Youth feels Hollywood pressure from media
Brianna Martinez
Young Hollywood today is not the best example for young society to follow. Yet, some young women and men feel like they need to.
The media portrays a certain pressure as if young society should be following it.
Maria Chavira, an MCC psychology instructor, has seen the certain effects the media has on body image.
“Kilbourne’s research on the effects of media body image shows us how influential the media can be on the messages it gives us,” said Chavira.
With so many celebrities trying new diets and some just all of sudden becoming thin, there is pressure for girls to do the same according to Chavira.
There are also the pressures of young men and women to act wild like certain celebrities do.
Some feel the pressures and some do not.
Those that do, continue to try and live up to their own expectation of how and what is acceptable to act like in today’s society.
In the past year young Hollywood has not portrayed the best behavior, from Paris Hilton going to jail to Britney Spears shaving her head and losing custody of her children.
The media, according to some tends to portray that behavior as completely acceptable and if they find it shocking, then it is all over gossip blogs and the tabloids.
“It definitely helps to set social-cultural norms of what is accepted as normal,” said Chavira.
The celebrity gossip and celebrity behavior is always out there and is getting known to young society and young teenagers, as well.
Some young women are affected when they look at these pictures of these painfully thin celebrities and sometimes they think it is normal to be thin with bones protruding.
Young men are pressured to be physically fit as well.
Though most men are not struggling to lose weight, some struggle to gain muscle and have resorted to using steroids.
“I knew this guy that took steroids to stay in shape for football and during one game he just collapsed. I think the steroids did something to his heart because he had a heart-attack and almost died that game.” Maribel Montes, an 18-year-old MCC student
said.
Weight is not the only fluctuating issue going on in young Hollywood; certain celebrities have been in and out of rehab many times this year.
Also, the thinness of some celebrities has to do with the certain kinds of drugs they take which make them lose their appetite and lose weight rapidly for that reason.
There is usually a connection with the weight loss and drug problems.
Many celebrities have received DUIs this year, as well.
Though the DUI laws in Arizona have become stricter this year, there are still people receiving them and treating them with a passive attitude.
“One of my old friends got a DUI recently before New Year’s and I asked him if he was going to drink that night and he said he was just drinking a little because he had to drive. I was shocked because I couldn’t believe he was taking the chance again,” Montes said.
Some celebrities have started to clean their acts up, with Lindsay Lohan reportedly staying “clean” and Paris Hilton staying out of prison.
At least they are trying to portray better images for the youth of America.
Hopefully students will not follow the disturbing examples of some of young Hollywood’s stars and starlets.
