Over the past fifty years the list of iconic celebrities has been rapidly growing like a fire in a dry field. With the icons come trends. In 2011 new artist Wiz Khalifa became a really big celebrity icon for teens. He grew is hair out into a bush and died part of it blonde. Not too long after Khalifa’s new hairstyle, I saw many teenage guys adopt this same exact hairstyle. Khalifa’s stylistic trend setting is the example of how a little exotic action by a celebrity can easily be mimicked by many teens/ fans.

    Celebrity icons are trendsetters, people who teens tend to follow for reasons that vary from thinking these people are cool, to thinking their lifestyles are unique and exciting, to admiring their talents.  The issue, though, is whether celebrity icons’ lifestyles are appropriate models for young people.  Ultimately, whether or not an icon should change his/her ways in order to set a positive influence for teens is something society must address. 

    Celebrity icons have existed for generations.  One particularly iconic individual was Jim Morrison, who, along with his band the Doors, was a major celebrity rock icon from the 1960’s.  In regard to the role- model issue,  Morrison and his bandmates offered a clear answer of “No” in regard to the issue of changing their ways in order to be a more positive influence.

    Like Ellen DeGeneres today, back in 1969 a famous talk show, The Ed Sullivan Show, was a family show that aired on national television, so it was imperative that everything on the show be family appropriate. Jim Morrison and the Doors had a famous hit single “Light My Fire,” and one of the lines in the song had a reference to the use of illegal substances.  The lyric, “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher,” caused great concern on the show. Prior to the show, according to The Official Ed Sullivan site, Sullivan stopped by the dressing room and told them that they needed to change that line, and they agreed to do this. After Sullivan left the room Morrison reportedly stated, “We aren’t going to change a line,” and they didn’t.

    As you can probably guess, Sullivan became extremely angry. Following the show the producer told Morrison and the Doors that “Mr. Sullivan wanted you for six more shows, but you’ll never work The Ed Sullivan Show again.”

    So, was this act of defiance wrong?  

    “Yes,” says junior Dasia Willis.  “It is wrong because people look up to [artists] and they may be somebody’s role model, and them saying that line was inappropriate.”

    Fellow junior Ellen Tran agrees, “I guess it was wrong because they went against what they told the producer prior to the show.”

    The era between the 1960’s and 1970’s was the high time. The population of teen stoners dramatically increased over previous generations, and Jim Morrison’s lyrics in “Light My Fire” didn’t help much with discouraging teens to quit smoking pot or using drugs.

    Although bands like the Doors, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles aren’t part of the current generation of musicians, they still have an effect on teens today. Teens listen to their music and wear graphic T-shirts with images of either the band or individuals on it, as well as doing drugs as a form of retro style.

    Today, a newer generation of celebrities like Lindsay “LiLo” Lohan, Miley Cyrus, and Khalifa are icons of the teenage generation.

“Lilo” has been around for quite some time, starting off in her famous movie The Parent Trap. Everyone loved her, thought she was cute and adorable, and even called her an amazing actress. Now twelve years after the making of The Parent Trap and receiving recognition for many of her roles and acting awards, acting awards Lohan is incarcerated and has several times checked herself into rehab because of her drug problems. Teens look at this as an issue “because Lindsey Lohan is someone I used to look up to and love when I was younger. I’ve always loved her acting, especially in the movie Mean Girls, but now she looks like a crazy woman on crack and if I was the type of teen to follow the crowd like most of the people in our generation, I probably would be doing drugs and end up bad like Lilo.”

    Of the twenty teens interviewed, 1-in-5 teens thought it was acceptable for the celebrities to go on and continue their crazy lives though they may have a negative public influence on their fans, while the others disagreed. When asked if the celebrities should change their negative behavior, junior Lauren Mccrea responded, “Yes, they need to set a good example for the youth today because our generation is only getting worse. I know so many people who haven’t even gone halfway through high school and have already began smoking weed and drinking alcohol because of what they see these famous celebrities doing.”

    The actions of celebrities will always be broadcast nationally for the general public to see. At the end of the day, if they choose not to watch what they do in order to have a positive influence, it will be up to teens to decide whether or not they give in and make the wrong choices.