Celebrity, youth culture and the question of role models

　　The recent 2015 MTV Video Music Awards event was notable - not for the recognition of award recipients, but for the public spat between host Miley Cyrus and hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj.

　　Whether real or staged, the hurling of insults and aggressive behavior dominated mainstream press coverage of the ceremony surely much to the delight of MTV.

　　Both Minaj and Cyrus are known for courting controversy and have been criticized for being "bad" role models for young people, particularly girls and young women. But what if the mainstream media considered that young people actually use incidents such as this and celebrity culture in a wider sense in a whole host of complex ways to negotiate their identities?

　　A well-publicized survey of UK parents with children under ten years old voted both Cyrus and Minaj as the worst role models for their daughters. This came even before the recent spat.

　　The dislike of Minaj and Cyrus appears to be centered on their penchant for dressing provocatively and being outspoken about their sexuality. In predictable contrast, the Duchess of Cambridge was considered the most positive influence on young girls. The worst male offenders were musicians and performers Kanye West, Justin Bieber and former One Direction band member Zayn Malik.

　　Obsessed with celebrity

　　Discourse in this vein is not a new phenomenon. Musicians and performers have long been considered to influence young people in negative ways. In the 21st century, the impact of celebrity culture on society, especially on young people, has come under scrutiny.

　　Are today's youth obsessed with celebrity? Is this detrimental to society? Can celebrities ever have a positive influence on young people? Does celebrity culture really matter? These are complex and plural questions to which there are few, if any, concrete answers. However, what is routinely ignored in mainstream media is young people's sense of agency.

　　Much of the research and commentary surrounding such questions is centred on how celebrity culture may impact upon health and well being in terms of eating disorders or mental health issues.

　　The rise and dominance of social media sites such as Instagram and their links to the glorification of "super-skinny" celebrities have been cited as influences in the rise of eating disorders in young people.

　　The British Psychological Society recently said experts warned that youngsters are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with images permeating from a celebrity culture in which thin bodies are celebrated, larger ones are ridiculed and children are sexualised.

　　Sense of identity

　　It is logical to suggest that continual exposure to celebrity culture impacts in negative ways on some young people's senses of identity. This may well affect health and well being, but how this happens and to what degree is incredibly complex. We must also consider the ways in which the media choose to present rather narrow ideas about how celebrities - particularly female ones - should behave and how they should look.

　　Those whose behaviour falls outside of these narrow ideas are often condemned as being wayward, controversial and difficult. Indeed young people may well negotiate their own gendered identities through the celebrity and by talking about them with their peers. The Celeb Youth project in the United Kingdom is an excellent example of much needed academic research into the field of celebrity and identity. It focused on the influence of celebrities in the construction of young people's aspirations.

　　What is omitted from the media conversation about celebrities as role models is that many young people are more than capable of making informed, intelligent choices about which celebrities they follow and are becoming increasingly aware of the ways in which the media positions celebrities against each other in terms of race and class.

　　Young people may connect with those that they feel best represent them as well as those that do not. Indeed, it is also fair to suggest that many young people have no interest in celebrity culture at all.

　　It is the active and complex use of celebrity culture by young people to negotiate the world around them that is often lost in favor of sweeping generalizations about negative impacts. Perhaps rather than eliminating celebrity culture from the classroom, it could be used productively and constructively to allow young people to make sense of the world they are growing up in.

　　Citation：

　　http://theconversation.com/celebrity-youth-culture-and-the-question-of-role-models-46945

　　适用题目：

　　Celebrities are more important to younger people than they are to older people.

　　The opinions of celebrities such as entertainers and athletes are more important to younger people than to older people.

　　重点搭配和句子摘抄：

　　public spat between： xxx跟xxx公共争吵

　　the hurling of insults and aggressive behavior ：

　　激烈的侮辱性和挑衅性的行为

　　dominated mainstream press coverage ：

　　主导于主流媒体报道

　　courting controversy ：追求争议

　　have been criticized for being "bad" role models for ：

　　作为一个糟糕的楷模被批评

　　mainstream media ：主流媒体

　　A well-publicized survey：广为人知的调查

　　to be centered on：主要是关于

　　The dislike of Minaj and Cyrus appears to be centered on their penchant for dressing provocatively and being outspoken about their sexuality.

　　对Minaj和Cyrus的厌恶主要体现在他们的暴露穿着和大谈她们的性观念的倾向。

　　Discourse in this vein is not a new phenomenon.

　　这个风格的论述不是新的现象。

　　have long been considered to influence ：

　　一直被认为影响

　　come under scrutiny：

　　接受审查

　　be obsessed with ：着迷于

　　Is detrimental to society：对社会有危害

　　complex and plural questions ：复杂的、复合的问题

　　Much of the research and commentary surrounding such questions is centered on ：

　　很多研究和评论关于这种问题主要集中在xxx

　　impact upon health and well being ：影响健康和幸福

　　eating disorders or mental health issues:饮食不规律、心理健康问题

　　The rise and dominance of social media sites ：

　　社交媒体网站的崛起和

　　finding it increasingly difficult to cope with ：

　　发现应对xxx更加困难了

　　continual exposure to celebrity culture ：

　　继续接触名人文化

　　is incredibly complex：难以想象的复杂

　　are more than capable of making informed, intelligent choices about ：

　　完全有能力做关于xxx的基于信息的、智慧的决定

　　becoming increasingly aware of ：越来越意识到xxx

　　falls outside of ：不属于

　　condemned as being wayward, controversial and difficult：

　　被指责太反复无常、争议和困难

　　connect with those that they feel best represent them ：

　　跟他们觉得可以最好代表他们的人建立联系

　　sweeping generalizations about negative impacts：

　　不加区分的归为负面的影响

　　eliminating celebrity culture from the classroom：

　　从教室里面消除名人文化

　　could be used productively and constructively ：

　　可以高效的、建设性的使用

　　to make sense of the world ：更好的体会这个世界

　　适用题目：

　　Celebrities are more important to younger people than they are to older people.

