From the Mickey Mouse club, to the VMA’s, to now weddings
and babies! We have watched stars such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera,
and Justin Timberlake grow up right before our eyes. From their best moments to
their absolute we did not miss much. From breakups to buzzed heads we have
watched these teen sensations turn into multi millionaire celebrity icons. Not
much has changed in the industry because now we are witnessing it again, stars
from a younger generation such as Beibs, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and
Miley Cyrus are now trying to make their own transition from tween Disney stars
to focus on an older audience. The pressures and spotlight of the media will
soon threaten their friendly, clean, image and Disney appeal.
So how do you get away from this “tween persona” that you’ve
carried out for so long? I believe that is a question that is still trying to
be figured out. Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens took their first steps of
venturing away from their “good girl” image by landing themselves leading roles
in the recently released movie Spring
Breakers. They both play college students who head to Florida for the wild,
and reckless infamous week of spring break. It is no secret that Gomez and
Hudgens have their bad girl attitudes out to play in this on screen vacation. “A lot of image makeovers are about ''edge.''” Says Gleiberman in
the article “Spring breakers” and the art of image rehab. So is this the
kind of big break they need for a transformation? Because you can trust that
this film is definitely not no High
school Musical.
Will the limits be pushed too far in this bikini bash, which
includes drugs, sex, and violence? (Pearson) It is a chance any celebrity needs
to take when trying to make a dramatic transition within their career. Gomez is
most popularly known from her role in Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” but
since recently turning 20 and now no longer a “teen star” she felt it was time
to make the jump. "I am getting a little bit older, so I wanted
to push myself and kind of get into a little bit more of an indie world. And it
was a really great experience for me. And at the same time it has been, of
course, a little awkward, but great," Gomez quoted at the Hollywood
premiere of the new film. (Pearson)
Speaking of Selena, you cant have her without thinking of a
certain someone who has come to be every young girls dream “boyfriend” Justin
Beiber. Justin Beiber came on to the scene just a few short years ago and we
have already watched him grow up from that little boy singing on YouTube to a
now worldwide male singing icon. In 2011 Beiber was quoted “I think I’ll make a
smooth transition from a teen star to an adult star” in USA today. Well his
time is here to prove that transition and 2013 is already demonstrating that
the leap may be harder then Beibs thought. “In
January he was seen holding what sites identified as marijuana in one
photograph, while another showed him getting handsy with a female fan.”
(Goldberg) Another teen celeb who can relate to Beiber is Miley Cyrus who
publicly apologized when footage leaked of her smoking salvia out of a bong in
2010. Cyrus also recently got heat for having a little slippage of her side
boob and openly discussing sex and specifics such as losing her virginity.
(Marcus)
The pressure is also
on Bieber the most because he is solely in the limelight. There are not any
other solo male teen pop artists right now. Though they don’t like to be
compared, Timberlake and Beiber share many similarities. JT too had to make his
transition before our eyes. The transition may have been easier for Timberlake
because he made the change at a time where many other pop male vocalists were
on the scene. He had support from his band mates and with other male group
stars such as Backstreet Boys and 98 degrees, everyone was transitioning at the
same time so Timberlake didn’t get as much heat. Lucky or maybe unlucky for
Beibs he gets the spotlight all to himself. (Goldberg)
Though our favorite innocent teen stars
may be venturing off and trying to find themselves and their place in Hollywood
their has been no “dramatic” or life altering choices these stars have yet to
encountered. No jail and no arrests (at least not yet) from these Disney
sensations. CNN quoted it perfectly, “Despite
the age-old idea that each generation is more reckless than the last, Bieber
and his famous peers don't appear to be rebelling so much as they're just
getting older.” (Goldberg) The transition between teen stars to icons will
always be a tough one, but don’t worry; cameras will always be there to make
sure we miss nothing along the way.
