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Q. Lindsey, Britney, Nicole, Paris—there are so many famous young women spiraling out of control. Any thoughts on why?

A. I'm always happy to share theories, but first I'll point out that most young stars and starlets do not get caught in scandals involving sex, drugs, alcohol and wardrobe malfunctions. Many just do their job and go home. Others actually are squeaky clean. But it's much more interesting to hear about those who behave badly. And that makes this seem like an era of "bad girls." Why? Three ideas:

1) We pay them. We buy CDs and watch movies featuring young women who show a lot of skin, dance in sexually suggestive ways, and perform in sexually charged roles. We reward "sexy" teens and young twenty-somethings with cash. We teach them that being sexually provocative is the way to get rich.

2) We pay attention to them. We watch the scandal shows on TV, buy the gossip magazines, and search for stories/images on the web. We pay attention when starlets get in trouble and get addicted to substances. We teach them that being "bad" is how to stay in the spotlight. We support the tabloids that report it.

3) Bored people with money and weak moral standards drink and use drugs. People who drink and use drugs make stupid choices. Famous people who make stupid choices get their picture taken.

The question for us is: When will we stop paying attention? Is there anything better we can focus on? I'd encourage you to do your part by not feeding the cycle. And pray for these struggling women.

Mark is the founder of WisdomWorks Ministries. You can learn about his conferences, read movie and music reviews, and more at planetwisdom.com.

Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Ignite Your Faith magazine.
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