Do you think celebrity status should be endowed upon more deserving people?

My father tells me that, when he was a little boy, everyone looked up to Churchill, the town Doctor, the fire chief and and the vicar.

Is there a way that, if anyone should have 'celebrity status' at all, we can somehow engineer it so it belongs to people of sound moral fibre such as those mentioned above, as opposed to brainless, talentless clones?

In my opinion (and only my opinion) rather than hero-worshipping Paris Hilton or Jade Goody we should start looknig for role models for ourselves and our children closer to home; you'll be surprised what the old war veteran at the end of your street can tell you about life, or the hospice nurse who has been able to do her job for the past twenty years. These sorts are people worth looking up to; out with the Hiltons and al-Fayeds, in with the Baden-Powells and Oates'.

Does anyone sgree this might be a good thing? The recognition of people truly deserving? How can we go about it?

Thanks!

For those of you who don't know, Baden-Powell was a war veteran who began the Boy Scout movement. Titus Oates was a member of Scott's 1912 Antartic mission and sacraficed himself in order to try and save the remaining members of the party.

I'm so happy to know that these kind of people exist, people who believe in morals and value...
Parents have the responsibility to start teaching their children with setting the example. That's what I believe... We all learn from our parents or guardians first, so why not start there? We need to be polite, sincere, humble, and hard working so that our future can be a better place and that society can change from the crap that it is now to a better place for our kids and our future leaders...

couldnt agree with u more

Celebrity these days is as cheap as one ply toilet tissue. And just as long lasting!

it is sad who people look up to nowadays. I am sick of hearing about Paris really.

we can go about it first of all by people stop being obsessed with celebrities. they are trying to run America, and it almost works

Very much agreed.

I once asked a famous footballer what he thought about earning tens of thousands more than a brain surgeon who saves lives on a daily basis, he told me that his lifestyle helped him sleep well at nights!

first yes
second as long as companies hire those with no people skills to be in management

and tabloids are all the rage

it ain't going to happen . . .sorry

I totally agree with you these days people look up to superficial people

absolutely agree with you, if only this were possible. i have far more respect for the woman who looks after her ailing mother, people who sky dive for charity and people who have the get up and go to explore the world than i do for the britney spears' and nicole richies' of this world.

i dont think that it would be possible to turn this situation round although if it were the media would have to play a massive part in it!

Money and fame only makes a person more of what they already are. The difference is fame just makes them more visable. I would not want thier life, and I definately am happier and have more freedom. Objects do not make you happy.

I don't know about anyone else but I am just trying to be/do better than my parents did and have my son do better than i did/do that is my goal in life I don't look up to anyone who is famous as a roll model they are fake people and they have people primping them and living their life for them!!!!!!!!! Yes that is only MY opinion............

I agree in earnest, however putting it into practice is another story. I may do it with my children and my grandchildren. But the television is an influence that is beyond me, I wish it weren't, and out of my control out of my home.

Hi to you,
even the words we use have a different meaning than they did a few years ago, such as wicked now means great cool/whatever.
As for the word celebrities believe hat has changed too to mean idiots wannabees slappers/ whatever....
I may be right, but I could be wrong
For Sir Winston Churchill said, i think,
'You can fool some of the celebs most of the time but all of them all of the time'
not too great at geography....

Whilst I agree with your idea I hate to think of Titus Oates on the Scott expedition . Titus Oates was a 17 C Protestant priest who revealed the mythical Papish Plot in 1678. The guy you need is Dr Lawrence Oates.
To your role model list why not add a footballer who really could play and did not believe he was God's gift to mankind - I mean Sir Stanley Matthews.

Great, star-worthy question! Younger generations are better off knowing about real-life role models, instead of the glamorized "celebrities" they see everywhere. If only the media showcases more everyday, down-to-earth, non-make-up-wearing heroes, then misguided kids and teens the world over can learn a thing or two - or three or four - from them.

A man after my own heart. It is a sick level of idolatry that we have taken celebrities to. I dont even think most celebs can handle it. I even wonder if some of them agree with us. Of course there are those famous imbeciles out there that actually think that their fame renders them invincible, and should be treated like God....yeah, smoke more crack and perhaps you will see it in your dreams. Who cares what Paris Hilton is wearing in prison or any other day, who cares who is dating whom, who cares which phony celeb is traveling to Africa to once again donate their time and money to hungry children... and most of all who gives a **** which celeb is overcoming their 10th heroine, or cocaine addiction. There are countless other people in the world that devote 7 days a week being paid $8.00 an hour to caring for mentally ill people, elderly people and I'm not talking about standing pretty in front of a camera. These people do personal care everyday because they genuinely want to do it. I would love to see Angeline Jole work a week in a nursing home doing personal care for someone who cannot clean up after themselves...without the cameras.

I am in no way taking away from talented people in any stretch of the imagination, and Im sure alot of celebs are genuinly nice people, who dont put themselves on a pedestal. They are just doing what they like to do... but come on....Elton John was knighted? What is up with that?

I agree, lets start honoring real heros. Hollywood is ENTERTAINMENT. People dont realize that they are just human beings....nothing more, or nothing better than us.

My heros are Christ, and my parents, and no celeb will ever come close to being a star in my life.

I agree with you but sadly scandal and notoriety makes more news and news sells papers and magazines etc. which brings it around to Money!
Every paper you read is about doom and gloom with maybe one or two articles about something "Good "that has happened.
I doubt many people would buy a paper that was full of the good things that happen in life with a little scandal tucked away somewhere,it seems human nature nowadays thrives on other peoples downfall.
You could try phoning papers with news of good events and great happenings but I doubt they would all be printed as it wouldn't sell enough papers!