Celebrity, NOT Role Model.

CELEBRITY: A famous person. A Star. A Superstar. A MegaSuperStar. A Popular person.

ROLE MODEL: A person whose behaviour, example or success is and can be emulated by others, especially younger people (Source Wiki) An individual who is looked up to and revered by someone else.

I LOVE Social Media- Twitter, Facebook and especially Instagram. Even though Instagram is quite an MB-chopper, scrolling through remains one of my favourite ‘tucked-in-just-before-I-sleep’ activities. There are quite some persons whose pages I check out to pokenose know what’s up with them, some popular, some not. Fashion, makeup, family life, weddings, TV and movie and music updates/clips, comedy, memes, travel, etc., Instagram pops, especially because of its very essence, PICTURES. It is soooooo easy to get caught up in the ‘instagrammed’ make believe world and before long, you find yourself consciously and/or sub-consciously trying to keep up with the kardashians joneses. You want to ‘do that thing’ just so that you can take that picture and post on Instagram, complete with the popular/trending hashtags and wait for the likes to roll in You too want an Instagram wedding, bridal shower and/or baby shower (Hello Bella Naija)

You want to also wear 3 or 4 dresses each for your engagement/Traditional and your white wedding (Hi Osas

and Marcy Dolapo Oni)

Don’t forget the one for the after-partayyyy. I mean, who does a wedding without a #turnttttt these days? Certainly not you. You want those absolutely gawjjjuuussss styles of those wedding guests that make it to #AsoebiBella and don’t stop getting the likes,

so even though you can‘t afford the asoebi, you still ‘buy’ it and for the next wedding you attend, you make it a LIFE GOAL to dress to KILL. I mean, who cares if you kill your bank account (or your hubby/partner) for that, you have to go to that top class tailor designer and MUA too for your makeup and gele, pay through your teeth and borrow an iPhone 6 to take those shots. Anything for the likes so you decide to show a bit more cleavage just like Miss X on Instagram and of course tag Bella Naija and Wedding Digest Naija. If it gets featured, on their Instagram and/or website, hallelujah!!! Mission accomplished. And another tick off your bucket list. Before you know it, your entire life is being modelled after these celebrities whose entire lives are lived for and on Instagram, even though you cannot afford it.

You forget a few salient points. I should remind us all.

1. Most of these high class weddings have equally high class parents/celebrants themselves. I absolutely loved Dolapo’s wedding but aside from her own side ‘holin’, she married a Prince, the late Ooni of Ife’s son. So there would have been little to no pressure to pull off such a glam wedding.

   

   Ditto some bridal/baby showers we see on Bella Naija (again lol) and want to theme our own after them and tensioning our friends to do same forgetting that we are not of the same ‘earthly’ pedigree with them YET. It was probably chicken-change getting Kelechi Amadi-Obi to do the photography, Funke of Zapphaire to plan the 3day event and Banke Meshida to do the makeup. The couple already have their house(s) ready for them to move in, luxury cars and all they need to start their lives and more, but do you? Before you call Banke in ooo. I hear her money can buy a small car lol

   

   I mean, tz perfectly fine if you can afford it easily, but if you can’t, farabale. There are several persons who have a society/Instagram wedding and go back to live with their in-laws/squat and remain car-less after wedding ooo. Don’t kee yasef ooo.

2. Some of these dresses/stuff our Superstars wear/use are just for PROMO SAKE. Yup, they wear/use it to create awareness for some brands. Some may actually be given them for free in exchange for publicity and all. So you see, no pressures too. Tz all business.
3. For the wannabes, tz all ‘borrowpose’ or on-credit. Yup the house, the car, the blings, the wardrobes, all alamposing. Or worse still, they are knock offs or second hand. I don’t even want to name names but quite a few have been exposed for the fakery that is their lives.
4. They may have some major money bags behind all that glam, whether married or otherwise. You will be here thinking it is just acting that earned so so and so that Range, Birkin bag, Red-bottoms, designer dresses/blings and first class holiday trips. It is NOT always the case ooo. Sometimes there is more. I mean wouldn’t any ‘average’ person be stupid to wanna compete with the ‘Queen of queens’ herself,

   

   Dabota Lawson-Aku whose hubs is a billionaire?

