This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at OK State chapter.
As Americans we often idolize celebrities, but do we give some too much credit? I’ve put together a short list of some celebrities who shouldn’t and should be iconic.
Icon’s that shouldn’t be:
Kim Kardashian: She happens to be one of the most famous women in America, but does anyone remember why? No, it isn’t because her family has their own reality television show, although that didn’t hurt. It’s because of her sex tape with rapper Ray Jay. Seriously? I understand how people might view her as iconic because of her physical appearance, but can’t we do better than that? She’s done nothing, literally nothing that is respectable or intelligent. As a young American woman, she’s made me believe that we all need to set higher standards for ourselves if this is who we’re idolizing.
Marilyn Monroe: I know, I know, none of us are happy that she’s on the bad list. However, the more I read about Monroe, the more I wonder why everyone quotes her all the time. I can’t rag on her for her resilence, (she went through an extremely traumatic childhood and still made it on her own) but I can take a good look at our generation and question why we’ve decided she’s a good role model. Monroe not only had problems with alcoholism and drug addiction, but also had a supposed love affair with a married man. She wasn’t exactly a reliable person. It doesn’t help that she’s thought to have had multiple personality disorder, either. The women died alone of a drug overdose at an early age. Is that what you want for your life?
Megan Fox: Yeah, I get it, she’s beautiful and…..
*crickets*
Anything else? Besides being attractive, I don’t know what the big deal is. She’s an actress, but her acting is terrible and she hasn’t done anything noteworthy. That is all.
Icons that should:
Tina Fey: This lady has it going on! She’s extremely intelligent, beautiful and a seemingly good person. She’s wrote for Saturday Night Live, produced her own television show and written her own book (that happens to be hilarious, by the way). She’s down to earth, smart and respectable!
Katharine Hepburn: Katharine Hepburn was a strong, independent woman that broke the boundaries society had cast on women in the 50’s. She was a talented actress, who refused to conform to the expectations set for her. She challenged herself with several different acting roles, ranging from independent women to Shakespeare. She was never afraid to be herself.
Natalie Portman: She’s a talented actress AND a Harvard graduate (her degree being in psychology). Portman has won several awards for her acting. She has dual American and Israeli citizenship, knows how to speak Hebrew and she’s been in the public eye for several years now without going crazy. She’s beautiful, talented and intelligent.