Work Cited
I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to grow up with all of America’s eyes watching your every move. Transitioning from a teen to an adult is hard for most people, having an audience judging your choices in the process make it even harder. We have watched celebrities go through this transition in the past some of the most memorable being Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. These stars as well as other in the Mickey Mouse Club seemed to make a smoother transition than those who are currently in transition. Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber constantly get criticized for what seems to be normal behavior for someone who is growing up. The fact that growing up with audience gives you the automatic “role model” role whether you ask for it or not is one reason for all this criticism. Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber chose to shed their child celebrity images by being slightly rebellious teenagers while other child celebrities chose other paths such as landing a role in a more adult themed movie.
ReplyDeleteThe more scandalous, adult themed movie role is the path that Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens decided to take. Although Vanessa Hudgens lost her good girl role already when scandalous photos of her went viral, this is a complete 180 for Selena Gomez. I understand she wants to change her image but I don’t really think playing a role in Spring Breakers was the right step. There are many other ways to change your image other than playing a lead role in a film with its main themes centered around sex, drugs and violence. Teen stars transitioning into adulthood aren’t the only celebrities that reach a point in their career where they need to transform their image. Comedians wanting to play serious roles, actors in a professional rut, good looking actors wanting more challenging roles – these all require drastic image changes.
In “Spring Breakers and the Art of Image Rehab” by Owen Gieberman, Giberman talks about Charlize Theron’s transformation from eye-candy to a talented actress when she played the lead role in Monster. “Her solution was to take her beauty out of the picture. Hidden behind an extraordinary makeup job, she portrayed the serial killer Aileen Wuornos with a runty animalistic desperation, and it was as if we were seeing her for the first time. The result? She won the Academy Award for Best Actress.” (Gieberman) Using movies to transform your image can be very successful if done right.
Ryan Pearson’s article “Selena Gomez in an Awkward Transition in R-rated Spring Breakers” shows Selena Gomez’s thought on her role in Spring Breakers and her transition from teen to adulthood. She is quoted in the article saying, “It has been, of course, a little awkward” and “Honestly it’s been a weird transition. You never really know what’s right or wrong and you can only do the best you can.” These statements don’t make Gomez seem confident about her role or her transition. I think the most important part of transforming your image whether it is from being eye candy to a serious actress or a teen to an adult is to be a hundred percent confident. People may not agree with how Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber are transitioning but you can’t argue that they aren’t confident about the choices they make and how they are. With Gomez’s attitude it’s hard to place what her image is now and anyone involved in the entertainment industry knows that image is key.
Work Cited
Gleiberman, Owen. “Spring Breakers and the art of image rehab” 22 Feb. 2013 Published 01 Mar. 2013
Pearson, Ryan. “Selena Gomez in an “awkward” transition in R-rated “Spring Breakers”” Associated Press. 15 Mar. 2013
It is definitely interesting to see tween stars today grow up. Thinking back to Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, I remember they were my musical idols. This was largely due to the fact that I felt as though I was growing up with them. Older now, looking at tweens today I do not feel that way – in fact I feel the polar opposite. It seems as though with different types of social media that have come about tweens are more avid on keeping up with their fans and making sure they are a good role model for kids. Also, there have been more stores and sources of entertainment targeted towards this particular demographic of audiences between the ages of 8-14. In Alicia de Mesa’s article “Marketing and Tweens” she writes, “Whether it's the media aging the child or that children are simply evolving faster these days, marketers have been quick to notice that the growing distinctions between childhood ages are pronounced enough to warrant products, services, retail stores and marketing tactics specific to the "bridger" age group. Build-A-Bear, Paint Your Own Pottery, and the American Girl Store are just a few US retail stores that were specifically designed for tweens -- and namely tween girls” (de Mesa). Not only are retail stores being specifically designed for tweens, but it seems as though actors and actresses are trying to target these tweens as well.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do completely agree that tweens should be a good role model (after all they did put themselves in that position and knew what they signed up for), sometimes I think the pressure of Hollywood makes them snap. Instead of growing up and getting out of their tween phase, some tend to perform drastic actions as their way of rebelling. A perfect example would be when Britney Spears shaved her head; or even when Miley Cyrus dyed her hair blonde and also shaved her head. The media was stunned when both of these incidents occurred, however, was it the media themselves who directly caused it?
