Before I turned 21, I shared a list of five women who I admire: Elizabeth Bromstein, Hilary Duff, Kelly Cutrone, Lauren O’Neil and Shania Twain. I enjoyed writing it and I certainly appreciated when Kelly replied to my tweet linking to the blog post.
I’ve always liked Hilary Duff, but when she released a single from her upcoming comeback album that was sub-par, I realized I’m more interested in seeing what she wears than hearing what she sings or watching her movies.
Looking back at the list now, I still admire those women for the same reasons; however, if I were to make another listicle with my top five role models now, Hilary would not make the cut. She wouldn’t even make the top ten.
New Views About Celebrity Culture
Some of my favourite celebrities from the 90s and early 2000s are now people who I only like to see in fashion magazines or on Pinterest, but I don’t really care if they’re featured on eTalk.
I’d rather see eTalk share interviews with celebrities who are popular today like Jennifer Lawrence, even if she’s someone whose relationships and personal life don’t interest me that much. eTalk should regularly feature Jennifer Lawrence because she’s culturally relevant today. She’s not just a woman to talk about at the ‘water cooler;’ she’s become a major Hollywood star.
Jennifer is someone whose career and life is worth paying attention to because she is genuinely talented, as opposed to being well-known because she’s famous for being famous. I could make a snide remark about the Kardashian clan, but I won’t because I actually like to keep up with the Kardashians. The show might be trashy TV, but it’s fascinating to see another side of them.
New Thoughts About Content Consumption
Shows like eTalk and magazines like Entertainment Weekly are magazines that built a reputation for exclusive celebrity coverage and a go-to source for the latest entertainment news. News about who’s working on what and what films critics are raving about is not the same as gossip in my opinion. Gossip creates office politics, drama and trouble.
News is a key differentiator because celebrity gossip isn’t important — it’s just fun to read. News is important to know. News is the information you should understand. News is easy to ignore, but not easy to catch up on simply by skimming headlines. News requires more context.
New Opinions About Role Models
As I reflected on who I admire, I began to realize how much my attitude towards celebrity culture has changed. That’s not to say I’m going to stop reading Lainey Gossip religiously or unfollow a bunch of celebrities on social media immediately. It means I wouldn’t rank celebrities at the top of a similar list anymore.
Instead, I’d rank people I know well. People who are friends, colleagues and relatives, rather than people whose lives seem glamorous from afar. People who may not realize how much their advice has helped me grow. People who are generous with their time and people I want to emulate.
The first people who come to mind are the same people I think about when hiring managers ask “Where do you see yourself in five years?” What are they doing right and how can I learn from them? How can I take the advice they’ve shared and use it to become a better person? Those are the people who ultimately deserve recognition.
Influence in a practical sense can’t be measured by reach or impressions. The way I see it, influence is measured by how much a single person inspires other people in a positive way.
Stay tuned for more details!