Celebrities

1. Why do you think people want to become famous?

    왜 사람들은 유명해지고 싶어 하나요?

2. How do people become famous these days?

    요즘 사람들은 어떻게 유명해지나요?

3. What kinds of people become famous these days? Is it different from the past?

    요즘에는 어떤 사람들이 유명해지나요? 과거와 다른가요?

4. How does the media in your country treat famous people?

  여러분의 나라에서 미디어는 유명인사들을 어떻게 다루나요?

5. What are the disadvantages of being famous?

   유명해지는 것에는 어떤 단점이 있나요?

6. What responsibilities to society do famous people have?

   유명인사들이 사회적으로 져야 하는 책임은 어떤 것이 있나요?

7. What would it be like to be the child of a celebrity?

     유명 인사의 아이가 된다는 것은 어떨까요?

< Sample answer >

1. Why do you think people want to become famous?
   Ok... I’d say there are several reasons... I guess some people want to be validated by the opinions of others, I mean, they want to be liked... so they’re attracted to fame and popularity... I suppose people are also jealous of the privileges famous people enjoy, like freebies, I mean clothes from designers or free VIP entry to clubs. So those are a few reasons.

2. How do people become famous these days?
   Well... There are lots of different ways... Like in the past, if you become distinguished in your field then you can usually become well-known... Actors, chefs and politicians still become famous in that way... But a really modern phenomenon is viral stars, I mean normal people who become celebrities overnight, usually by posting videos online which go viral, I mean, they’re watched by millions of people in a very short time. So those are a couple of common ways.

3. What kinds of people become famous these days? Is it different from the past?
   Ok... Well in the past, actors and politicians were usually the most renowned figures in society, but recently the kinds of people who can become famous have become more diverse, I’d say. I mean... these days normal people can get their 15 minutes of fame online, by posting funny videos and becoming viral stars... So that’s perhaps one difference from the past.

4. How does the media in your country treat famous people?
   I’d say it’s very hot-and-cold. I mean, sometimes the media showers celebrities with praise, but sometimes the media is extremely critical of celebrities, for example, of how they dress, what they eat, stuff like that. The public is also thirsty for knowledge about celebrities’ personal lives, and the media doesn’t hesitate to invade their privacy – for instance, paparazzi follow famous people around. So it’s good and bad.

5. What are the disadvantages of being famous?
   Oh... Well I guess the biggest disadvantage would be that famous people suffer from invasions of privacy, for example by being followed around by paparazzi all the time, because the public want to know all about their personal life. Also... because they’re in the public eye, there must be a great deal of pressure to behave well all the time... So basically, there are a couple of disadvantages.

6. What responsibilities to society do famous people have?
   Erm... I’d say they have to bear a few responsibilities... One is that they have to be appropriate role models for their younger fans... Celebrities can have a significant influence on young people so they must act accordingly... Global stars also need to represent their home country in a positive way so they they don’t tarnish the reputation of their motherland... So those are a few responsibilities.

7. What would it be like to be the child of a celebrity?
   Wow... I’ve never thought about that one before... I reckon there’s be pros and cons. In terms of pros, I guess you’d get to attend exciting events like film premieres and go on unforgettable holidays... But when it comes to cons... You’d grow up in the public eye, so there’d be pressure on you to act sensibly all the time... Making mistakes is an important part of growing up but if you were the child of a celebrity you wouldn’t be able to make those mistakes... So there are two sides to the coin.

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