Alex used a great example in the newly released movie Spring Breakers. This movie stars the quintessential tween cast such as Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens. While a new film with a more adult plot may seem like a good option to getting out of the High School Musical perception, I am not sure that this particular plot filled with drugs, sex, and violence is necessarily the correct way to go. I think that maybe by doing a more mature movie, one that does not have to include sex, drugs, and violence, may be the more sophisticated and serious way to break out of their Disney Channel status. In Owen Gleiberman’s article he states, “What's the key to a role that successfully transforms you? The trick is to call attention to what you're doing, yet to transcend the gimmickry and make the new image feel organic. The change has to register not as glorified career management (even if that's what it is) but as a true surprise, a shock of recognition that we feel in our solar plexus” (Gleiberman). I think that this is perfectly stated. In order to get out of the tween phase, yes one must shock audiences in doing something that audiences would not have guessed before. However, as he states, one must do it naturally and organically, not with the overuse of starring in movies featuring sex, drugs, and violence. When discussing the movie, Selena Gomez herself explains this transition as, “A little awkward" is how Selena Gomez describes her transition from Disney girl to Disney girl gone wild in the new R-rated independent film "Spring Breakers," in which she plays a bikini-clad and heavily armed college student bent on a good time with three friends and some drugs, sex and violence…"I am getting a little bit older, so I wanted to push myself and kind of get into a little bit more of an indie world. And it was a really great experience for me. And at the same time it has been, of course, a little awkward, but great," the 20-year-old Gomez said Thursday at the film's Hollywood premiere” (Pearson).
I do not think there will ever be a clear-cut solution to going about the transition from a tween to an adult. The decisions of those actors and actresses largely remain on their actions and how they are able to handle growing up in this environment and society. While this is a difficult aspect to the Hollywood business, these stars did know what they were getting themselves into.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited
De Mesa, Alicia. "Marketing and Tweens." Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg, 11 Oct. 2005. Web.
Gleiberman, Owen. “Spring Breakers and the art of image rehab” 22 Feb. 2013
Pearson, Ryan. “Selena Gomez in an “awkward” transition in R-rated “Spring Breakers”” Associated Press. 15 Mar. 2013
Growing up is a hard thing to do, especially when you are a teenager celebrity trying to transition in front of the world. As Alex stated in her post, We have watched stars such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake grow up right before our eyes"(Bovo). For the most part, other than Britney Spears we have not heard a lot about any growing pain mishaps, as these once teen stars became adults. I think that it is much different nowadays where we have social media and the surveillance of celebrities is much greater than it was even 5 years ago.
ReplyDeleteTwo examples of stars that are trying to change their Disney image are Selena Gomez, and Justin Bieber. All of these stars are transitioning to adults at a time where social media has consumed our lives. In this 24-hour news cycle there is literally nowhere these celebrities can go. That means that the public sees all of their foibles.
Serena Gomez has gone out of her comfort zone and is trying to make the leap from teen to adult star in the new movie Spring Breakers. This movie is a far cry from what fans have gotten used to seeing Gomez in. This movie is about, “A down-and-dirty out fantasia about college kids who go on a psychotic spring-break bender " (Gleuberman). Gomez has realized that this is a big transition where she is leaving the comfort zone that she has known for so long. "I am getting a little bit older, so I wanted to push myself and kind of get into a little bit more of an indie world. And it was a really great experience for me. And at the same time it has been, of course, a little awkward, but great," (Pearson). I believe this could be a make or break move for Selena Gomez's career. There are some teen/child stars that fade into obscurity because of bad moves. Nonetheless with Gomez getting older this was a move that could really payoff in changing her image.
