Krissy Brady on the problems celebrities face
I
would like to apologize to Avril Lavigne on behalf of those who know her or
are a fan of her music, and who aren't out to use her success for their
own financial gain.
I was recently reading the Toronto Sun, and stumbled upon an article called
"Avril is sold out". It was about a guy from Avril's past who
was selling old love letters she had written on eBay. Some people were even
selling rocks from Napanee, and were getting almost three dollars a piece for
them. After reading it, I was embarrassed to be a human being. The fact that
I am of the same species as people who do anything they can to profit off of
Avril and other celebrities disgusts me. What disgusts me even more is that
people actually buy what is being offered by these leeches, not even questioning
their legitimacy, or more importantly, how it could effect the celebrity. It
seems like you can't be a fan of someone anymore, without people wondering
whether there is a string attached.
I wanted to become famous, but now I'm not so sure. I mean, there is so
much planning involved. I would have to discard all old photos of myself that
could be considered “material”; I would have to burn everything
I've ever written, ever worn, and ever touched; I would have to watch
what I say; better yet, I shouldn't talk at all. I could also never go
out in public because I would be accused of having multiple love affairs.
Avril is a person who I have a lot of respect for. She moved away from home
at a very young age to make her mark in the music industry, and is she ever.
She has a distinctive style, and the best part is she can actually sing. She
has worked beyond hard to get to where she is, and everyone should respect her
for her guts alone.
To all of you who have criticized Avril, saying that she is overrated and just
a product of an agency and some songwriters, let me ask you this: are you selling
a gajillion records? Did you win four Juno awards? No, just the opposite actually.
You are selling merchandise that Avril's cousin's second husband's
half-sister's stepdaughter spit up on for financial gain, instead of getting
a life.
I have no respect for people who, or publications that, think it is okay to
exploit celebrities in order to make some extra cash. Who cares if Jennifer
Lopez is getting married a third time? Not only has she worked very hard for
everything she has, she also hasn't forgotten where she came from. But
no, let's not look at the values that got her where she is; let's
manipulate everyone so they look at her in a negative light, as if it is going
to change how her true fans feel about her. Celebrities are not our puppets.
They are human beings doing what they want to do for a living - So let them.
