There was a time when children were “seen and not heard”. Once Generation X started putting kids up on an unearned pedestal, we have what we’re stuck with today: punks who won’t think twice about telling off adults they don’t know, not only believing it’s all about them but that it’s supposed to be.
Today, though, young people regard fame as a birthright. They have a sense of entitlement the size of one of my houses.
I recently heard about the work of an American psychologist who discovered that in the Fifties only 12 per cent of youngsters agreed with the statement, ‘I am an important person’. By the end of the Eighties, that figure had risen to 80 per cent. I think we can all guess what it is now.
There is an epidemic of fame-obsessed youngsters – aged between ten and 25 – who wrongly believe celebrity is a shortcut to wealth and happiness, and who are convinced it will bring them everything they want. An entire generation that doesn’t understand that nothing worth having comes easily.
— Sharon Osbourne, The Daily Mail
The real problem stems from these kids now being in charge of the entertainment industry. The think the juvenile is hip, they think bad taste is cutting edge, and there’s not much that can be done about it outside of raising your own kids with values and discipline; something our ideological opponents abandoned long ago.
wow..that’s pretty deep, coming from the wife of the prince of Darkness. very interesting that she can be insightful like that. never knew she had it in her.
her statement makes sense though. my being a young guy, I never felt I was ENTITLED to something, I just had hope I could find my own to a little slice of happiness somewhere in life
haven’t gotten there yet..
Excellent find, Bob.
Nicolas, that is exactly what I was thinking. I have to admit, that I misjudged her. I submitted to the well known fallacy of “judging a book by its cover”, or maybe it was her husband’s cover.
I am impressed. She has identified a piece of the puzzle.
Sharon Osbourne says our obsession with fame has spiralled out of control
Deny your mortal gods. There are others, but the pursuit of fame, or infamy, drives many to self-delusion, and, eventually, to la-la land.
From what I remember of Ozzy, I wonder if she saved him.
it seems obvious to me that many teenagers part company with the schools system with little or no actual education.
Interesting. Very interesting. At the very least, intelligence is a poor indicator of goodness.
And because the traditional family unit has more or less collapsed, these children probably haven’t been brought up with any real values.
…
Even talent isn’t the be-all and end-all. It may give you a headstart but it’s application and hard work that see you over the finishing line.
…
Perhaps this is difficult to fully appreciate when you are young but your health and your family really are what is important in life, not fame and money.
Wow! She has identified more than just one piece of the puzzle.
Some megalomaniacs have to seek constant reassurance that they are the biggest, the wealthiest, the most popular. It becomes an all-consuming obsession.
…
I know so many celebrities who are ‘on’ 24/7, constantly behaving as if they are canvassing for votes.
Quite interesting and relevant, in a time of “redistributive change”.
On a related note. Just as many turned against Angelina Jolie, for describing the international corruption, which includes Africa, and is centered at the UN, will they condemn Sharon for breaking their illusions or delusions? Yeah, I think so.
Last night I was watching a re-run of Barney Miller. Harris had nabbed a 14 yo punk who was working the streets. The kid had 7 grand on him (this was in the 70′). The kid was trying to goad Harris for sucking up to whitey and what do you got working so hard. He said that he had a cadilac and all this. Harris ended it all with the greatest comment. You aint nothing until you have credit and you can sign for something! Which is true, you are nothing until your name means something. A punk drug dealer might be big on his street, but that is all.
Anyone who has a decent life is a somebody no matter where they are or go.
That takes effort and hard work.
Kids today can hear the famous Warhol quite and think it means that everyone is entitled to fame, but what Warhol was really talking about was the devaluation of fame. (I wish I could find the quite in larger context, but just TRY googling it….)
Bob- “The real problem stems from these kids now being in charge of the entertainment industry. The think the juvenile is hip, they think bad taste is cutting edge, and there’s not much that can be done about it outside of raising your own kids with values and discipline; something our ideological opponents abandoned long ago.”
Brilliantly put. This is exactly what we’ve been saying at our house! They’re infusing the whole of society with their juvenile behavior and the acceptance of lame as cool, cutting edge rawness and in your face disrespect as commonplace- and we are at their mercy!
How about ABC’s new ad- “we have a heart on for you”? Are you kidding me? I recall when Viagra came out we had trouble explaining erectile dysfunction to our younger kids, now this? There is so little class left in the world, and these new generation kids are going to dispose of what is left of it, if we don’t do something about it.