There’s been a lot in the news recently about celebrities—well, frankly, there’s always been a lot in the news about celebrities. But it’s been my recent observation that we are remarkably unforgiving people.
No, I’m not referencing celebrities who find themselves in the middle of a hot mess of sex scandals. That’s appalling.They should be ashamed and they deserve every bit of social hell coming at them.
No. What I’m referring to is our obsession with shaming famous people for being...well...people.
I’m someone who gets really passionate about the celebrities I admire, but I never put them on a pedestal and pretend they are more than human. Too many of us expect our idols to be perfect; to never make poor drunken decisions, or say something a little out of line, or have emotional/mental problems. Having a breakdown or making a mistake due to poor judgment is not equivalent to being charged with sexual assault or, ya know....murder. So, we need to stop treating acts of human error as irredeemable sins.
As any nerdy, over-achieving student, I know to back up my claims with examples. So voila:
I recently read an article about Hollywood scandals that were “covered up.” It was absolutely disgusting to me how judgemental, not only the author of the article but also the commenters were.
Judy Garland, Hollywood “sweetheart” since winning hearts as Dorothy Gale in Wizard of Oz. She was given hell for her chubby cheeks and “overly-boxy” form. The poor thing was scrutinized and encouraged into forming dangerously unhealthy eating habits which lead to a lifelong struggle with bulimia and anorexia.
Instead of treating the tragedy that took away a wonderfully talented star too soon with respect and empathy, these social media vultures tore into her for her appearance. The photo used to head the section on Judy Garland showed her toward the end of her unfortunately short life and she looks tragically ill.
Though, that certainly isn’t how the commenters described her. She was ridiculed for being “ugly” and “letting herself go” and that “she should have been stronger willed.” Like I said, appalling, right?
This isn’t an isolated situation, though. Why do so many of us feel that it is ANY of our business how these fellow human beings look and how they handle their own problems? Worse still, why do we feel like it’s our place to put them down for struggling? It makes me feel sick.
Beauty standards have only gotten worse and the average American model is dangerously underweight and required to remain so in order to keep their employment. It’s not natural and it’s honestly barbaric.
Assaulting celebrities for their looks isn’t the end of it, though. A simple rumor with virtually no real proof to back it up can be enough to absolutely ruin a celebrity's reputation. Society seems to be incapable of discerning the difference between fact and fiction (This can also be seen through our twisted definition of “reality tv”)
As an actor, it breaks my heart to hear that someone I admire isn’t who I thought they were. It breaks my heart, even more, when I see an outcry against an actor I admire breaks out and the allegations end up having no grounds whatsoever.
Case and point: that same article with Judy Garland’s “scandal” included multiple jabs at my idol, John Lennon. I consider him my idol not because I think he was perfect or that he never did or said anything wrong. In fact, John Lennon said and did a great number of things that have shocked/offended me, but the point to me was always the person he was and what he stood for. The article I read not only exaggerated the pitfalls of the Beatles rock star but made light of the tragedy that was John Lennon’s murder.
One of the commenters even went as far as to say that Mark David Chapman, the man who shot and killed Lennon, should have “paused to piss on Lennon’s body.” Honestly, I started bawling. That someone could say something so crass is almost as horrible to me as the number of responses that the comment got in agreement. Nothing, absolutely nothing excuses that level of disrespect toward a human life so tragically ended.
John Lennon made A LOT of mistakes.
Gary Oldman used to be an alcoholic. And was once accused of abusing his wife—allegations which proved to be completely false and lead to Gary winning primary custody of their two children.
So was Craig Fergusson.
Martin Freeman has some serious anger issues. And has been heard to say a number of insensitive, regrettable comments.
Anne Hathaway is infamously loathed for literally no reason. So much so, she’s become an internet meme.
I don’t think anyone will be able to look at poor Lindsey Lohan with a shred of respect for the talent she’s always had.
These people are human beings. Why is it any of our business to be so harsh and unforgiving when their imperfections show? If our mistakes and imperfections were so viciously scrutinized on a daily basis, we wouldn’t last long with our sanity still intact.
Next time a scandal comes out, maybe we shouldn’t believe the gossip column you read. And if it proves to be true, maybe don’t rush to judge a person’s entire worth as a human being based on a mistake (unless that mistake involves real evidence of physical, sexual, mental, or emotional abuse of others. Again. Screw those guys).
To error is human, after all.
