarrassed to have put ourselves in this position. Children will sit and listen to influential artist for hours on end, before listening to an elder’s advice for two minutes.

Not only has the artist now become the go to influence in today’s culture, there have been national articles with children emulating their favorite rapper and even starting issues with others just to maintain a certain amount of validity from the streets, regardless of becoming a criminal or victim.

So with the shoe on the other foot, as a celebrity there should be a certain amount of responsibility to your message. Regardless how you’ve come into notoriety if your message gets carried to the other side of the nation or the planet, everyone should be able to find something regal in your message, regardless of the origins of your message. A parent’s job is to help their child interpret all messages from the universe, to be there filter of sorts. An artist job is to deliver a message, unfiltered, in its rawest form. Everyone has a responsibility to the youth, each just has to take their job seriously and effectively and unlearn the idolization of celebrities.