Another celebrity who is going through a transformation is Justin Bieber. Bieber hit the music scene at 15 and was a child pop prodigy. Now at 19 the whole world is seeing Bieber becoming a man. If the past few weeks are used as evidence Justin Bieber is going through a tough time. Bieber has had many recent issues that has been out of character for the singer. Most recently it was reported that Justin Bieber allegedly spit on one of his neighbors faces. After upsetting a man who confronted Bieber with his fast driving early in the morning he replied, "Get the f--k out of here. I'm gonna f--king kill you," (Blickley). This might just be seen as growing pains but this along with other incidences have began to taint the once child friendly singers image.
Growing up in Hollywood and trying to change your image to a more mature one is very difficult. I cannot imagine the pressure all these stars go through as they try to change the way the public perceives them especially nowadays where they are being watched all the time with new forms of media there it is hard to hide the transformation to an adult.
Work Cited
Blickley, Leigh. "Justin Bieber To Be Prosecuted For Spitting On Neighbor (REPORT)."The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 31 Mar. 2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.
Gleiberman, Owen. “Spring Breakers and the art of image rehab” 22 Feb. 2013 Published 01 Mar. 2013
Pearson, Ryan. “Selena Gomez in an “awkward” transition in R-rated “Spring Breakers”” Associated Press. 15 Mar. 2013
To be a public figure seems to be a job in itself. Not only do these celebrities make a living by being on television, in movies, or on stage, but they are followed around in the everyday lives as well. Everything is documented as if they are starring in a reality television series. When I try to put myself in these young stars positions, I cannot imagine having cameras in my face twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
ReplyDeleteI hear stories almost every week of how high school students are making drastic decisions in their daily lives and especially when using social media. This weekend I passed the high school I attended and on the bulletin board was a message for parents to attend a workshop and media on how their children are using and abusing social media. This goes to prove Alex’s question that young kids are acting and pushing the limits at the same time as they are growing up into young adults.
We have seen how social media can ruin people’s reputations just like when Alex mentions the time, “Miley Cyrus who publicly apologized when footage leaked of her smoking salvia out of a bong in 2010…” (Bovo) Miley received flack from everyone in the entertainment industry because here is this Disney channel star doing something that we normally do not see her associating with. When stars have such a wide audience of a younger generation, they must watch their every step, but often times just like this incident they push the limits and do something out of their comfort zone.
This article hit it on the nose when describing how these normal teens are trying to go for roles that involve so much controversy or are completely different from the persona of the actor or actress. “What's the key to a role that successfully transforms you? The trick is to call attention to what you're doing, yet to transcend the gimmickry and make the new image feel organic.” (Gleiberman)
After watching the trailer for the new movie Spring Breakers, I cannot help but laugh at what these girls are trying to portray. Although the actresses, especially Selena Gomez are trying to show what a spring break trip could be like in a college atmosphere it does not seem realistic. I do not know what kind of world they are trying to live in, but seeing the Disney star go from an innocent character to one who is shooting guns in the air on a boat ride, does not seem to settle well. How are parents of young girls supposed to explain why they cannot take them to go see their favorite actress in her new movie?
"A little awkward" is how Selena Gomez describes her transition from Disney girl to Disney girl gone wild in the new R-rated independent film Spring Breakers…” (Pearson) Selena even says that her young followers probably should not go see this movie. I feel this is a way for Selena to try new things and possibly become something she normally is not. These teens will continue to push the limits so you never know who will be the next one who is arrested or posting nude pictures on the Internet.