　　The opinions of celebrities such as entertainers and athletes are more important to younger people than to older people.

　　Now, in an age where we have more contact with celebrity gossip than we have ever had, we are faced with a question: what are the effects that superstars have on our youth?

　　Celebrities influence fans in almost every negative way. Since we live in a technological era, teens can always see what their favorite celebrities are doing, what they are wearing, and where they are checking in. Fans are able to feel a part of their favorite celebrity's everyday life by tracking their whereabouts. They feel up to date on what's happening in their lives. This gives them a connection and a sense of closeness to their favorite superstar. Teens, knowing what their favorite star is doing affects their lives, will feel the need be just like them. So they imitate their clothes, accessories, and especially their behavior. The power of the celebrity has taken control of these teens and ended with negative influences.

　　Teens are confused as to who they are and who they want to be. Since teens are trying to figure out who they are and want to be, they look to what is popular for ideas. This is where celebrities have the most influence. Teens' strong desire to be "cool" has them willing to do, say, and act how they see fit. Teenagers are so obsessed with having the perfect image that they will go to any length to acquire it. They have put an emphasis on how important material objects are, and how they can boost their self-esteem and image. They must have the best and most popular designer brands, hairstyles, cell phones, purses, and so forth. Teenagers at this point in their lives find their identity through these material objects. Brands have infiltrated preteens and adolescents' inner lives. As long as they have the most popular items and are up to date with the latest trends, they have obtained great self-esteem, and for that moment in time, their identity. Teenage girls do not have wholesome idols to look up to. When mothers ask their daughters whom they want to be like, many of them will answer Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, and Taylor Momsen. All of whom dress provocatively and are all caught doing something inappropriate such as drugs, getting tattoos before eighteen, or they have been to rehab and so on.

　　…

　　Teens are fans of Miley Cyrus, who was caught on film smoking marijuana, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, who went to jail for drinking and drugs. So by now teens consider this to be okay, and do not let instances like this hinder their idols' like-ability. They have become immune to things that are wrong because they constantly see celebrities conducting themselves in this manner in the media. Reality shows have become very popular and teens have begun to realize that you can become famous just by being a bad girl, teen mom, or a crazy party animal who likes to do nothing but drink. Tv shows and stars are just bad examples for young teens. They broadcast that it is okay to constantly fight, be drunk, and have random hookups. Some people are even paid for that and become famous. So why would teenagers see anything wrong with this if the media is telling them it is okay? It is not fair to teenagers because they are being influenced by negative actions. They imitate what they see, and what they see is all messed up.

　　…

　　"Yes, celebrities are a bad influence on teenagers. In your debate you can talk about how celebrities emphasize on looks. They make you think that they set the standards for beauty and what they say is beautiful, is beautiful and what they say is ugly, is ugly.  seeing celebrities being so beautiful and perfect although, they wear too much make up, they have their hair professionally done, plastic surgery, etc they lower teens self esteem. You can also talk about how celebrities promote negativity like sex, naked pictures, smoking, drinking, partying, etc instead of good things. You can also talk about how celebrities in a way tell you what is the right thing to be. Like the way you dress, act, look, etc, they do not promote individuality or uniqueness, they tell you how to be."

　　重点搭配和句子摘抄：

　　what their favorite celebrities are doing, what they are wearing, and where they are checking in：

　　他们最喜欢的名人做了、他们穿什么、他们都去哪里

　　tracking their whereabouts：

　　跟踪他们的行踪

　　gives them a connection and a sense of closeness to ：

　　给他们建立一种联系和一些亲密感

　　imitate their clothes, accessories, and especially their behavior:

　　模仿他们的穿戴特别是他们的行为

　　Teens are confused as to who they are and who they want to be.

　　青年人会为自己到底是什么样的人、要做什么样的人感到困扰。

　　Teenagers are so obsessed with having the perfect image that they will go to any length to acquire it.

　　年轻人都着迷于并将竭尽全力获得最完美的形象。

　　go to any length to ：竭尽全力

　　boost their self-esteem and image:提升自信和形象

　　best and most popular designer brands, hairstyles, cell phones, purses, and so forth：

　　最好、最流行的设计师品牌、发型、手机、钱包等等

　　material objects：物质的东西

　　up to date with the latest trends：

　　紧跟最新的潮流

　　dress provocatively ：穿着暴露

　　doing drugs, getting tattoos before eighteen, or they have been to rehab ：

　　吸毒、不到18岁就纹身、并且去过戒毒所

　　was caught on film smoking marijuana：

　　抽大麻的时候被录像

　　went to jail for drinking and drugs：

　　因为酗酒、吸毒被关监狱

　　become immune to ：对xxx免疫

　　constantly fight, be drunk, and have random hookups：

　　经常打架、醉酒并有随机勾搭的人

　　set the standards for ： 为xxx建立标准

　　plastic surgery：整形

　　promote negativity like sex, naked pictures, smoking, drinking, partying

　　promote individuality or uniqueness：

　　促使负面的东西比如：性、裸露的招聘、抽烟、酗酒、排队；

　　促进个性和独特性

　　Citation：

　　https://aberzinji.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/editorial-celebrities-good-influence-or-not/

　　适用题目：

　　Celebrities are more important to younger people than they are to older people.

　　The opinions of celebrities such as entertainers and athletes are more important to younger people than to older people.