Dirty Laundry
Over the weekend the whole brouhaha over the Vanessa Hudgens picture was the subject of various blog and message board posts (why yes, I do lurk on a Disney message board, it provides some comic relief during my day, thankyouverymuch). Admittedly I am not a big High School Musical fan, and have not paid much attention to the controversy.
However, after reading a bunch of posts about how “she’s no longer a role model I want for my children” from a few different people, I started thinking. First of all, naked pictures aside, I don’t think I want C to think of an actress as a “role model”. That’s not what I envision a role model to be – the same way I wouldn’t want her to think of a sports star as a role model either. If you’re using an actress/actor as a role model, I think you’re asking for disillusionment. There’s nothing wrong with actresses or actors, I just wonder why someone would think that is who you would want your child to be like? Are people confusing a role the actor/actress is playing with the actual person?
Because yes, the character this actress played in the tv movie was someone who should be emulated – smart, popular (I don’t want to say popular but I don’t see any way around that; the character was popular) and seemed grounded. But that’s the character she was playing people, not the actress herself!
And secondly, she’s 18. An adult. If she wants to pose for a picture for her significant other, it’s her right to do so. I did the same thing when I was 20/21 and in college, and in loooove. Are those pictures still floating around somewhere? I hope not, but can’t be sure. (I’d like to have them back if they are though; I was seriously skinny back in those days!) And while that’s probably not the most brilliant thing I’ve ever done, trust me, I’ve got plenty more stories where I’m not exactly acting like a brain trust at that age either.
Am I missing something when I think this is all much ado about nothing? Is it just because she works for Disney and she should be held to a higher standard? Help me understand, because I’m just not getting it.
posted by Sue at 4:06 PM
4 Comments:
I wish I could get a hold of the pictures I took for a photography class a friend of mine was taking in 1993. I was SMOKING hot back then (though I had no idea that I would sit here in 2007 thinking that I was anything but fat at 130lbs. I hate the 21 year old me).
I hope my daughter does not have to look at TV stars as rolemodels. I certainly hope that she can instead look at me or her teachers or her aunts...
yeah, it's like "Disney" even if you are of legal age..."NO WINE AT YOUR WEDDING!" kind of thing. The big deal about Miss USA and stuff, is ridiculous. I mean, is EVERYONE making a big deal out of this a saint? Come on. If everyone in every cast was a virgin/sober/never posed nude for some sort of camera, there would be no Disney staff. Ha.
cmsxuI think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that actress/athlete does not equal role model. My son is in Boy Scouts - plenty of good role models there, both among the older teens and their parents who volunteer tirelessly. I try to encourage my kids to look closer to home for their role models.
As for actress, she's of legal age and making her own choices. It's not like she's smoking crack and holding up liquor stores in her spare time.
oops! My cursor jumped and I ended up typing my word verification in my comment. I'm a terrible role model. ;-)
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