Gleiberman, Owen. “Spring Breakers and the art of image rehab” 22 Feb. 2013 Published 01 Mar. 2013
Pearson, Ryan. “Selena Gomez in an “awkward” transition in R-rated “Spring Breakers”” Associated Press. 15 Mar. 2013
The transition from childhood star to grown up sex symbol can never be an easy one. Even though all childhood stars don’t want to be referred to as possible sex symbols, why do they always seem to go down that path? Maybe if they don’t take a giant leap, their move to adulthood won’t be recognized at all. According to Owen Gleiberman, “actors using movies as vehicles for drastic image makeovers” is a long Hollywood tradition (Gleiberman 2013). Many of Hollywood’s royalty do use films to jump from childhood to adulthood, even if they’re singers. While Gleiberman argues that movie can jump careers for a lot of different reasons, not just transitions from childhood to adulthood, the most prominent one to me is Lindsay Lohan. While her movie roles may not have ever been racy, the minute her career skyrocketing, so did her raciness. When she first started out on the scene in Parent Trap, she was young and wholesome and as her career picked up, so did her boldness. Her body was more exposed and her actions were outrageous. Lohan is still trying to pick up the pieces of her movie career and her life.
ReplyDeleteAnother childhood star that has revved up the racy? Miley Cyrus. While again she might not have a specific movie role like Hudgens or Gomez, but the minute she started making movies (The Last Song) she decided it was time to grow up and make some changes. She released a provocative song and music video titled “Can’t be Tamed” and also released pictures in Vogue that were topless when she was only 15 years old. What was worse was that her father was on set and gave the photos the ok.
These transitions make fans torn. Are new fans going to be attracted to these young stars that have an older crowd? Are they going to lose their original younger audience? Is it worth the risk? Well according to Gomez it is. In an article by Ryan Pearson, she explains that her fans were at the movie premiere to only see her not the movie because they weren’t age appropriate for the film (Pearson 2013). She obviously knows her younger audience can’t be a part of her new career move but she’s hoping to keep her young fans and attract some new older ones in the process. What’s helping her get even more fans is the buzz that the movie is creating because of this leap of faith Hudgens and Gomez are taking. Us talking about it, articles being written about just shows how much press these young girls can attract much like Cyrus’ Vogue photos. Is there really such a thing as bad press? Who knows. It seems to be working for all these young girls in all the right places.
Work Cited
Pearson, Ryan. “Selena Gomez in an “awkward” transition in R-rated “Spring Breakers”” Associated Press. 15 Mar. 2013
Gleiberman, Owen. “Spring Breakers and the art of image rehab” 22 Feb. 2013 Published 01 Mar. 2013
Anthony Boch
ReplyDeleteJustin Bieber, Ms. Hudgens, and Ms. Gomez face a much harsher transition from teen star to adult star. When Spears and Timberlake began their transition there wasn’t the up rise of social media. Now with Facebook, Twitter, and the emergence of cell phones that can capture just about anything, it is just about impossible for these teen stars to transition, cleanly and smoothly. Mr. Bieber’s outburst on the paparazzi in London a few weeks ago, would not have been able to be captured if smart phones did not exist. These are the types of challenges that these teens face; every single move that is made in public can be recorded and seen within seconds. Not only do these stars have to worry about the paparazzi but the general public serves as a viable threat to their public image as well. Fifteen years ago, a possible public outburst by Justin Timberlake, did not have the opportunity to be seen world wide, because of the lack of technology.
I don’t think that these “tween stars” are pushing the limits; they are transitioning just as any other teen would transition into being an adult. These stars are going to get angry, experiment with drugs, sex, and alcohol because it’s what transitioning teenagers are expected to do in society. As they grow older so will their fan base, as a result they are going to engage in activities that are relevant to their age. So when Justin Bieber is seen smoking pot at seventeen or eighteen years old, so are millions of other seventeen and eighteen year olds. The limelight changes their situation though, the temptations are more frequent and accessible, and the consequences are far greater regarding how the young fans and public will view them. Once these stars do transition though, they are then seen as sex symbols and not these little children, which is completely normal. As soon as Miley Cyrus decided to leave Hannah Montana behind she embarked on a new phase of her life that resulted in her exploiting her body to Hollywood’s need for sex appeal. Does this make her a bad person or bad influence? I don’t think so because look at how teen stars before her have done it, Brittany Spears, Christiania Aguilera, Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes. Granted these four women at some point haven’t been the best role models of society, but that’s the way life is these days.
