Written By: Anjika Bhangu
Do you remember when Michael Jordan, MVP, decided to shoot some hoops with our Looney Tunes cartoon friends? If you’re feeling nostalgic, I have some good news for you. You get to relive your childhood once again because Space Jam: A New Legacy, is now playing in theatres!
Before you start guessing, no, this isn’t an article to rally up some Tune Squad fans; Rather, this is an insight into a celebrity’s child’s life and ultimately the reason for this movie. We often think that celebrities live majestic lives, and their kids are living even better ones having been born into a rich family. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case for all famous offspring.
Sometimes when parents feel passionate about their careers, they hope their kids will follow in their footsteps while growing up. As a result, more pressure is put on children to follow one career path. Unfortunately, this seems to be even more applicable to the children of celebrities who are not only being pressured by their families, but also by their teachers, friends, and fans of their parents. Due to this need to reach and surpass their parents’ level of success, another career path may seem more difficult to follow. Plus, these kids already have connections and interviews lined up for when they’re older!
Fans also tend to not understand the degree of pressure they apply on celebrity families whenever they want to find something out about a particular person. For example, paparazzi could take a photo of a celebrity’s child and manipulate their actions to create a compelling story for the media. The consequence of this may be a more pressurized style of upbringing, hindering these children from continuing normal activity outside of their homes. Consequently, this may prevent them from unexpectedly exploring a career path that they could feel even more passionate about.
On the other hand, some celebrity parents understand how to entertain their children’s dreams and provide support for another chosen career path. Take Ben Ford, for
example. He is the son of Harrison Ford, the infamous Star Wars actor, known predominantly for his role as Han Solo. Rather than Ben following in his father’s footsteps, he chose to learn cuisine art. Believe me, cook he did! He has now become a well-known chef in California and earned the same caliber of success as his dad earned in the acting field. As you can see, it is always in the children’s hands to enter a career, but external pressure can push them to compare themselves to their parents. Ben earned the media’s respect as a “Ford son” but chose to tackle a career which he loved more.
This article is here to open your eyes as fans of singers, actors, and even basketball MVPs. Rather than believing in rumors, take them with a grain of salt and think about the family who will have to deal with these messages in the future. It’s okay to idolize but try not to obsess over every move these people make. Celebrities are ultimately just humans, and Space Jam: A New Legacy does a good job at relaying this message to the world. I encourage you to peel behind this movie’s premise and focus on the storyline that it offers; After all, why not watch a movie where cartoon is involved?