The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
These are just a few lyrics from a song (Under Pressure - Queen) I heard today on the TV (shocker!) and it brought the same old thoughts to mind, especially when this song was both proceeded and followed by quite possibly the most --interesting promos to quite possibly the most --interesting string of Television shows of the modern day. And (now excuse me for sounding like an old woman who wishes she was back in the "dark ages") I can't help but remember a time when the things I see hurled at me from the TV screen weren't allowed to pass through the editing process of pre-production.
Now (warning!) I shall bring up the most over-used topic to date, the most debated, the most annoying and the most enraging subject for either praise or criticism known to man: Miley Cyrus (insert gasp). I was present for the debut of her young face on the TV screen, plastered everywhere as the "next big thing". She could sing, she could dance, she could act (eh.). She -was -it. At least that's what everyone else was saying. And I admit, I fell for it for a time. She was my idol, to be completely honest. A young fresh faced little girl, making her dreams come true as she moved upwards through fame unspoiled by all that came with the world. Wrong. It seemed the moment she struck with the age of "I can take care of myself and no one can tell me anything that I don't want to hear", it seemed she was shoved so far off the cliffs of insanity in so short a time that it sent the whole of America for a loop as she quit Disney Channel, blamed all her screw-ups on her family, and finally debuted her (disgusting) single, "Who Owns My Heart". I am not going to speak for all of America's parents, children, and little girls with Hannah Montana t-shirts, but I for one was disappointed and disgusted by how she treated the gift of fame she as given. And she let a lot of people down that day.
Moving onto another Disney Star that followed up very shortly after the infamous Hannah Montana was nearing its end. Demi Lovato released a song called "La La Land", in which she strictly informed all of America and the entire world that she would not be pressured by the weight of fame, money, or temptation. And without hesitation, the whole of the younger population jumped aboard her ship, setting sail for untainted entertainment. This lasted three glorious years. And then it blasted the news stations everywhere. Demi Lovato had snapped and promptly checked into Rehab. About three months and several tattoos later, Demi's still struggling to gain back what she once had.
Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Charlie Sheen, Kate Winslet, Katy Perry, Amy Winehouse (God rest her soul), and countless others young and old have torn down the path to destruction without a hesitation or step backwards. They are given a gift, a chance to change the world through the most recognized force of power known to the modern age: entertainment. And this, ladies and gentleman, is how they handle it. Their strength faltered, and they fell. And even continue to fall today. You rely on a starlet, you bank your money on them never turning and jumping in with the tides of tainted souls. And they disappoint, as they have done several times to yours truly. Yet some of us, those with strong souls and prayers to God, and trust in the faith that the world was once founded on, strive to make a difference in society and never make it past the first string that leads to the world on the other side of the wall blocking us from self-made-gods. The world of fame. Some of us are willing to receive the pressure, and fight against it until we reach the ultimate end, yet we are never chosen from amongst the crowd. The world is led by appearance, the exposure of what should be held in reverence. And those of us who rely on the faithful to lead life back into the sunlight, hang our heads when their souls are taken.
But we need to keep trying. Striving towards what God wants of us. To change the world in a way small or great. And it is hard, believe me I know. But so was the path of sacrifice for Jesus, and so is the path to those gates for every single human soul walking through life. We fall, but we can rise again. We turn against God, but he is still waiting. You may have fallen off the cliff, but no rope is too short to pull you back to safety. Fame; it can send you for quite the loop. But if and when I am chosen, I am blessed with the opportunity to shift the world to light again, you can rest assured God will be ever behind my shoulder, guiding my every move.
After all, we're all under pressure. But it is the strength of our souls that will judge if we can lift the load on our shoulders, and continue onward through the tides.
