In my line of work I'm good at what I do. I'd even stick my neck out and say I'm one of the best in the business (it is an extremely niche market though!), but I don't have any young kids turn up to watch me work. Neither do little kids pester their parents to get replica copies of my work clothes, paying extra to have my name written on the back. My company doesn't have youth teams all the way down to under 8s all aspiring to one day emulate me in my job. My picture isn't plastered over magazines, newspapers and TV when I have a good day at work. I certainly don't get paid an unfeasibly large amount of money for doing my job, money that partly comes from people paying a lot of money to watch me work. I never get asked for my autograph. I don't get privileges from local businesses and national companies for endorsing their products because my popularity will inspire my fans to purchase said products. And I have never heard anyone chanting how great they think I am to me whilst I'm working. I don't know how you'd define 'role model', but if anybody is I'd say a footballer is.
The thing is with footballers is that they are idolised by kids who want to be them in the playground. They're probably the most unfit and inappropriate role models you could imagine but sadly to many young people that is what they are.
When I think back to been a kid a lot of my heroes at the time were Barnsley players, the likes of Hendrie, Marcelle, Bullock, Hignett, Ward, Morgan so I can completely understand the role models point. Folk can argue all day long that parents should make sure kids are brought up well enough that role models aren't needed but kids will inevitably have them
Now it seems reality tv stars (people who have funny accents and no actual talent or skill) are the latest role models to some impressionable young people.
Agreed. In my view it's a lazy, patronising argument trotted out routinely when the mob scent blood, epitomising the thoughtless witch hunt mentality and hysterical reactions now prevalent in our dumbed down society. In 20 years prosecuting and defending criminals I have heard many outrageous excuses for all manner of shocking criminality but never a defendant, juvenile or adult, seeking to blame their wrong doing on the bad example of an inappropriate role model. Footballers, rock stars and 'celebrities' may be idolised but they are not role models. Youngsters may wish to emulate their fame and fortune but that does not extend to their every facet of behaviour. And surely when those in the public eye do misbehave, an idol of your son or daughter, doesn't that then provide you as a parent the perfect opportunity to impart some meaningful life lessons as to what is and is not acceptable behaviour, all the more impactful for it's direct relevance to an individual with whom your child identifies, an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others. The real menace are the self-righteous brigade, the rent a gob talking heads all over the news channels who have nothing better to do with their time than repeatedly insist that those in the public eye ARE role models, a foolish and dangerous message that creates a risk of the very harm they purport to abhor. So, as Judithchalmers said, load of sh*te.
When I was young my favourite player at Barnsley wasn't Ronnie Glavin or Trevor Aylott or Derrick Parker or Ian Banks, I loved all those skilful players, and the whole of that brilliant team, but the player that stood out for me was Mick McCarthy. As thrilling as it was to see Glavin in full flight, I was more impressed by Mick's towering headers, his sliding tackles and the way he repelled the opposition's attacks. I was in awe of his strength and power and his disciplined approach to the game. Before I discovered cigs and girls and being a complete t.wat at the age of about 12 or 13, I was quite a skilful footballer. In the 7-a-side tournaments the teachers organised during dinner times at junior school I won many of our games single handedly. I could pick up the ball anywhere on the pitch, beat any number of players and score a goal. But when I played for the school team and Kexbrough Cosmos, I played central defence. The rest of the team could run about all over the place chasing the ball and trying to show off their skills, but my back four were going to be organised. "Halfway line lads" when we had the ball was in the opposition half. No full backs in our team were going to go marauding up the line. We were a flat back four and I made sure we stayed that way for the entire game. "Push out!", "Drop back!", "Booit it art". It's much more fun to get hold of the ball and run with it, to score some goals, but I wanted to be like Mick McCarthy and Mick McCarthy organised his defence. You usually lose your childhood idols as you grow older. However, when Mick made the step-up from football player to football manager, and later to to TV commentator, I discovered he was eloquent, witty, funny and he did it all in a Barnsley accent. I'm never more proud of where I come from than when I'm listening to Mick being interviewed. I still want to be like him. Now I want that strength of character rather than that strength on a football pitch, I want to be funny too and instead of being ashamed of my accent, like the media try to make us, I'm immensely proud of it because I know from people like Mick and Ian McMillan that the way we speak doesn't make us sound stupid, like we were always told, it gives us a warmth and a charm and a greater depth of character. Has Mick McCarthy been a role model to me? You're damn right he has. You only have to read Twitter or any Sheffield United forum to see the influence Ched Evans is having on the attitudes of many of their fans towards women. A lot of it is frightening. Whether it was rape or not, and I know you argue it wasn't, I don't know anyone who believes his actions that night were morally acceptable, even if he was inside the law. But attitudes towards what he did amongst a significant number of Sheff Utd supporters are changing. Changes in the way you think lead to changes in behaviour. If you think something is perfectly OK then there's no reason why you wouldn't do it yourself. A role model is defined as a person looked up to by others as an example to be imitated. It's happening before our very eyes and Ched Evans is that role model. If that's a foolish and dangerous message then I really am out of touch.
I've nothing on today. I can come round your place of work, stand in the corner, sing songs and cheer you on. A sort of 'personal fan' service, £10 an hour. "Gordon, Gordon give us a wave, Gordon, give us a wave." "Ottershaw, Ottershaw, Otter, Ottershaw, he gets his pen and writes some ****, Otter, Ottershaw." "Gordon Ottershaw, Gordon Ottershaw, Gordon Ottershaw, Gordon Ottershaw." - chirpy chirpy cheep cheep. "You're sitting down and doing some work and that." - 'kin 'eads kicked in song "He goes to work He looks reight good He sits real still And looks like wood Ottershaw Ottershaw O-Ottershaw Ottershaw" - Tom Hark And if you **** up a quick rendition of Jilted John. Bargain I reckon.
What do you take me for. I work from home and I certainly don't want you coming round here with nothing on. Unless you look like that Kardashian bird does with nothing on of course!
