Discussion Text

Criminal’s Celebrities and Industry Award

By: Yuri Azirovi

Could you imagine if your favorite idols doing criminal? Would you stop supporting them, or would you disagree if they receive such kind of industry awards? When we support the celebrities by enjoying their works, it means –indirectly – we support the crimes they have committed. However, this statement became a pro and a contra. Some people said that Celebrities’ career does not have any relationship with their crime. The following reasons will show the pro and contra whether the celebrities who commit crimes should qualify to receive industry award or not.

          According to Wikipedia, a celebrity is a person who has a prominent profile and commands some degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day news media which has success career in a particular field. It means celebrities’ career does not have a relationship with their crime. Their career is their job. When they break the law, they are doing it as a result of their celebrity status, rather than criminal tendencies. It is not fair if we only enjoy their work but we disagree to qualify them to receive such kind of industry awards because of the crimes that they did. We should differentiate between the celebrities’ crime and celebrities’ career. Even though they commit such kind of crimes, they still have chance to receive an award for their achievements as celebrities.

          A celebrity who gets an award must be the best one because it is not easy to get it. They get an award because of their talent. The talent does not differentiate whether the celebrities commit crimes or not. When the celebrities commit a crime, we just do not call it as criminal. We call it ‘celeb drama’. It is not a secret that, sometimes, we expect a certain element of criminal behavior in our celebrities. In other word, we can say that the celebrities who commit crime should receive an award if they have a talent. Ariel Noah, for example, committed a sex crime and he was sent to the jail for two years. After he was released from the jail, he makes some songs and exists in entertainment again. He also gets some music awards. It shows that crimes do not hinder the celebrities to get an industry award.

          The last pro argument which supports the celebrities to receive the industry award is because of their brilliant hard efforts. Getting an award is difficult. The celebrities should give their best efforts. We always expect the celebrity to be perfect and compete with the other celebrities in another country. It is absolutely unfair if we raise our standard for their behavior. We must consider that they have a big chance to get an award. In addition, we should support each achievement that they made and qualify them to receive industry award.

          On the other hand, some people disagree with those statements above. Perhaps, it is not a big deal if crime means got into a few clubs before she/he turned 18 years old, but what about serious crimes, like carnage or drug user? First reason why celebrities who break the law should not qualify to receive industry award is because the celebrities will be an example to the society, especially for the children. Indonesia, for instance, as the East culture seems reluctant to see our favorite celebrities as the actual criminal such as: drug user, cocaine possession, sex crime, carnage, and so on. Lindsay Lohan, for instance, in 2007 she pleaded guilty to cocaine use and “DUI” – she was given a token 24 hours in jail, 10 days of community service and 3 years probation. In 2010 and after violating the terms of her probation again, she was sentence to 90 days in jail. Following on from Winona Ryder’s inspirational footsteps, in February 2011, Lohan decided to randomly steal a necklace from a high-end jewellery store. This time she was handed 120 days in prison, 360 hours of community service in a women’s center and rather oddly 120 hours at the L.A. County morgue. From that case, we do not admit that a celebrity act in a film as a good person, but in fact they do bad things. If we still agree to give an award to the celebrities who commit crime, it means we will support their crime, too.

          The second reason, the famous celebrities are still the citizen of a country. It does not mean they can do everything they want –included crime—because of their status as the famous celebrities. Status as a celebrity is just a job. So, they are the same with another society in front of the law. Everyone who breaks the law should be punished. For example, Martha Stewart who having built an empire around cooking, decorating and homewares, her world came tumbling down in 2004 after she was jailed for insider trading. She was sent to the jail for about five months. So, the criminal’s celebrity could not receive the industry award.

          In conclusion, the consequences will be pro and contra. Some people agree if the celebrities who commit crimes should qualify to receive industry award. In contrast, some people totally disagree if the criminal’s celebrities qualify to get an award. However, I stand on my own opinion that celebrities’ career does not have a relationship with their crime. If the celebrities commit crime, they will be punished. However, they still have chance to receive such kind of industry award. We should respect for celebrities’ hard efforts and achievements.