Value 1
Courage – I value this because you need it in every state and scenario in life because at any time, something could make you uncomfortable and you could need the courage to overcome it and do what you do not want to do.
Value 2
Self-Respect – I think this value is important because you also need it to overcome things in life for example you could be bullied for your appearance, and you could use self-respect to realise that nothing they say is true.
Value 3
Cooperation- I think this value is important because you need to move forward in work and life, you need it to socialize well and respect others.
Role Models: Eminem and Chris Brown
The Good…
What behaviours does this person demonstrate to show that they are healthy?
He shows determination, an example of this is when he weighed over 100kg due to his drug addiction so he “replaced addiction with exercise”. During these difficulties, he had several failed self-harm attempts and eventually these attempts stopped, and he overcame them.
What do they look like? Are they healthy? How do you know?
Currently, after he lost weight, he weighs 70 kg and goes to the gym daily. His face, skin and eyes look clear and healthy. He currently has a buzz haircut and a beard, and he usually wears caps to fit the hooded simple appearance for which he is known. He is currently extremely healthy and in terms of finance, he is stable as he has said in many interviews that he is not drawn to spending money, especially all at once on expensive exclusive things, for example, clothes, cars etc.
What message does this person promote? Why is it inspiring and healthy?
He has showed people in the past that nothing is impossible and has supported many younger rappers by inspiring them, educating them about the music industry and has recorded music with them. He has also proved that no matter what you have been through, you should not change your determination or courage. The reason he is inspiring and healthy is that he went through extremely rough times in his childhood with abuse from his mother’s boyfriend and being bullied at school. Of this, he has become one of the most successful rappers in the world. He is also very authentic and honest in his music and his message and shares his experience and emotions, which especially for boys and men is a great message.
Why should young people look up to this person as a role model?
People should look up to him because he has overcome so much and proved so much to people even if they did not believe him. He is always funny and kind and rarely shows any rudeness or public actions that are majorly questionable. He has a daughter and appears to be a good father.
Thinking back to your House of Values activity, what values does this person demonstrate?
Eminem most noticeably demonstrates courage, determination, confidence, self-respect, commitment, success, and others. He shows his courage, determination and confidence in his achievements, the challenges he is overcome and how he always has kept his authenticity and his unique style no matter how his popularity changes or if the money he is bringing in from music decreases. In other words, he does not change who he is, how he acts or his music for anyone, no matter what they think or do which all shows high levels of self-respect. He shows his commitment and success in his love for the music industry and his commitment to it over 30 years.
The Bad…
What behaviours does this person demonstrate to show that they are unhealthy?
Chris Brown even though he is famous and extremely successful, let his success and popularity get the best of him in 2009 when he and his girlfriend Rhianna arrived at the Grammys with Rhianna’s face being swollen and covered in bruises. At first it was said they had been in a car crash on the way to the event however after a further investigation it was discovered that there had been an argument and Chris Brown had assaulted Rhianna. Chris Brown was arrested and sentenced to 5 years’ probation, 180 days of community service and domestic violence counselling. Since this incident, Chris Brown has had four more cases, according to multiple reputable sources, where he is accused of assault, threatening, abuse etc.
What do they look like? Do they look unhealthy? How do you know?
Chris Brown is just over 6 ft tall and weighs just over 70 kg currently with various tattoos all over his body. Chris Brown is healthy in terms of physical health and regularly goes to the gym. In terms of mental health, Chris Brown is not good but has improved as he says he deeply regrets his actions, although this may be just to bring back the fame, he lost but this is not clear. In 2022, Chris Brown is still reported to be short-tempered and impulsive however he is also described as a nice person and loving to his 7-year-old daughter named Royalty.
What message does this celebrity promote? Why is it unhealthy?
Chris Brown as a role model in general is not a positive one. He has been voted the worst role model celebrity by over two thousand parents in a survey and is at the top of the male list just on top of Kanye West. All of this doesn’t compare to Chris Brown on social media with articles saying stuff like “When he isn’t firing shots at his ex-girlfriend Rhianna, you can most likely catch Chris ranting on Twitter getting a few things off his chest about his management or going in on his neighbours who expressed their dislike of the graffiti painting plastered on the front of Chris’ house”. In other words, he seems impulsive without good judgement about consequences, on social media. He social media presence has been described as “He has to have an opinion on everything no matter how little it affects him”. In general, I do not consider Chris Brown to be a positive role model.
Do you think young people should look up to this person as a role model? Why or why not?
Chris Brown is not a positive role model to look up to, due to the reasons I have outlined above, even though he is successful and may be determined. The abuse cases, Twitter posts, attitude, and the amount of false and irrelevant information he says, or posts make the answer to this question simply… No.
Is everything you hear, read, or see in the media true? Discuss.
No, it definitely isn’t. There are usually two sides to a story, but this is not usually shown. It also depends on the quality of the media, e.g., a good newspaper compared to a celebrity news Instagram page.
In terms of Chris Brown’s abuse cases, although they are all very social media and drama driven, there are so many sources, posts, and evidence, Chris Brown definitely did something illegal or inappropriate.
What you think about someone’s actions and personality, depends on your perspective and are opinion based, e.g., whether you are a fan, or a friend, have interviewed the person or just spoken to them.
The media writes things which aren’t true and are designed to attract attention and views, in order to make money.