by Guillaume Artigiano

Created on: October 15, 2009   Last Updated: October 17, 2009

I believe that, for someone known in the public eye or not, people choose either to be role models or not. You may not want or choose to be one, and some people may still say that you are, technically, however, I beg to differ that if the individual does not clearly accept this title or "role" of the role model, and under serious terms, then they are thus, excluding themselves from being a leader of the people that follow after them or "model themselves" perhaps, and that they are just truly really leading and accepting responsibilities for themselves only. Living their "own lives" generally for themselves, which is what I think and wish most people, and a lot more, would do in this world today rather than have someone else or their opinions, lifestyle and perception weighing in on having such an influence on their being. It is the "role followers", that are the ones that choose to be the emulators, by a matter of choice through what is perceived to be, of what we generally gather of these people, whether it be through the medias sources or good old fashioned real life assimilation, through traditional interaction of course.

I feel the one's that "choose" to lead and take this role, or position, of true leadership like the Dr. Martin Luther King's, Malcolm X's, Michael Jackson's, Michael Jordan's, Russell Simon's, Oprah Winfrey's, Tyra Bank's, Beyonce's, Reverend Run's, Angelina Jolie's, Tyler Perry's and Michelle Obama's, no matter what they do, are the true role models, and people modeling and marketing or selling a behavior and ideals to the people to learn from and choose to follow or not. These are the mentors of society. So far, I can't say that I have seen much of this from the singer/performer Rihanna in the medias so I guess until she decides to do so, I'm going to have to say a NO, in response to that debated question and that she is really just still learning, growing & becoming who he is and is eventually going to be consistently.

If anything I think Chris Brown is trying to play that role of "the role model" a lot more than his girlfriend, even now in his unfortunate predicament and is much more vocal about things despite his actions throughout his history in the media's, looking back to some of his work with Oprah and Tyra Banks. And if anything, I think some of that might have rubbed off on Rihanna, who was not as much in the public eye really till dating Chris. And though some may compare, play judge and put artist against, and artist's action, action for action, play by play, as to try to judge what is really a role model, by course of actions of course, I do disagree with this ideology of assessments and would say it's about the attempt to be the hero or heroin, to others that they are reaching, which is what really what makes them responsible influencers more than what they are wearing, singing and acting like in my opinion.

Also, there are good and bad, or should I say positive and negative, role models in life. I mean was not Adolph Hitler a role model in his time to many, despite a lot of the world who didn't subscribe to his personal views? It's more than what you do, but that you stand for something and are committed to causes for others, being a model citizen, playing a role in society, no matter how positive or negative determined through the people's eyes, and no matter who decides to follow them.

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