Do celebrities and athletes have an obligation to be role models to our children?

Home ▸ Archive ▸ Serious Business ▸ Do celebrities and athletes have an obligation to be role models to our children?
M

mallymal614

Senior Member

3,746 posts
Feb 15, 2010 5:36 PM
I saw this discussion on facebook, so I thought I should bring it on here. Yes or no?
Feb 15, 2010 5:36pm
j_crazy's avatar

j_crazy

7 gram rocks. how i roll.

8,372 posts
Feb 15, 2010 5:37 PM
no, that's my job.

i'm not saying i'd be pissed if my kid looked up to tebow or manning more than me, but i'm not going to use that as an excuse to bash them when they fuck up.
Feb 15, 2010 5:37pm
M

mallymal614

Senior Member

3,746 posts
Feb 15, 2010 5:39 PM
lol that's what most of the people on FB said. A lot of people saying it should be the parents.
Feb 15, 2010 5:39pm
Curly J's avatar

Curly J

Self Pwner in Training.

7,282 posts
Feb 15, 2010 5:40 PM
Ahhh, No
Feb 15, 2010 5:40pm
thedynasty1998's avatar

thedynasty1998

Senior Member

6,844 posts
Feb 15, 2010 5:40 PM
No they do not have an obligation, however they are.
Feb 15, 2010 5:40pm
Fab1b's avatar

Fab1b

The Bald A-Hole!!

12,949 posts
Feb 15, 2010 5:46 PM
No IMO
Feb 15, 2010 5:46pm
U

Upper90

Senior Member

1,095 posts
Feb 15, 2010 5:46 PM
It's not their obligation. I don't have kids, but when I was young, I was that dude that loved athletes and musicians...but never looked to them for guidance/examples.

Public eye or not, they're humans. Bound to screw up, as we all are.
Feb 15, 2010 5:46pm
DeyDurkie5's avatar

DeyDurkie5

Senior Member

11,324 posts
Feb 15, 2010 5:54 PM
lol not at all, and anyone that says that is a ratard
Feb 15, 2010 5:54pm
M

mallymal614

Senior Member

3,746 posts
Feb 15, 2010 5:56 PM
Charles Barkley

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Feb 15, 2010 5:56pm
SQ_Crazies's avatar

SQ_Crazies

The Godfather

7,977 posts
Feb 15, 2010 6:08 PM
Absolutely not. And it causes so many arguments, but it's a joke that a lot of people seem to think they are obligated to be that. They are role models whether they like it or not, but for a person to slam a professional athlete for doing something like going to a strip club because they're supposed to be a role model is ridiculous. Especially when they're the one with kids--raise your damn kids right, it isn't LeBron/Kobe/Peyton/A-Rod's responsibility. If they screw up and it effects your kids that much then YOU are the one who is screwing up.
Feb 15, 2010 6:08pm
SQ_Crazies's avatar

SQ_Crazies

The Godfather

7,977 posts
Feb 15, 2010 6:23 PM
LOL, the better question is why WOULD they want to be?
Feb 15, 2010 6:23pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Feb 15, 2010 6:49 PM
Of course not.

That said, owners and advertisers or the league have every right to expect certain standards to be met because it's ultimately their brand. No different than if I owned a business or was a major stockholder I expect a certain standard of the faces of the corporation.
Feb 15, 2010 6:49pm
W

wizecracker

Senior Member

139 posts
Feb 15, 2010 7:17 PM
no.
Feb 15, 2010 7:17pm
T

Timber

Senior Member

935 posts
Feb 15, 2010 7:23 PM
All people should strive to be upstanding citizens. They should seek to make their communities better places to live, regardless of race, religion, fame, etc.

So in that regard, yes they should be role models... but, no more than anyone else. Clearly people fail at this, just as will a percentage of celebrities/athletes/entertainers, etc.
Feb 15, 2010 7:23pm
U

Upper90

Senior Member

1,095 posts
Feb 15, 2010 7:25 PM
Very well put.
Feb 15, 2010 7:25pm
tcarrier32's avatar

tcarrier32

Senior Member

1,497 posts
Feb 15, 2010 7:29 PM
the only people that they are obligated to be role models to are their own children
Feb 15, 2010 7:29pm
Cat Food Flambe''s avatar

Cat Food Flambe'

Senior Member

1,230 posts
Feb 15, 2010 9:25 PM
OK - if you are an athlete, no. If you show up and do your job, collect your pay, and otherwise mind your own business, I don't feel you have an obligation to be anything other than a athlete.

