American Idols and Female Role Models
What I’m not going to do now is scold editors for spending more time on Anna
Nicole Smith and Lindsay Lohan than the details of our federal budget. To
begin with, it would have about as much impact as it would for me to tell some
pop starlet, who has more money than I ever will, to put on some decent clothes
and behave herself.
I do think, though, that we should be worried when our children are shown over and over again that people who are rich and famous, and are presented as “idols,” get even more rich and famous due to behaviors that would be rightly deemed tragedies in most families. So, instead of telling our news sources what not to publish, maybe I could make a few suggestions for additional programming.
Full text of Fred Thompson’s article
In the article, Fred Thompson goes on to write about several shining stars on the Lady Vol’s basketball team who just won the NCAA championship. Candace Parker is one of the women he highlights as a true role model: intelligent–9 academic honors–, committed–staying in school in spite of being eligible for the draft–, and willing to give the glory of the win to others–calling journalist’s attention to her teammates. I would like to meet her. Just that description makes me wish I could be her friend.
I would like to be worthy of being a role model, but what about me is worth modeling? What would I like little girls to think when they look at me? I don’t expect to ever be in the public spotlight like Candace Parker, but I do have nieces and friends, someday I hope to have daughters. I want to be a woman they can look up to.
I want the girls around me to see a woman who is tough without losing femininity. I think I would like that to be defining. Really, I want them to see a warrior princess–strong and beautiful. I want them to see good character and integrity. I want them to see patience (probably need to work on that one A LOT). I want them to see a sweet spirit that is always a good friend, a laugh that is always ready for a good joke, and a shoulder that is always available to catch tears. I want to demonstrate hospitality. I want to live peacefully. I want them to know when to pick a fight and when to shrug their shoulders and just walk away. I want them to see a hard worker. I want them to see a joyful spirit. I want them to see an intelligent woman.
That’s a tall order for any woman. Still, I know that nobody will see those things in me unless I am really all those things. When we set up Britney Spears and Paris Hilton as our role models, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. They are role models who cannot help but disappointing us because they are living up to their own impossible standards. More than anything I want to be a role model for a different way to live. I want to show the girls that pass through my life something more than myself and definitely something more than the world has to offer them. I want to show them someone who will not disappoint and who will not fail. I want to show them someone who has arms open and waiting to love them no matter what. I want to show them Christ. To show them anything less would be failing to fulfill my role as a female role model. I want to be a woman that young girls look up to so that I can point their eyes to Someone greater than me.
Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good deeds and
give glory to your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:16)
Technorati Tags:american idol, feminism, christian, purpose, role model, lady vol’s, candace parker, fred thompson
Tags: Personal Development