Selena Gomez is aware of the fact that she is growing up and needs to experience new things, some of those things are not suitable for certain age groups, “Some of Gomez's young fans were gathered outside the ArcLight Theatre hoping to catch a glimpse of the star. But she warned them not to go inside” (Pearson). This is an example of a star being responsible for her actions and looking out for her younger fans. Gomez understands that she is heading into a different market and she wants her younger audience, to remember her as the star of Wizards of Waverly Place. At the same time the role that Ms. Gomez has taken in her recent movie is more of a giant leap from her Disney Star role, to her role in Spring Breakers, “ What's the key to a role that successfully transforms you? The trick is to call attention to what you're doing, yet to transcend the gimmickry and make the new image feel organic”(Gleiberman). She’s not following the appropriate transition in my opinion with her new role. Teen stars face a battle transitioning from teenage to adult, and it’s just going to get worse, sooner or later privacy will be a thing of the past completely.
Works Cited
Pearson, Ryan. “Selena Gomez in an “awkward” transition in R-rated “Spring Breakers”” Associated Press. 15 Mar. 2013
Gleiberman, Owen. “Spring Breakers and the art of image rehab” 22 Feb. 2013 Published 01 Mar. 2013
Growing up through the ages of ten and nineteen years old, mistakes are commonly made by the young individual and then the solution is dealt with by the parents or guardians of that adolescent. In the cases of famous pre-teens and teenagers, the events following any mistakes made are closely followed by millions of people; all acting as the worst parent super-force. I specifically mentioned this age range because a lot of self-discovery and life lessons occur during this time. Your innocent, childish qualities lose their cuteness and young ones start to act up as they learn about their individuality. Celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens, Emma Watson, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus experience situations in their young lives that portray them in a negative light and the repercussions come from a mass society rather than just one or two close guardians. When an adult actor or musician commits to a risky change in their work it is applauded and seen as a creative move. For example, an actress like Julia Roberts would probably win an Oscar if she put on a performance like Selena Gomez’s in, “Spring Breakers.” The examples of fellow actors who tried to change their original personas through their art in Owen Gleiberman’s article, “’Spring Breakers’ and the art of image rehab,” were all older in age when they chose a drastic role. It is more difficult when there is a level of expectation involved for teen artists. Gleiberman ponders how this makeover can descend.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the key to a role that successfully transforms you? The trick is to call attention to what you're doing, yet to transcend the gimmickry and make the new image feel organic. The change has to register not as glorified career management (even if that's what it is) but as a true surprise, a shock of recognition that we feel in our solar plexus. (Gleiberman)
I think through appropriate press and openness about the maturity, stars like Gomez and Hudgens can gradually boost their careers to the next level.
Common actions like being a grumpy teenager and having an attitude towards people are causing annoyance occur daily for teenagers across the nation; when Justin Bieber portrays himself negatively for a few days, critics declare that he has serious life-altering issues. On one hand I do not think this is fair, while on the other hand I believe that there are many benefits to Beiber’s lifestyle and a big lesson that needs to be learned is that he, more than anyone, needs to consider his actions. These young stars should constantly think of their audience as their boss. Some stars like Miley Cyrus may take the route of saying they do not owe anyone but their family and self an explanation to their bad behavior. Miss Cyrus…when a video is leaked of you babbling on and on while high…you owe an explanation. My generation is advised to watch what is put on the internet because negative attention can affect our professional reputation or chance at a job; Miley Cyrus is no different. Personally, I think Selena Gomez is making an adequate transition into her career as an older version of herself. She chose a film that challenges her creatively and made the decision to specifically advise fans not to see her film.
