Do you think that celebrities and sport stars make good role models for young people?
No. The press doesn’t report on an actor having a successful 40+ year marriage (like Bob Newhart). They only report the divorces and drug abuse cases, so even when such celebrities are decent role models, you are unlikely to hear about it. In terms of being career role models, it is the rare few actors and athletes who achieve stardom. The vast majority of actors have to have a day job to support themselves or they would starve. Likewise, the vast majority of high school athletes don’t make the college teams and the vast majority of college athletes don’t make it to the pros. Even those who make it to the pros don’t necessarily get to be first string, or if they do, they lose their star position quickly because of injury. To encourage young people to pin their hopes on being movie stars or pro basketball players is to fill their heads with false hope.
