Pop Stars Never Asked to Be Your Role Model

When young female artists develop into budding pop stars, they’re thrust into more than just the limelight – they’re faced with the responsibility of being a role model whether or not they wanted it. 

In 1999, Britney Spears stepped onto the world stage, walking the line of a polished, youthful pop star on the verge of womanhood. Britney as a brand could be a prim and proper role model marketed to kids, but this left no room for her to grow into a woman or make mistakes as an adult.

This week we’re discussing the pressure placed on pop stars to be role models, the ways in which we all contribute to this expectation, and how the idea of a role model has changed from the early 2000s tabloid era to the 2020s era of social media. 

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