Ryan Pearson discusses the awkward jump Gomez is currently experiencing in her career.
ReplyDeleteSome of Gomez's young fans were gathered outside the ArcLight Theatre hoping to catch a glimpse of the star. But she warned them not to go inside."I think they're really here to see me. I don't think they're here to see the movie," she said. "This was a little bit different. So yes, they shouldn't go see this." (Pearson)
The key is to communicate with your fans and provide them with work that will continue to satisfy what is appropriate for them to see or watch. The situation is not ideal, and I would not have enjoyed having moments of my youth scrutinized by the nation, but I do think it is part of the job and for my job I am advised not to create a mockery of myself.
Work Cited
Gleiberman, Owen. “Spring Breakers and the art of image rehab” 22 Feb. 2013 Published 01 Mar. 2013
Pearson, Ryan. “Selena Gomez in an “awkward” transition in R-rated “Spring Breakers”” Associated Press. 15 Mar. 2013
ReplyDeleteSelena Gomez and Vaness Hudgens are two Disney stars that are done with their Disney reputations. The two may be from two different Disney generations, but they stars in the new movie “Spring Breakers.” Vanessa Hudgens spent a short time on Disney by starring in “High School Musical” movies for a few years. She attempted to become a pop star after her “High School Musical” days, but it did not stick so much. Also following “High School Musical” movies were numerous leaked nude photos of the young starlet. There were rumors that her publicist leaked the photos and she just wanted to keep exposure even though she has not starred in anything big. Hudgens did not turn out to be a big star, such as her cast mate and ex-boyfriend, Zach Efron. But now with her new role she is ready to show everyone how grown up she really is with sex, drugs, and violence in the new movie.
Selena Gomez has a more popular fan base than Hudgens. She has had successful acting and singing career. Yet is growing up and so has her roles in the big screens. Selena Gomez has been the innocent, goody-too-shoe Disney Star. She has always tried to keep her private away from the publics. I believe she has been taking her transition into adulthood maturely. Her image is squeaky-clean yet not so much the character in her most recent role. Pearson says, “ ‘A little awkward’ is how Selena Gomez describes her transition from Disney girl to Disney girl gone wild in the new R-rated independent film "Spring Breakers," in which she plays a bikini-clad and heavily armed college student bent on a good time with three friends and some drugs, sex and violence.” I agree with Pearson that her role in the movie was awkward but I do not believe her transition is awkward. I have been watching interviews with her and it seem as if she wants to take on roles that are more out of her comfort zone. I have also seen the movie “Spring Breaks” and her character, I guess, describes her. She is trying to go out of her comfort zone but is nervous. She did not have sex or do drugs in the movie unlike the other characters, such as Hudgens. She got scared in the movie and ran back home, leaving her friends. Sorry if you did not see the movie. But she got nervous in the movie and ran back to safety. In Pearson’s article Selena Gomez says that it was awkward, but that’s her nervousness about the transition. She may also be nervous about how her fans may ne take the change. Her usual fans are tweens and teenagers, but now she is ready to move onto a more mature fan base. She is growing up. Gleiberman said, “The trick is to call attention to what you're doing, yet to transcend the gimmickry and make the new image feel organic.” That was the plan, probably, but she has had a lot on her plate the past couple of months. She had a great relationship with Justin Bieber for 2 years and at the same time she has been transition to a more bad girl movie image. Unfortunately, the relationship went wrong somewhere and they broke. I believe that has made the transition “awkward” because the plan did not go accordingly and media coverage of her.
Work Cited
Gleiberman, Owen. “Spring Breakers and the art of image rehab” 22 Feb. 2013
Published 01 Mar. 2013
Pearson, Ryan. “Selena Gomez in an “awkward” transition in R-rated “Spring Breakers”” Associated Press. 15 Mar. 2013