Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and many other star athletes have let their families down with all the world watching. Robert Reed, Bill Cosby and Meredith Baxter each represented the wholesome American family on television and chose personal paths off screen that were very opposite of the characters they played on screen. JFK, Bill Clinton, John Edwards and other key politicians have also made big mistakes that played out over and over again in the media.
In a time when the family unit is under assault everywhere we look, we need role models in the public eye. It’s not often you hear stories about the successful family. Why we don’t see more stories about the likes of Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward who were happily married for over 50 years or Bob Hope & Delores DeFina who were married 69 years or Alan and Arlene Alda who are 50+ years and going strong?
Tom Brady and his wife Gisele Bundchen had a baby this week but that story of happiness is buried beneath the stories of the many women Tiger Woods is rumored to have committed acts of infidelity with. That is who the media has helped us become, a society that loves scandals more than births.
Society loves a good scandal. This behavior was born from the desire to see something outside of the norm. Unfortunately now it seems to have become far too normal.
As parents we need to remind our children that the best role models are found in the home. More importantly though we need to make sure that is true, always. Too often kids seek role models on TV when they are missing in the home. Do you want your kids seeking advice or examples from the likes of those mentioned above?
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliment on my Kudzu Molly article (Molly forwarded to me). I'm glad you liked it. This was a good article you posted as well. You make very good points, and outside of Jesus Christ we have to be very careful of whom we idolize. Trust not in the arm of flesh...
We indeed have become a society that glamorizes scandal, as proven by the success of seedy reality shows that appeal to our basest instincts. It really is a frustrating thing to see.
One note though...you mentioned the happy story of Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen and the birth of their child. That sparked something in the back of my mind regarding scandal, and it finally came to me. A couple of years ago Brady became involved with Gisele and they became a tabloid item. The problem is that Brady had been dating Bridget Moynihan (actress) and she was pregnant with his child. He let her for Gisele halfway through the pregnancy. Brady may be a good quarterback, but he has a way to go to learn what it takes to be a good man.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteJust found your site, and wanted to say thanks for the comments on my own blog--somehow they were both caught in the spam filter until today when I was cleaning it out and saw them.
Scott B.
Well said Louis and Scott. I appreciate both of your posts!
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