Nancy Yu
Dr. Czerny
Literary Explorations III
20 November 2008
Who’s to Blame: Hollywood or Us?
Recent Hollywood scandals have made headlines on television and news stands. The paparazzi and the eager tabloids have been feasting on the problems of troubled young people like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton. The feud between Britney and her ex-husband KFed over the custody of their children as well as Lohan's constant rehab visits have made gossip magazines the replacements for morning newspapers. Sure, some people sympathize with those partying starlets and other criticize their behavior as being destructive and damaging to society, but who's really to take responsibility for the endless troubles and notorious scandals that seem to follow those young stars? Heated debates over this topic have arisen as a result of people’s lack of responsiblity, and one of the most important parties in this debate has yet to come under examination: the American public.
For the most part, Hollywood is the scapegoat that usually gets stoned whenever a scandalous incident occurs. However, rarely do people realize that the problem is much more widespread than just Hollywood. The root of this problem lies within the American audience. We're the ones that created Hollywood and we're its driving force. For example, the recent trend inspired by the stick-thin models and celebrities that constantly grace the covers of fashion magazines has had a huge impact on the nation, most prominently the younger portion of society. Teens everywhere have tried to starve themselves in order to be as thin as their favorite celebrities. This constant shrinking of young celebrities has led to heavy criticism of Hollywood for setting a horrible example for the nation's young. Outraged parents have demanded that Hollywood set limits on the thinness of the unhealthy and overly thin supermodels. Yet Hollywood can only do so much to control the amount of torture that celebrities...