Response: Finding Positive Pop Icon Role Models (Like Finding a Needle in a Haystack)

Here is my response to Kathleen's blog post (which can be found here: http://lifeisbetterinblackandwhite.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-positive-pop-icon-role-models.html)

I think Kathleen makes a lot of really valuable points here – Justin Bieber is not marketed to me, and although I may not enjoy his music (and I really don’t), I would rather see someone like him as a role model for young people than someone like Lady Gaga or Ke$ha. Although someone like Lady Gaga does provide positive messaging with some of what she sings about (her current hit “Born This Way” is garnering a lot of positive response for its message of tolerance and acceptance) I do believe with any artist we have to demand a little better than that.

Part of how you are role modeling yourself to your fans is how you act and dress. She is usually photographed in almost next to nothing (her refusal to wear pants I find particularly interesting) and she has been photographed not always making fabulous decisions considering that enough of her fans are under the age of 16 (she was photographed flipping people off at a baseball game last season).

When looking at how younger people relate to musicians and icons, it is important to remember that they probably won’t always get the lyrics. I don’t think I became really lyrically aware until I was closer to 18-20. It was at that point that I really started to “listen” to the music and decipher what it meant to me. Before that, I was more aware of how the musicians I liked conducted themselves – and this was long before twitter, facebook, and the constant photo stream you can find on People.com.

In this way, Justin Bieber is a true star – he’s a nice boy who seems to make good decisions. But, he is still young. Miley Cyrus started out that way, and look at how that ended up. It is, I think, the problem of becoming a pop start so young. He hasn’t really had the chance to screw up yet, and he’s going to have to do all his growing and mistake making with the constant glare of a camera in his face. Hopefully he’ll be able to hold on to a piece of his pre-star life, because I do think that is what helps “stars” make good decisions as they grow older – they, at a very early age, have a lot of money and access – and that means they can try or do just about anything. Staving off that temptation will be the true test for him!