Nowadays, celebrities are more famous for their glamour and wealth than for their achievements, and this sets a bad example to young people. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Many people argue that the stars of the world of entertainment are not inspiring role models for the young because they gain their success more by virtue of their money and looks than by their talents. In my view, this position is not justified at all. I consider that, for most celebrities, the root cause of their success and fame is their talent. For example, Ed Sheeran and Adele are singer/songwriters who, over a number of years, have acquired prestige within the music industry as well as with legions of fans primarily on account of the quality of their songs and performances. This in turn has made them fabulously rich. In Adele’s case, her glamorous image has grown alongside her career success, while Ed Sheeran is generally not considered to have special sex appeal, despite the popularity of his music. Even if glamour and/or financial resources play a significant role in the success of some entertainers, by no means does it suggest to me that the younger generation form a poor impression of them. This is because the young tend to be aware also of the hard work that many performers put in, irrespective of the presence of the two factors mentioned. The example of K-Pop bands illustrates this point well. While stunning good looks appear to be main explanation for their meteoric rise to stardom, many young Koreans are aware of the effort that members of these groups make in order to appear attractive and to dance to an exceptionally high standard. In conclusion, I take the view that the recognition by younger people of the work that celebrities undertake in order to achieve and maintain their fame protects the former from being influenced negatively by the opulent lifestyles and glamour of the latter.