If, however, you voluntarily loan your name, likeness, or endorsement to products or causes , you are using your fame as an athlete to gain my attention for profit or benefit. There's nothing wrong with that - but in doing so, you've voluntarily placed yourself in the public's attention, and you're fair game when in public view.
Feb 15, 2010 9:25pm
Red_Skin_Pride's avatar

Red_Skin_Pride

Senior Member

1,226 posts
Feb 15, 2010 10:08 PM
No snow we go! wrote: All people should strive to be upstanding citizens. They should seek to make their communities better places to live, regardless of race, religion, fame, etc.

So in that regard, yes they should be role models... but, no more than anyone else. Clearly people fail at this, just as will a percentage of celebrities/athletes/entertainers, etc.
Good post. +1

And to add to that, they should be role models, but no more than anyone else. However, since children have close personal relationships with their parents, family, friends etc. THOSE role models should carry much more responsibility and thus act accordingly than someone who has never met you, or your child, should be held responsible for.
Feb 15, 2010 10:08pm
T

Timber

Senior Member

935 posts
Feb 15, 2010 10:12 PM
Agree... Parents, family, friends and community is far more important than any celebrity in being role models
Feb 15, 2010 10:12pm
Fab1b's avatar

Fab1b

The Bald A-Hole!!

12,949 posts
Feb 15, 2010 10:14 PM
IMO people just need to be themselves! I mean if you are fake and exposed, ala Tiger Woods look what happens. If Tiger was this way and the public knew it all along but could still swing the hell out of a golf club it would have never mattered. But he tried to put on a front and be a role model and was exposed as a fraud. Happens all the time. Be yourself and it is what it is!!
Feb 15, 2010 10:14pm
Strapping Young Lad's avatar

Strapping Young Lad

Senior Member

2,453 posts
Feb 15, 2010 11:48 PM
No one has an obligation to someone they don't know. I expect ppl. to be accountable morally, though I'm sure my morals are much more liberal than most ppl's, so even that's a grey area....

I think at the core however my morals are compatible with most's. Don't kill, don't steal (unless it's from a large department/grocery store), no violence, no rape, no abuse, no racism/homophobes, no hate crimes. You get the idea.....
Feb 15, 2010 11:48pm
dwccrew's avatar

dwccrew

Not Banned

7,817 posts
Feb 16, 2010 12:15 AM
No, but parents and teachers do. People that actually interact with children on a daily basis should be the role models.
Feb 16, 2010 12:15am
NNN's avatar

NNN

Senior Member

902 posts
Feb 16, 2010 1:10 AM
This isn't a yes or not question.

SHOULD athletes by role models? No. ARE athletes role models? Yes. When Charles Barkley made his famous "I'm not a role model" utterance, he was right. A kid shouldn't look up to a pro athlete who he's never met as an example of what it's like to be a productive member of society...that's what teachers, parents, coaches, and anyone who a kid will meet in daily life are for.

But it's naive for an athlete to blow coke off a hooker's ass and then shrug and say "I'm not a role model". A pro athlete, by virtue of being a member of society who young people look up to, have as much of an obligation to do the right thing as those who should be looked to as role models.

This is no different than the whole debate over garbage music acts. Yes, it's true that parents should be keeping an eye (or ear) on what their kids are listening to, but it's also up to musicians to have some responsibility for what they produce.
Feb 16, 2010 1:10am
jpake1's avatar

jpake1

Senior Member

2,389 posts
Feb 16, 2010 1:14 AM
No they shouldn't. As a parent, that's your responsibility. Don't like they other way people carry themselves, and don't want your child to admire that, then make sure they aren't becoming familiar with that shit. Or have the common sense to sit little Sally down and let her know that Paris Hilton is just a cleanly shaven cunt that can suck a golf ball through a garden house, but lacks anything of real importance. Ok, so maybe rephrase that a little bit.
Feb 16, 2010 1:14am
3reppom's avatar

3reppom

Senior Member

765 posts
Feb 16, 2010 7:13 AM
No. They can do whatever they want with their lives
Feb 16, 2010 7:13am