The fashionable and almost dreamy lives of celebrities are on display for everyone to see. They’re in the public eye even when they don’t want to, and every move they make is tabloid fodder. That being said, when they display bad judgment or poor etiquette, the reaction they get is much larger and stronger than anything the ordinary person could even imagine. One slip-up could cost them a career; however, if said celebrity has a track record for poor etiquette, it only adds to their overall “image” and may actually enhance their careers.
If a celebrity shows poor etiquette, it doesn’t necessarily make them bad people; however, because of their public persona, some people hold them to a higher standard. Rightly or wrongly, those who make their living in public have a certain standard to uphold, and that means showing proper etiquette when needed. Like any other human being, they don’t do this all the time; but unlike other human beings, their everyday activities are being documented by TMZ. It’s hard to argue that it doesn’t make for good entertainment. We all have a good laugh when Lady Gaga wears something completely outlandish to a formal awards ceremony, after all.
On the flipside, if a celebrity shows poor etiquette when dealing with others—such as the media or even the general public—they’re often given a free pass. If we as a society hold these same celebrities up to a higher standard, it sounds hypocritical to explain it away by saying, “Well, obviously they’re busy people. I’m sure they didn’t mean it.” Therefore, the opposite is true: We have such low regard for proper etiquette in our everyday lives that celebrities couldn’t possibly be held to a higher standard than us. If we don’t care about etiquette, why should they?
Celebrities have a very difficult life, but it’s not one they didn’t know about before entering it. Making a living in the public is hard work, and sometimes the public has a love-hate relationship with celebrities. Poor etiquette is something that everyone should work on, but such a thing is magnified when a person with certain notoriety exhibits bad behavior. Famous people can become infamous just like that, with one instance of bad etiquette. However, those with a track record of poor etiquette habits can become even more famous with each passing instance, chalking it up to “just being themselves.”
Do you think that celebrities should act more responsible as role models in the public eye or that they should be cut some slack for constantly being monitored and harassed by the media?
