Hollywood Disappointments

Let's call her Pearl, since I love that name and wish I could have another daughter just so the name doesn't go to waste.  Pearl, oh how she loves the day her People magazine comes in the mail.  She thumbs through it immediately, catching up on the newest fashions and celebrity gossip.  She just can't believe that Lindsay Lohan had to go into rehab AGAIN.  Poor Lindsay she thinks.  Pearl wonders what happened to the poor girl. 

Pearl closes the magazine and looks around her house.  It's not nearly as nice, clean and glamorous as Britney Spears' is.  Pearl looks in her closet and feels inadequate, she can't possibly afford the latest fashions, although she tries as she charges endless amounts of clothing on her Nordstrom credit card.  Pearl can't sing worth a darn and can't act, so where in the world is she going to make her millions?  She's gotta figure it out soon, because her standard of living is certainly not going to cut it.  Meanwhile, Pearl's kids and husband are watching her.  Soaking it in.

As a kid, I LOVED Michael Jackson. This is how I remember him. I had the poster on my wall and every one of his tapes!

I slowly watched Michael Jackson change in to this over the years. It was sad, disappointing and confusing. Such an amazing talent and person turn in to something that was completely unrecognizable from his old self.

I like to poke fun at Lindsay Lohan, but it really makes me sad to see this girl:

Morph in to this...

So many Hollywood stars are the center of our attention and are rapidly becoming the apple of our children's eyes as well.  The life of the stars is flooded with dysfunction, unreal expectations and heightened glamour.  It's not real and it is obviously taking it's toll on many of their lives as is seen through tabloids and television.  I have found myself captivated by the lifestyle of the rich and famous.  I understand how hard it can be to shut out, especially when it's on every channel and magazine stand.

I believe we must be diligent at protecting our hearts and the hearts of our children against this.  It has proven itself to be a quick and sure path to self destruction.  Yes, they will still be exposed to it at some level, just as we are.  But let us not use that as an excuse to allow it because "that's just the way things are nowadays".  It doesn't HAVE to be the way things are and we can still do what is in our power to fight against it and prepare our children for the day they do face that temptation.

Let's find joy in the simplicity of our own lives, thankful for what we HAVE.  And for goodness sakes, we must be sure, more now than ever, to ingrain in our children that their worth is not tied up in a glamorous lifestyle. 

"A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot."

Proverbs 14:30