From allegations of sexual assault to domestic violence, the entertainment industry has been flooded with controversy for years. With fame comes trouble, and that’s what usually makes celebrities more entertaining, and thus more famous and interesting to follow for their fans.
At the beginning of 2018, a video of Cardi B joking about rape and transphobia surfaced on the internet. Singer Chris Brown was caught on video hitting artist Rihanna violently on an elevator in 2009. Brown was sentenced to five years of probation for his violent actions against Rihanna, but received no jail time. In 2017, Melanie Martinez was accused over social media of raping one of her friends, Timothy Heller, a claim which Martinez has denied. How should Grady fans respond to hearing about celebrities’ allegedly violent and sometimes even alleged criminal behavior?
Celebrities are regularly glorified because of their talent. Their fans want to believe that celebrities are good people, but this isn’t always the case. People often chose to ignore their favorite celebrities’ mistakes.
Celebrities, who are often subject to public scrutiny, are not always good people, and many celebrities such as Cardi B, Chris Brown, Melanie Martinez, and many more have done not only offensive things but have also allegedly committed violent and illegal actions.
However, when these criminal and offensive actions are brought to the public’s attention, rarely do the celebrities lose fans or suffer that large of a consequence. Usually, scandals that surface on the internet blow up over social media and other internet platforms for a short period of time, but soon after, everything dies down and life resumes back to normal for the celebrities. If anything, they receive more attention and end up making more money.  
It’s important to hold celebrities at the same level as we would a “normal” person, if not at a higher level since they are role models for many teenagers across the nation. A person’s talent should not excuse their actions and the regrettable choices they make in their life.
There have been many instances where celebrities are caught in the act of something unethical and often illegal, and yet they still have an extremely large number of supporters, and in the end, face little to no consequences.
Artists like Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, and many more famous singers owe part of their huge following to high schoolers and teenagers. Not only are teenagers familiar with these singers, but they also enjoy their music, and many idolize them in more ways than one.
Unfortunately, all of the artists mentioned in this story and numerous others that are widely known among high schoolers have either been arrested or have been caught saying or doing extremely offensive things.
Justin Bieber has been charged with driving under the influence and abusing drugs. Bieber also pled guilty for having committed a hate crime. Snoop Dogg was acquitted for murder. Jay-Z has also been charged with stabbing someone. Chris Brown has been arrested for felony assault.
All of these artists, despite being accused of these horrible things, still have a stable career in the music industry and are comfortable in their everyday lives, to say the least, which in large part is due to their fans and their unconditional support.
I believe Grady students should have a social conscience when it comes to which artists they want to support. When choosing which singers we want to listen to and back up, students should take into account what they believe in and if that artist is a “good’’ person in their eyes.
Instead of paying little attention to these actions committed by celebrities, we should be aware and show that what they do is not inexcusable simply because they are talented individuals.