The tragic events that took place at Travis Scott’s AstroWorld on November 6th have raised many questions and concerns. A concern rising to the surface revolves around the dangers surrounding idolization of celebrities.
10 people were killed at the Travis Scott concert in Houston. Investigators infer that a crowd surge erupted into people being trampled which might have been the cause of these deaths. The cause of the surge is still under investigation, but there have already been lawsuits filed against Travis Scott by the families who lost a loved one at his concert and those who underwent serious injuries. The youngest person to die at AstroWorld was Ezra Blount (9). Mirza Baig (27), Rodolfo Peña (23), Madison Dubiski (23), Franco Patiño (21), Jacob Jurinke (20), John Hilgert (14), Axel Acosta Avila (21), Brianna Rodriguez (16), and Bharti Shahani (22) also lost their lives.
There has been an uproar of controversy surrounding the fault of Travis Scott. Lawsuits have been filed against Travis and families of lost loved ones have publicly expressed their outrage. There are a lot of people pointing their fingers at Travis Scott; however, there are also many people who have come to his defense and believe he should not be one of the individuals held accountable. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and there is still a lot regarding November 6th that is under investigation, but it is dangerous to perceive Travis as a man who could never do any wrong. Regardless of a person’s stature or persona, everyone is capable of wrongdoings.
From politicians to movie stars, to music artists and professional athletes, there is a difference between being a fan of an individual and being an idolizer. A fan is recognized as someone who displays strong liking and support for someone or something whereas an idolizer can be defined as someone who loves blindly with admiration and devotion. “Idolizers” can love a celebrity to such a great extent and hold them at such high stature that they will turn a blind eye to their faults and subconsciously condone any wrong actions.
The media plays a huge role in the way we perceive situations and individuals, especially celebrities. Depending on which source you receive information, stories might be biased and people might be depicted differently. The speculation of the media mixed with idolization is a threatening formula. In a world where bad things happen nearly everyday now, it is important to take everyone and everything with a grain of salt. Just because someone projects themselves a certain way does not mean that projection is true or that the person is incapable of anything negative.
The tragedy of AstroWorld is eye-opening. Looking beyond the controversy, this goes to show how crucial it is to refrain from idolization. It is okay to think highly of a celebrity but placing them on a pedestal is detrimental to everyone involved.