You be a good kid. While they don't have to.

[Darby Douglas]

Whatever it is that you want to be when you graduate college, you basically have the same set of rules as everyone else. Be a good kid and earn good grades! You learned in kindergarten to play nice and don't talk, if you don't have anything nice to say. Since you've created  your Facebook account, you've been lectured on being "smart" about what you put out on the internet. Be safe while you drive, and don't accelerate over the speed limit. Live above the influence and so on. One of the things that keep you from posting nasty pictures, going on a drinking binge, etc. is if you do these things, you hurt your chances at the college of your choice. If you hurt your opportunities at college, you hurt your career and it goes on and on. 

So putting that in mind, the thought of any actor/actress/ athlete/ musician/ artist you see in the media doing drugs, drinking, speeding, abuse, and other law breaking is completely out of the question! They have their lives figured out. They've got high paying jobs and a spotlight on them... We all know however, that this is not the case. Miley Cyrus: star of children's show, Hannah Montana. Chris Brown: popular R&B singer. Michael Phelps: 16 time Olympic Medalist. With people like this, who are so high up in society, you'd think they have respectable lives. However I'm sure you all know about what these stars do in their free time... What they do completely contradicts what we've been told not to do, in order to become successful in life.  These people are adults with careers. My dad always tells me to work hard at your career and do good at your job, because you don't get many chances to mess up, like you did when you were a kid. How come these people get let off the hook each time we find a picture of them breaking laws in the newspaper? What gives them protection that enables them to keep their jobs in front of the public eye? Or are their private lives none of our business, putting into consideration the laws they break? How would feel if you found out your idol wasn't as pleasant as they looked?

 

Judy Garland (Dorothy from Wizard or Oz), Al Gore (Inconvenient Truth), John Belushi ("TOGA TOGA" Animal House)... They did what?

 

[haena y.]

Celebrities and other famous people are far from receiving special treatment after breaking the laws. They constantly have to endure gossip from all over the country or even the world. Yes, they may not have received a severe legal punishment, but they are tormented through the public's words, misconceptions, or even rumors. The famous people that break laws do not receive any kind of protection because no matter what they will get their feelings hurt, the only reason they have their careers are because they are in the demand for gossip. Shortly after, some celebrities or famous people will become infamous or rebuild their image, which I think takes a lot of effort. If I found out one of my favorite celebrities or famous people broke the laws, I would feel sad for them because of what they have to endure, but then again it is their responsibility to contain a positive public image. Also, I would be shocked for a few seconds and would not care because me making a fuss over what they did won't do anything.

[Connor Bieda]

I agree, there are also certain athletes who either get off very easily or they get some of their very personal information exposed and have to make up excuses for their actions, like Tiger Woods and Rex Ryan, what happened to them should have not been released to the public eye.

[megan bryk]

I agree Darby, it's not fair that these celebrities get away with everything and get special treatment.  They are supposed to be rolemodles and set good examples.  Look at Miley Cyrus, young girls look up to her as a role modle and look at the example she sets for them.  Its not fair that celebrities get special treatment when it comes to breaking the law, they should get the same punishmentment as everyone else.

[Kristina Lopez]

I have never idolized celebrities and never will in the future.  People only read about them and give them fame because they either do not know any better or they have no friends or lives, which are the things that actually matter.  If everyone in the world stopped being stupid and stopped giving money to people that do not at all deserve it, then this world would be a much better place.

[Aricela Marquez]

I stopped idolizing celebrities a long time ago. I saw the amount of trouble they were getting into and I noticed that I was better off following my own ways and those who get away with their mistakes. The way I see it is these celebrities are still role models ... Of what NOT to do.

[Patrick Witt]

Well, here's how I view it: celebrities are nothing but everyday people without fans. The fans are the people who support them and what they do. I choose to brush away celebrity in its entirety and just accept them as people who are in a movie or performing a song, and nothing more than that. Although they have probably worked hard to get to where they are, they are still just regular people that are only being recognized by other regular people.

[Jaci Caras]

The only thing that makes me mad about these celebs is that they just get away with everything they do. Like other people have said, they have an unfair advantage! Any average person would get a full sentence of they did something illegal. why is it that people who are supposed to be roll models, released so quick? Shouldn't it be that they sat in jail for the usual time given, if they are suppose to be setting an example.  It makes no sense, but i feel like people are too quick to forgive.

[Aly Glover]

I think it's ridiculous that celebrities can do illegal things and get off the hook. Just because they have more money and have been in hit movies or made a hit song doesn't mean that they should be exempt from the law. They are people just like all of us.
I honestly think that it was stupid for everyone who make a big deal out of the Miley Cyrus thing. She's 18 and not doing Hannah Montanna anymore...let her live her life. We shouldn't be invading celebrities personal lives.

[Deena Bishop]

These celebrities getting special treatment for illegal things they do is ridiculous. Like Alex said, TI got a year in prison for weapon possession, but on the news, former Illinois governor Ryan requested to be let out of prison to see his wife that now has hours to live. And what was he convicted for? Corruption charges... And he was sentenced 6years 6months (set to be released in 2013) and yet TI has weapons in his possession and gets a year? It's only because they're famous!! They have their futures set... But what about us normal people? We usually look up to those people for advice. And look at our generation now!

[Nick Fallico]

I think that its totally unfair that we have to behave perfectly and work so hard and be under pressure to get into a good college to get a good job and what not.  But I do not think that celebrities doing whatever they want and letting them get away with it is wrong.  First off, its their life, let them do what they want.  How would you like it if reporters followed you around and published everything you did?  So what Miley Cryus got high?  I'm sure more than half of you have.  Even though I don't, people love her music and acting.  So to put someone like her away would be a huge mistake and cause her fans to go in outrage.  Why would you want to do that in a depression?  Her career makes people happy so just let her not go to jail and make her pay a big fine and use that money for the government instead of raising taxes on people.  So the way I see it is if enough celebs act up we can charge them high fines and use them to stimulate the economy.  So the economy is good and the celebs are making people happy, its a win-win.