5. Some of them have paid and overpaid their dues in the industries they ply their trade in so they can afford these things cheaply and deservedly too. SmartMoneyArese gives this beautiful analogy. You see a celeb rock this designer bag (or even your friend) but what you don’t know is that she can afford it easily from her profit/interests having been a smart investor and not from her capital or salary. Yup some persons are smart like that. Look at our darling Omotee,

   

   20 years in the industry, endorsements left right and centre and you wanna ‘have’ what she has without paying dues as she has? Isn’t that plenty bigeye’ism? Lol. You that are still in your days of ‘humble beginnings’ wanna live a champagne life on a beer budget. No kee yasef ooo. And ladies, stop tensioning that man. Live within your means for now. Just look at the pictures, like them, thank God for their lives, open ya Bible, take your confessions and trust God to do ya own so you can spoil your own children easily and keep it moving… Lol.

Material things aside, we also find ourselves wanting to copy their lifestyles. Should Instagram shut down today, some of these ‘celebs’ lives are OVER and depression may actually set in. Why? Because, they live the entire life there- unnecessary parts of their career, marriage, and even private lives in a way that is NOT wise.

Of course, I am not knocking fun, spontaneity, extrovertedness and one just being sociable. I am just saying, let moderation be the watchword. Not err’thing has to be on social media. It can happen and remain private. I too had to learn this so don’t think i am all here being judgmental. Seriously, wisdom is being able to tell a Celebrity from a role model. Use your discerning spirit and don’t copy blindly. That’s how some comedians were criticising Bad Girl Riri and Crazy Girl Miley for their outrageous dressings because they are ‘role models’ to younger people out there who look up to them. Hahahaha. Trust Riri, she was QUICK to debunk that absolute NONSENSE. Ditto Miley. Both without mincing words said THEY WERE NOT ROLEMODELS, have never asked anyone to follow in their footsteps, and were not willing to take up that tag anytime soon. In fact, Miley actually said parents should stop putting the burden on her and train their own kids lol. I recall Riri yabbing some teen who copied her style once for prom

So just because this celebrity started this trend/hashtag which is gaining grounds doesn’t mean you have to jump on the bandwagon. Sit down and ask yourself, as a CHRISTIAN if this is really worth emulating. Not all celebrities are role models ooo. Some are yeyebrities, just popular people. It would surprise you what is behind some lifestyles ooo. Some are just popular agents of darkness promoting satan’s agenda e.g. nakedness, promiscuity, homosexuality, atheism, etc. One of my most amazing, if not my number one, social media user has to be Heather Love Lindsey.

That mama knows how to USE social media and without mincing words, she remains my number one role model on all things social media. She shares healthy proportions of her ministry as a Pastor’s wife and Christian author her family life both as a wife and mama

her fashion and style(very Christian and very FABULOUS), her social, feeding and fun life, and of course the Gospel in the sweetest of ways. Her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Blog are all very refreshing and full of life. She wears her faith sooo very well and without apologies too, but in a way that is very endearing.

Now that’s an example of a celebrity who is a role model. Oya  go follow her. And me too 🙂

Ok so let’s bring this all together with this nice quote, ‘

Not all celebrities are Role Models, but all role models should be celebrities’

Kapish?

‘…They that compare themselves with others on Instagram are NOT wise…’ 2Cor 10:12 (My apt paraphrase)

God crazily loves you,

E’

 

PS

Just to clear stuff up, I am not beefing or anything. I love Bella Naija weddings and stuff a lot. I also am not knocking all the celebs as having absolutely nothing to emulate in them. Mba. I absolutely LOVE the good life but I also know that there is a time for everything. There are some things I can’t afford yet so when I see it on IG/SM sites, I just look forward to when I can, without pressure. Not ‘kill’ myself to have it too. Then there are some people too who have one or two great traits/habits you may wanna pick up. Just be wise and discerning, don’t make them your ROLE MODELS just because they are popular.

PPS

Are there any more ‘living’ people you recommend on Social media sites? Please share in the comment section. And be sure your own social media too is ‘living’ in a ‘role-model’ way not just celebrity…