📘 Part 3: Role models

This episode's vocabulary

Diverse (adj.) - including many different types of people or things.

Moderately (adverb) - in a way that is neither small nor large in size, amount, degree, or strength.

Squeaky (adj.) - making a very high sound.

Image (noun) - the way that something or someone is thought of by other people.

To put sth into sth/doing sth (phrasal verb) - if you put time, work, or effort into something, you spend a lot of time or effort doing it.

To look up to somebody (phrasal verb) - to respect and admire someone.

Magnify (verb) - to make something look larger than it is, especially by looking at it through a lens.

Work ethic (noun) - the belief that work is morally good.

Aptitude (noun) - a natural skill or an ability to do something well.

Quirky (adverb) - unusual in an attractive and interesting way.

Appearance (noun) - the way a person or thing looks to other people.

To deviate (verb) - to do something that is different from the usual or common way of behaving.

Questions and Answers

M: What kinds of people are likely to be the role models for teenagers?

R: I mean, that's probably as diverse as the teenagers themselves, to be honest. Usually, it's someone who has achieved some kind of success, whether it's musical or something else, and they have at least a moderately squeaky, clean media image, at least relative to other role models. So that's not always true.

M: Is it important for children to have a role model?

R: I'm not sure, to be honest. On the one hand, it's helpful to have a representation of what's possible for someone to achieve if they put the work in. But on the other, you could end up setting a ridiculously high set of expectations for people and accidentally use someone who hasn't had a similar life to the people looking up to them to set that example, which is not great.

M: Are there any differences between today's famous people and those of the past?

R: Well, not particularly in terms of their traits, to be honest. They still work ridiculously hard and have a singular focus, at least on the area that took them to the top. So the people themselves have not changed much, but maybe the extent to which their image is magnified around the world has massively increased. Thanks to technology.

M: What qualities do famous people have?

R: Well, we already talked about the work ethic and focus. I suppose they must also have an aptitude for media manipulation of some descriptions, since they have to create and sustain an image of and a story about themselves in order to get ahead.

M: What kinds of people are likely to become famous?

R: Other than the ones with the traits I already mentioned? Well, it's funny, but it seems like people who are either generically good-looking in an almost extreme way, or people with a unique or quirky appearance that deviates from the norm in a way that gets them noticed. So in addition to playing a part. You also have to look at the part too, it seems.

M: Do people tend to choose the best people as their role models?

R: Well, I mean, how do we define the best in this case? Is it someone who is the most successful or the person who is the most moral? Because those two are very rarely the same thing, and people seem to want both in role models. So with that being said, probably not, no.

M: Hey! Thank you for your answers! Rory, Rory, Rory.

R: Hopefully they set a good example. Oh, it's a pun!

Discussion

M: A role model is usually someone who has achieved some success in music or in sport, for example. But this is diverse. So if I say that something is diverse, it is what?

R: It's got a lot of variety. Different people doing different things.

M: And role models have a moderately squeaky, clean media image. Now, first of all, Rory tell us, what media image is.

R: A media image is just, well, the representation of yourself in the media, really. What you see in newspapers and on TV and social media.

M: And a role model should have a clean media image. So if a person has stories about drugs, about crime, all over the media, all over the internet. So this is not a role model, right? So role models should have a relatively clean media image.

R: I mean, yes. Or a squeaky clean one, which means that it's spotless. There's nothing wrong.

M: Sometimes it's useful for children to have a role model, to kind of follow an example and copy what someone else does. So like these role models, they set an example for children, and children, you know, like, behave in the same way. Or children could end up setting high expectations.

R: Ridiculously high.

M: Yeah, first of all, like to end up doing something is like to do it and to set high expectations. Like something which cannot be achieved. Children look up to some famous people, for example. If I look up to somebody, what does it mean?

R: It means you admire them and you perhaps want to be like them in some way.

M: Yeah. You admire them, like I look up to my father, for example, I respect my father, I admire my father. Or children look up to famous sportsmen, for example. And they set a good example. These famous athletes.

R: And you always set an example.

M: Famous people today and famous people of the past. You can use used to. So famous people used to be good, but now they use drugs and party.

R: I think that's been true for pretty much all of human history, that famous people have behaved in ways that are, you know, particularly exceptional to the norm. That's not new. That's like, that's probably why they're famous, because they're exceptional.

M: But you can say people haven't changed much, right? So... And really, like, people haven't changed much. Present Perfect. But their media image has changed. Now a famous person can't just like use drugs for no one to know about. If someone uses drugs, the whole world knows. Everybody knows. Yeah? Because of this like media and this media image. And like, thanks to technology, everybody knows everything. When we speak about qualities of famous people, we can also say character traits. Character traits or qualities. Like they should be organized.

R: Nice.

M: Responsible. Just nice. Be good.

R: Maybe like that's the bare minimum, but still, people struggle with this.

M: And also they should have good work ethic. Can I say like, good work ethic or appropriate?

R: No, it's a good work ethic. Or some other positive attribute, like a good work ethic or an amazing work ethic. You can have a terrible work ethic, but most of the time, we comment on people's good work ethic. Or they don't have one, if it's not very good.

M: So also, famous people should have an aptitude for media manipulation. So they manipulate the media. They are good at talking to the media, talking to the press, talking to journalists. So they have an aptitude for something. To have an aptitude for something is kind of to have a talent for something, right?

R: Yeah, or you're good at it.

M: And they have to create and sustain an image. So famous people create an image and sustain an image. They maintain, they keep an image of this famous perfect person. Also, you can mention that famous people should be charismatic. They should be confident communicators. They should positively contribute to the world, and they should be great listeners. Okay?

R: How is that different to everybody else?

M: I don't know. But, well...

R: We could all do with a bit more positivity in the world.

M: Usually, famous people are good-looking, right? So you can say that genuinely good-looking people could become famous. Like charismatic and very good-looking. Like look at our famous actors. Pretty much most of them are good-looking. And also some people with a unique personality, with a unique appearance. What did you mean by quirky?

R: Oh, quirky is just interesting. It's usually a small interesting feature about somebody, and that draws people's attention.

M: Yeah, like, unusual in an attractive way, in an interesting way. And some people whose personality deviates from the norm could become famous. So their personality is, like, unusual. It deviates, it goes away from the norm. Something extraordinary. The last question is very strange. Like the best people? Like who are the best people? Like, what?

R: I don't know.

M: The best people? And then you can ask a question. Like, how do we define the best? Like, could you explain the best? Like, who is the best? Like, no one is the best. No one is ideal. But some people choose kind of ideal people to be their role models. But we don't actually know all the information about these people, so we can't say they are the best. But usually, if someone is successful, charismatic, confident, rich. Right? So people tend to choose such people as their role models.

R: Is that a good idea always? Probably not.

M: No, like, yeah, we don't know. Rory, do you have any role models? Who is a role model for you?

R: I don't really have a role model anymore. But then I'm, I'm a grown-up, you know? Ideally, I should be aspiring to how I can be better, not the better example set by other people. I think if you're younger and you don't really know what the best you can do looks like, then you need a role model. But if you're an adult and you know how to live your life, then you probably don't need to have that kind of support in place.

M: Yeah.

R: But do you want me to say like just a random answer? Dolly Parton is my role model.

M: Right, dear listener, thank you very much for listening, and we'll get back to you in our next episode! Bye!

R: Bye!

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