The now-famous photo published yesterday, showing Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps inhaling from a marijuana pipe, raises a thorny question about parenting in a celebrity-obsessed age: What do you do when your kids' beloved idols become fallen heroes?
Mr. Phelps' transgression, and his acknowledgment of poor judgment, is certain to rock the worlds of the legions of youthful swimmers who dream of emulating him. Mr. Phelps has had to apologize publicly before, after pleading guilty in 2004 to a drunken driving charge. But that screwup was less widely noticed, because he hadn't yet broken Mark Spitz's record for winning the most gold medals at an Olympics.
In my kids, I've seen our societal tendency to idolize high achievers, then to denigrate them just as energetically when they screw up, plant the seeds of cynicism. My son, enthralled as a child by the breathtaking play of NFL star Michael Vick, was deeply disappointed after learning of his many character flaws. The dog-fighting scandal left my son shaking his head that such a brilliant talent could be so thoroughly squandered. And my daughter, once an admirer of Britney Spears' singing and dancing talent, tossed her overboard because of her bizarre, much-publicized personal antics.
That so many idols are shown to have clay feet may be one reason some surveys show most kids' biggest heroes are their parents. When asked to name someone they admire, Americans between 18 and 25 years of age are twice as likely as older people to name someone close and familiar, such as a family member, teacher or mentor, says a 2006 study of 1,501 adults by the Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C.
Readers, have your kids' heroes let them down？ How have you handled it？ And what have been the effects？
奥运会游泳冠军菲尔普斯(Michael Phelps)吸食大麻的照片给那些孩子还处在追星年纪的家长们提出了一个棘手的问题：如果你们孩子崇拜的偶像自毁形像，你们该怎么办？
菲尔普斯的不当行为和他承认自己判断力差肯定会震撼到大批梦想仿效他的年轻游泳选手们。此前，菲尔普斯也曾经被迫道歉，当时他在2004年承认了酒后驾车指控。但那个小插曲引起的公众关注较少，因为当时他还没有打破斯皮茨(Mark Spitz)的最多奥运金牌纪录。
从我的孩子身上，我看到了我们社会的一种不良倾向：我们总是热衷于将取得重大成就的人捧为偶像，然后在他们出现问题后又不遗余力地口诛笔伐，散布冷嘲热讽的种子。我的儿子曾经对美式足球明星维克(Michael Vick)的神勇表现崇拜得如醉如痴，但在得知维克的很多性格缺陷后显得非常失望。维克的斗狗丑闻令我的儿子摇头叹息：他竟然如此浪费自己的才华。我的女儿也曾经是小甜甜布兰妮(Britney Spears)的粉丝，但在这位歌舞明星出格个人举动遭大肆宣扬后，也对曾经的偶像不屑一顾。
如此众多的偶像被曝出弱点，或许这是许多调查显示大多数孩子最崇拜自己父母的一个原因。华盛顿特区研究机构皮由研究中心(Pew Research Center)2006年对1,501名成年美国人进行的一项调查显示，在被问及自己崇拜对象时，18-25岁之间的美国年轻人很多都选择了自己亲近和熟悉的人，例如家庭成员、老师或导师；这一比例是年纪较大美国人的两倍。
读者们，你们孩子崇拜的偶像有自甘堕落的吗？你们是怎么处理的，又带来了什么影响呢？
关键字:英语阅读
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Mr. Phelps' transgression, and his acknowledgment of poor judgment, is certain to rock the worlds of the legions of youthful swimmers who dream of emulating him. Mr. Phelps has had to apologize publicly before, after pleading guilty in 2004 to a drunken driving charge. But that screwup was less widely noticed, because he hadn't yet broken Mark Spitz's record for winning the most gold medals at an Olympics.
In my kids, I've seen our societal tendency to idolize high achievers, then to denigrate them just as energetically when they screw up, plant the seeds of cynicism. My son, enthralled as a child by the breathtaking play of NFL star Michael Vick, was deeply disappointed after learning of his many character flaws. The dog-fighting scandal left my son shaking his head that such a brilliant talent could be so thoroughly squandered. And my daughter, once an admirer of Britney Spears' singing and dancing talent, tossed her overboard because of her bizarre, much-publicized personal antics.
That so many idols are shown to have clay feet may be one reason some surveys show most kids' biggest heroes are their parents. When asked to name someone they admire, Americans between 18 and 25 years of age are twice as likely as older people to name someone close and familiar, such as a family member, teacher or mentor, says a 2006 study of 1,501 adults by the Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C.
Readers, have your kids' heroes let them down？ How have you handled it？ And what have been the effects？
奥运会游泳冠军菲尔普斯(Michael Phelps)吸食大麻的照片给那些孩子还处在追星年纪的家长们提出了一个棘手的问题：如果你们孩子崇拜的偶像自毁形像，你们该怎么办？
菲尔普斯的不当行为和他承认自己判断力差肯定会震撼到大批梦想仿效他的年轻游泳选手们。此前，菲尔普斯也曾经被迫道歉，当时他在2004年承认了酒后驾车指控。但那个小插曲引起的公众关注较少，因为当时他还没有打破斯皮茨(Mark Spitz)的最多奥运金牌纪录。
从我的孩子身上，我看到了我们社会的一种不良倾向：我们总是热衷于将取得重大成就的人捧为偶像，然后在他们出现问题后又不遗余力地口诛笔伐，散布冷嘲热讽的种子。我的儿子曾经对美式足球明星维克(Michael Vick)的神勇表现崇拜得如醉如痴，但在得知维克的很多性格缺陷后显得非常失望。维克的斗狗丑闻令我的儿子摇头叹息：他竟然如此浪费自己的才华。我的女儿也曾经是小甜甜布兰妮(Britney Spears)的粉丝，但在这位歌舞明星出格个人举动遭大肆宣扬后，也对曾经的偶像不屑一顾。
如此众多的偶像被曝出弱点，或许这是许多调查显示大多数孩子最崇拜自己父母的一个原因。华盛顿特区研究机构皮由研究中心(Pew Research Center)2006年对1,501名成年美国人进行的一项调查显示，在被问及自己崇拜对象时，18-25岁之间的美国年轻人很多都选择了自己亲近和熟悉的人，例如家庭成员、老师或导师；这一比例是年纪较大美国人的两倍。
读者们，你们孩子崇拜的偶像有自甘堕落的吗？你们是怎么处理的，又带来了什么影响呢？
关键字:英语阅读
生词表:
文章标签:怎么办
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