Dear Readers,
Today, I will attempt to write an expository essay on entertainers and sports stars, posed by my Language Arts teacher Miss Huang. Please provide some comments and feedback so that I can improve on this piece of writing!
Question 19. Should entertainers and sports stars be paid such large sums of money? What are your views?
In the year 2008, Tiger Woods, a world-renowned golf star, earned a cool $12 million just from playing the game and an additional $110 million endorsing sports brands like Nike and Buick. The revolutionary “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson, earned $509 million in his 39-year career as an entertainer. A full $5 million came easily just from his endorsement for Pepsi. As we see these huge figures going into the pockets of sports stars and famous entertainers, many cannot help but wonder why they are paid so exorbitantly. I strongly believe that it is absolutely reasonable for these big names to earn hefty sums of money in their career because of the sacrifices, insecurities, short career lifespan and upkeep of image.
Firstly, these famous stars sacrifice a lot of time and effort perfecting their skills. For entertainers, they have to spend long periods of time to hone their acting and singing skills for their shows and albums. Similarly, for sports stars, they have to train and workout as well. A good example would be Manchester United football star Wayne Rooney, who trains for 16 hours a day, only taking occasional rests in between each practice session. Whilst doing so, many stars had to sacrifice spending time with their loved ones. This is the reason why many celebrities often end up in divorce. Their hectic schedules give rise to many health conditions. The stress is also sometimes unbearable. Therefore, all these sacrifices which these stars and entertainers had to make for their careers, I feel it is only right that they should be fairly compensated.
Stars have to face many insecurities throughout their careers. An entertainer or sports star cannot guarantee that he or she will stay popular forever. Once they lose their popularity, they simply fade away from the limelight. What will happen to them? How will they sustain themselves? Reality is such in this merciless world of fierce competition. These personalities also do not have any governmental funds to support them in their old age. Only a sizable income can guarantee them a future.
Stars are unlike the average man on the streets. For us, when we step out from the house, no one really cares how we dress, much less how we look. However, stars have to upkeep their own personal image. When they are out in public, the way they look and the way they dress are very important as they are deemed the idols of their fans. Sadly, these cost money too.
Lastly, entertainers and sports stars have extremely short career lifespan. In the sports field, once they past their prime, which is approximately 35 years, their career is very much over. Once sports personalities have injuries, they might be forced into early retirement. A good example would be professional wrestlers, who are prone to sustain injuries. In the entertainment arena, the audience is only interested in the good-looking entertainers. Most often, once one is married or old, they automatically lose popularity, resulting in a reduced income. Therefore, they have to make their fortune in these extremely short career lifespan of theirs.
Some might argue that these personalities might become spoilt and not know how to handle the vast wealth which they suddenly come into contact with. They might lose themselves in the process and might resort to addiction such as alcohol and drugs to cope with the stress. However, I beg to differ. There are only a handful of such cases and the majority of stars are doing very well and handling their money wisely. After retiring from the respective trades, they are able to support themselves and their families. Thus, I feel that such an argument is totally invalid, as it is only true for a small group and the utilitarian perspective suggests that we should not deprive the larger group of their deserved privileges just because of a smaller, problematic group.
Celebrities are unlike the average people. To understand their situation, we must first put ourselves into their shoes. By seeing things in their perspective, we are then able to understand why they need to be paid such large income. Their sacrifices, insecurities, short career lifespan and upkeep of image totally justify such a need.
Thank you very much. Have a good day :D
Best Regards,
Nathan :D
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