Celebrities...and Your Perception of Them

Terrance and I were listening to a sports talk radio show on the way home from mom and dad's this afternoon. With the recent death of Steve McNair, of course talk was about him and the recent unfolding news of the drama around his murder. Apparently, as of the latest reports, he was shot 4 times and the woman with him, Sahel Kazemi, had one gunshot to the head, with the gun nearby. It sounds like a murder-suicide. It also seems, from reports, that he was having an affair with this girl...and she was just a girl...only 20 years old - to his 36.

The topic of the radio show was whether or not our perception of celebrities should change when we find out things about them that are unflattering. Of course, Terrance and I disagreed. :) He thought that it shouldn't...I thought that it should.

In my opinion, their private life - as much as they would like it to be private - is public. That is part of the package when you are a public figure. I don't think they should be held to any higher standard than other people...but I do think that your actions are going to affect how people think about you.

As I have gotten older, a public figures private life plays a big part of whether or not I like them. I have gotten past liking actors or sports figures simply because they are good at their craft. Take for instance Angelina Jolie. She once told a reporter, "I will never sleep with a married man, I'll never lie and I'll never sit back and do nothing." Well, we all know how that turned out...she did sleep with a married man - and I lost a lot of respect for her in doing that. Not that Brad Pitt was blameless - he is just as much at fault - and I've lost respect for him too.

Now that I am older - if a celebrity or sports figure does something I don't like in their personal life...I have no problem with saying that I don't like them - or not watching their movies - or buying their songs - or rooting for them. Some people think that their personal life doesn't have any impact on their skill or profession...it might not - but it doesn't make me have to like them either.

Pacman Jones was big news here in Nashville during all his legal problems. I wasn't a big fan of his anyway - but the constant trouble that he got himself in was tiring. Terrance said that a lot of his problems was because he was a poor boy from the 'hood that was given a ton of money and doesn't know how to act with it. I disagreed (((we do that a lot...keeps it spicy!!))). I told him that Pacman isn't stupid. He knows the difference between right and wrong - he knows that there are things he shouldn't be doing...he just didn't care - thought he wouldn't get caught - and let himself run around with a bad crowd. Those were his decisions - no one forced him into those situations...he did it to himself. And I can't respect a football player - no matter how talented he is - if he's not smart enough to own up to his mistakes and try to better himself.

Part of what the sportscaster we were listening to kept saying was "We shouldn't blame Steve McNair for one mistake"..."we shouldn't let one mistake ruin how we think of him"...Let me just say...One mistake did not get Steve McNair killed...about 100 did. It was mistake after mistake after mistake that led to his death. It was getting involved with that girl...it was owning a car with her...it was renting a home with her...it was disrespecting his wife...it was...on and on and on... He got himself to that point all by himself. Does that change that he was a great football player? No. Does that change that he did a lot of great things for this community? No. Does that change the way I view him? Absolutely.

One of the things that I liked about him was his image of a family man. One of the things I liked about Angelina Jolie - was her statement that she would never be with a married man. In Hollywood, I thought that was saying a lot. If I liked these people just because of their professional talents - then it wouldn't make a difference...but I liked them as people too. I have lost respect for both of them - and I don't have a problem saying that.

I am not saying that celebrities have to be perfect. I am not perfect. I make mistakes - daily. But they do need to be honest about their mistakes and own up to them. And if their private life becomes public - then they have to be willing for people to dislike what they find out.