Poll Suggests Public Fed Up With Celebrity Misbehavior
by Mary Rettig
June 24, 2005
(AgapePress) - A recent poll from Associated Press and America Online found that increasing numbers of people say movie stars are poor role models. Melissa Caldwell, director of research for the Parents Television Council, says she is pleasantly surprised.The poll found that 69 percent of those who responded thought movie stars were poor role models for children. Caldwell suspects many people feel that celebrities have bad morals. Also, she says, "Probably people are reaching a point where they're [asking] 'Why should I care about these people? What have they done to earn my respect? What have they done to earn this kind of recognition?'"
The media is constantly showing the latest celebrity exploits, Caldwell notes, but the coverage is often about legal troubles, scandals, and misbehavior. Given this fact, she believes the AP/AOL survey probably shows the public's growing frustration with celebrities who seem to think they can do anything they want without consequences.
"You have instances like, you know, Russell Crowe throwing the telephone at the concierge at the hotel," Caldwell points out. "Or you have people like Paris Hilton and her celebrity status, based entirely upon an elicit sex tape that was circulated [on the Internet]. I think people are just kind of fed up with these shenanigans."
Also, the PTC spokeswoman contends, many parents have had enough of seeing celebrity mischief paraded on television, "and they're tired of seeing their kids sort of worshiping and idolizing these people who have really pretty low standards." The recent poll suggests to Caldwell that mothers and fathers do not want their children picking up on movie stars' bad behavior.
The "star power" that movie studios once equated with a celebrity being a "box office draw" may also be on the wane. According to the recently released AP/AOL poll, most Americans now say they would rather watch films at home than in theaters. Among the survey's respondents, 73 percent of adults said they preferred watching movies at home on DVD, videotape or pay-per-view.
Mary Rettig, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
