At some point in everyone's childhood they had wished they were famous. Whether it’s a rockstar leading a double life, a famous childhood actor or actress, or a famous football champion, everyone has imagined themselves in the spotlight, with millions of lovestruck fans and enough money to buy a world of happiness and fulfill all wants and needs. People often underestimate just how intense the spotlight is on these celebrities, and how often times the pressure of fame has negative effects on these stars. Famous people have to constantly monitor their behavior in order to avoid negative publicity, which takes over most newsstands across America today. The pressure that society puts on these celebrities often makes or breaks them, causing many to step a little too far outside the box, while others use the publicity to become better people. One mistake can ruin a star’s public image, and essentially their career. Forever. This side of fame is often overlooked by fans who seem to care primarily about the next big scandal.

Fame often has a negative effect on the stars that young teens once idolized, and these celebrities often let down their fans one way or another. Recently, people all over the country have been learning about the teen pop sensation, Miley Cyrus, and her devastating breakup with her co-star, Liam Hemsworth, from The Last Song along with her very public downward spiral of humiliation. Cyrus has been the most talked about celebrity since August, when she performed with Robin Thicke at the MTV Video Music Awards. She performed in skin colored underwear and “twerked” through the entire routine making suggestive motions with a foam finger. The decisions that Cyrus makes will now and forever be public knowledge because of her fame and fortune lifestyle, and she is fully aware of it. Everything Cyrus does, from her hairstyle to the polish on her toes is constantly being criticized by the public eye. Billy Ray Cyrus, her father, admits to TruTv, "I should have been a better parent. I should have said, 'Enough is enough. It's getting dangerous and somebody's going to get hurt.' I should have, but I didn't. Honestly, I didn't know the ball was out of bounds until it was way up in the stands somewhere" (TruTV). Billy Ray Cyrus admits that his own child’s life has gotten out of hand, but that it is too late to fix the damage now. Sadly, Miley Cyrus is not the only Disney Channel star to have taken the wrong path after becoming a celebrity. Just recently, photos of Dylan Sprouse, the former star of The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, with a lack of clothing were leaked to the public. Even Fox News has something to say about the release of these pictures, “Dylan joins the prestigious club of Disney stars who have had nude photos leaked, joining stars like Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, and (possibly) Demi Lovato” (Fox News). The fact that a nationwide news station has taken the time to address Sprouse’s photos shows how little privacy he has. Disney stars are used to playing the role of care free kids that once they are left to their own resources they are unaware of how they should act in real life situations. Although these are two valid examples of fame gone wrong, there are some people who make all the attention work for them.

Fame doesn’t always have a negative impact on stars, though, and many use their fame and money to help others and redefine the word celebrity. Take Selena Gomez for example, she was the star of the hit Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place. Like Miley, she too started her road to fame starring in a Disney Channel series. Unlike Miley, Gomez has been able to stay off the radar of the tabloids, and stay out of the medias way. The New York Times has a unique way of putting it, “It’s a statement of young-woman independence from someone choked in her own youth not only by Disney fame, but also by being the child of a celebrity. Plenty of former child stars rebel, but Ms. Cyrus is taking the express lane” (Caramanica). Caramanica compares the two stars, and says that although Selena is just as famous as Miley, the difference is what she is famous for. He then goes on to say, “Ms. Gomez has grown up, too, though she’s not as eager to show it off as Ms. Cyrus” (Caramanica). He makes many good points throughout his article, and I would have to agree with mostly all of what he says. He acknowledges that teens do have a rebellious stage and that Selena is not innocent, but she is however less public about her personal life. Selena is a rare scenario in this case, and she made the transition from childhood actress to adult celebrity work to her advantage which was hard for some of her fellow Disney-generation peers to do.

Though unrealistic, it is understandable that teens want desperately to become famous, have a disposable income, and have fans worshipping them, but take these things into consideration next time you daydream of your life in the spotlight: a total loss of your privacy, constantly having to monitor everything you do or say, often having regret, and most of all how it ultimately makes you feel about yourself. Look at the celebrities you hear about on the news, read about in the papers, and the ones who make the headlines of your favorite gossip magazine. It seems the only real way to get attention in the magazines and tabloids is to do risky, unheard of things that some of these actors and actresses do. When taking all of the consequences and expectations into consideration, you have to wonder; is being famous really worth the all sacrifices?

Overall, it seems that the expectations that fans have for celebrities become too much, and often lead to the downfall of these stars. Being famous may seem to be a luxury on the surface, but it ultimately ruins the chance for these celebrities to ever experience a normal life. Living in the lime-light only puts pressure on these once ordinary people to become something they are not, simply to please their fans, and it is not surprising that it becomes too much and ruins the lives of many stars. In conclusion, being rich and famous does not seem to be worth the risk of losing yourself.