Overpaid

Carlos Partee ENGL 1010 December 5, 2012 Underpaid and Overrated As a child everyone wanted to be a big time basketball player in the NBA or maybe even an actor in their all-time favorite movie. Many celebrities play a large role in today’s society; they are who our generation looks up to as role models. It comes to the point where you ask yourself are entertainers overpaid or just over compensated. Athletes and actors are valued more than some important members of society. They tend to set bad examples for our kids such as being negative role models and encouraging mischief behavior. A role model is a person who serves as an example, whose behavior is emulated by others. When you’re a kid you think athletes and actors are “Gods”, but in reality we see right through their makeup and expensive clothes and realize they are just ordinary people like us. Our generation looks up to professional entertainers, because we as Americans encourage the “rebellious image”. You can watch a million youtube videos about different celebrities either spazzing out in front of fans, paparazzi fights, and consuming drugs in public. Entertainers use their power for unethical reasons, some actions are just uncalled for. These so called Performers and Entertainers are causing more trouble than good, they don't realize that they are hurting our generation instead of helping. Gestures and lyrics in todays pop culture test the limits of censorship. Music today makes 1990s music look conservative. The hip-hop industry promotes violence, and the use of drug activity are two of the biggest problems in America. By these hip hop artists promoting these actions it enhances the amount illegal activity in our youth today. Artists such as Chief Keef who continuously talks about guns and police brutality doesn't look at the image they are sending to our kids. As parents we want to instill in our kids heads about becoming lawyers and doctors not drug dealers, pimps and sluts. Athletes are also a prime example of setting horrific behaviors on and of the court. We could converse about sports and how children look up to their favorite athlete who they think the world of and everything they do is golden. What about the mistakes they commit do children look at those as good intentions athletes don't realize that the whole world is watching their every move. Like the Pacers-Pistons brawl when the Pistons played Ben Wallace was fouled by Pacer forward Ron Artest, Wallace reacted by shoving Artest in the chest, which led to a physical confrontation between several players from both teams. During the argument, Artest laid down on the scorer's table while putting on a headset pretending to give a radio interview. He also taunted Wallace which led Wallace to throw an armband at him. A spectator which threw a cup on the court started a brawl with the fans in the stands. When actions like this happens on numerous occasions it makes you question athletes professionalism. Professional athletes are who young athletes look up to, they cant grow up thinking that shoving match is way to answer your problems. Athletes have to realize they are role models for adolescents and that they're behavior is being observed by the world. Children glorify these characters who are human beings just like us, but they glorify them because the world gives them a certain leeway over working class citizens. The real stars are those who save lives, day in and day out, the ones who help build brighter futures. People focus on professional entertainers talents more than they do the regular working class citizen, such as farmers, doctors, and teachers. We forget about the people who make changes in todays society, like doctors saving someone from a heart attack or a firefighter rescuing civilians out of burning buildings. We glorify those who are portrayed on TV instead of the positive figures in our community. “In a time when many Americans are struggling to make mortgage payments, student loan payments and find good employment, it sometimes becomes frustrating to hear about someone who makes millions playing a game demand more money and then get it”(Salaam). The average doctor is paid 500,000 per year, a GS-13 level astronaut (the highest level from NASA) makes roughly $107,000 per year while Lebron James makes $109,837,500 for signing a 6 year basketball contract deal. How can a school teacher say that they are a valued union member when they only make roughly $40,000 a year, when they are the ones who are educating our kids. The average household income in the US is around $54,000 depending on the level education completed, but if your child see’s that the newest rapper is signing a Million dollar contract they are possible going to want to become a rapper. However, when you hear your favorite entertainer’s name brought up you think of their new movie or their last performance you usually hear about the recent trouble they've been involved in. The law is a social norm for everyday citizens, you somewhat tense up when a squad car passes you on the highway. Some celebrities see the police nowadays and might stick out there middle finger at them in broad daylight. It’s like a slap in the face to some officers knowing that they are not respected in the eyes of entertainers. They feel as if they can buy their way out of there troubles, when the normal person has to abide by those same consequences. When you think about professional entertainers being in trouble with the law, you think maybe a few parking tickets or public intoxication but the norms for celebs today are out of control. Like rapper T.I. who was charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Which he was arrested right before his performance on the BET Awards, how does this look to his adolescent fans and supporters. When you have so many people looking up to you, do they ever think to look down and acknowledge that. In conclusion actors and professional athletes are overrated and overpaid. Not to say all of them don’t have the potential to be role models but adolescences in our generation have so many more to idealize. The opportunities that we have been given didn’t come to terms through actors or athletes. Many individuals have paved the way and made life possible through hard work and ingenuity. We should applaude those who helped mold the actors and athletes to become the people they are today. Those who are kept behind the scenes of others success are the ones who deserve the credit. They are the true role models. Salaam, Khalid. "Madame Noire | Black Women's Lifestyle Guide | Black Hair | Black Love." Madame Noire Black Women's Lifestyle Guide Black Hair Black Love RSS. Madame Noire, 29 June 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2012.