Celebrities are human too, let’s not hold them to absurd ideals

 

With my research on the reasons as to why celebrities tend to suffer from mental health issues more than other people, I’m left wondering about the pressure society puts on them in the name of being public figures. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not acting as the celebrity saviour. 

It is alarming how wild the society goes when a negative aspect in a celebrity’s life surfaces. I’m left wondering if this is the same society that harps on about how negativity affects one’s mental health.

The public opprobrium may add more fame and popularity to the celebrity victim, but is their mental health and peace compromised or should they be treated as demigods who are devoid of emotions?

It’s, without a doubt, true that no one really loves you, especially as a public figure. You’re no one’s responsibility.

Harsh judgement

Celebrities are men and women who strive to make a living and keep raising the bar higher. They are mortals only immortalised by their feats. They are also flawed — they make mistakes, but these are often blown out of proportion as a result of the mountain of expectation placed on them by a demanding society that needs them to be perfect human beings.

To err is human. And, just like every living organism in this universe, they should be allowed to exist without subjecting them to a cruel moral lens and overly harsh judgement.

Of the many types of punishment one can render to a human being, emotional torture is the worst. Time may heal physical wounds, but emotional ones tend to stick around. 

They shouldn’t be forced to walk on egg shells but allowed to face their mistakes just as everyone else. Being a public figure changes a lot but it shouldn’t be a table on which we seriously break them based on their every bad decisions and mistakes. It won’t really help. We need to heal the land, not kill the inhabitants.

Perfectionism culture

The perfectionism ideology kills rather than heals. It makes us live with serial criminals who hide under the umbrella of being perfect and living to the expectation of the society rather being true to self. It kills one’s being and uses their past shadows to create panic, fear and lies with false hope and assurance that they’re better living on the air.

The perfectionism culture elevates existing as a ghost to one’s own needs, wants and desires. It makes us think that we need others’ approval to survive.

While the culture may instil hard work and a spirit of self-improvement, I find the expectation of the society to mirror perfection on public figures bogus.

COURTESY OF THE DAILY NATION