The news these days is full of celebrities being caught in bad behavior - and a resultant fall from grace annoys me. Not so much because I think they don't deserve it, because some of them deserve worse than they are getting. What annoys me about it is the shock "normal" folks experience when they discover a celebrity is not above reproach.
Years ago, I was told that going to the movies was, in effect, approving the Hollywood Lifestyle. I thought that a strange way to look at it - after all, if I pay a waitress to serve my lunch, what she does at home is not my business.
The big one right now is Bill Cosby. That endearing, funny man so many of us wished was our dad or uncle turns out to be an old pro at "slipping her a mickey". But that doesn't make The Chicken Heart any less funny. That doesn't mean we can't still giggle when God asks Noah how long he can tread water.
There are a couple of celebrities that recently got into trouble over calling someone a "nigger". Both of them are from the south, old enough to remember the civil rights movement, and were talking about a specific person they did not like. Anyone with half a brain, in the 21st century, should not be using that word, but the context is important.
But I digress. My real point here is that any role model is imperfect. Even you. Yes, you are a role model. You can admire Angelina Jolie as an actress or as a humanitarian while disapproving of her past personal life.
The trick is teaching your kids to have sense about it. I've said it before - talk to them. Kids aren't stupid. When someone they admire behaves badly, discuss it with them. Teach them that people are not perfect, not even celebrities. Teach them to emulate and reward the good in people without being blind to the faults. Remember it for yourself. None of us should be defined by a single action, good or bad.
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