Ola! Hope
you guys are still having a read of my blogs, and perhaps this one caught your
attention. Throughout history, there have been disagreements, conflicts and a need
for mediation. As history goes on, it has simply been thrust into greater
prominence. Singers, actors and public figures are constantly thrust into the
limelight and scrutinised.
Whether you
are talking about legendary feuds, such as that between Betty Davis and Joan
Crawford, or feuds in more modern pop culture, such as the conflicts between
Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, there seems to be much need for mediation in
Hollywood.
The question
I pose to you is this; are celebrities and their disagreements really as epic
as the media makes them out to be? Are they heavily exaggerated, and modern
media simply does it for the money? Or perhaps it is a mix between the two,
with both parties at fault (see conflict
escalation)?
Below I
will write about a few celebrities I believe have caused a lot of conflict,
either between each other, the media or even everyday viewers and consumers
(see levels
of conflict). I will give you a brief overview of the ‘issue’ and some
insight on both possible successful conflict
resolution techniques for their situations, as well as bringing back to
the question raised above. I ask you to read this with an open mind.
Betty Davis + Joan Crawford
For all you
classic Hollywood lovers, this particular feud is notorious. In fact, Ryan
Murphy has recently released a season of his new anthology series ‘Feud’, which
focuses on this particular feud. This feud was between two actresses, and
apparently lasted both of their lifetimes.
Although it
is an extremely long story, it started when Betty Davis was only beginning to
come into prominence. One of her new movies was near to release, but was
overshadowed by Joan Crawford’s recent divorce.
As time went on, this intensified, especially as Betty Davis began to become
more successful than Crawford. This feud came to a head in the movie ‘Whatever
Happened To Baby Jane’, where they hurt each other in a show of destructive
conflict, perhaps on purpose and argued
constantly.
I believe
mediation could have definitely been a successful technique in this situation.
Judging on what we know via the media, it seems as if this feud came from jealousy
of one another and their talent. However, the truth was that they were both
quite talented. I believe a discussion about their issues face-to-face; perhaps
with a third
party involved would have been a good start. In terms of the issues on set,
I believe compromise
could have been the best option. Offering an increase in pay for a better
attitude as an incentive, or a decrease for hindering the process would have
done the trick, or at the least influenced the parties in their decision to try
to resolve the conflict.
Do I think
this feud was exaggerated and blown out of proportion? I believe so. I don’t
believe they got along, but most articles that I have researched regarding this
feud are filled with ‘they could’ or ‘it is assumed’. A lot of the feud was
also based on third hand accounts, which could have been exaggerated or taken
out of context. It could have also been a more fun rivalry between the two, or
genuine conflict
escalation.
Britney Spears and Conflict
Although
Britney Spears could cover many different types of conflict (she could be the
topic of an article within itself!), I am going to focus on her conflicts with
the media itself, and the media industry she works in.
Although
she was a member of the Mickey Mouse club, she truly came into prominence in
1998, with her first hit single “…Baby One More Time”. Throughout her
career, she has been known for her up-tempo numbers, and her dancing skills.
However, she has always been heavily scrutinized by the media, whether
regarding her relationships, sometimes provocative manner and singing ability.
This conflict
with the media came to a head in 2007, when she has a mental breakdown,
resulting in her losing custody of her children, shaving her head and being
caught fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run. As a result, the media came down
even harder on her, to the point where she attacked them physically, most
notably with an umbrella (video below).
Britney’s Conflict with the Paparazzi
Britney
Spears had a rocky relationship with the paparazzi, and when it reaches a head
in which physical conflict seems like the only answer, there is most defiantly
a problem. Although many celebrities may not admit it, the paparazzi are vital
to them in order to keep them relevant and interesting, considering the amount
of famous singers, actors and public figures nowadays. At the same time,
paparazzi need celebrities for their pay check, as well as to keep themselves
relevant, edgy and interesting within their industry. An almost co-dependent
relationship (see also unhealthy relationships).
Although it
is never right for a conflict to
become physical in any circumstance, we can empathize with Britney’s
feelings (not actions) in the situation. I could tell you about conflict
resolution and mediation techniques in this situation that are certainly
relevant if this situation were on a smaller scale. An apology
on both sides and discussions with a neutral third party
regarding how they could have a comfortable working relationship would be very
useful in this situation. And perhaps if, in your workplace or life, there is a
similar problem on a smaller scale, this would be a great option. However, for
THIS situation, it is not realistic. There is no one person that represents all
the media in the world, so conflict resoution becomes more practicable.
And so we
return to my starting question, whether this rocky
relationship is as serious as it is made out to be, or if it is
exaggerated. In this situation, I believe it was serious. Britney Spears was
going through a mental breakdown at the time, and she felt that physical
conflict would be a successful technique to create space between the paparazzi
and her. This is not a smart or responsible technique, but she was on the edge
and perhaps not in the right frame of mind. Besides, there was photo
evidence!!!
Tom Cruise; when Conflict Resolution can’t work.
I know. The
majority of people hear this name and smack their heads against the wall. This
particular conflict is based around a variety of conflicts, both within the
media and the public.
The story
is simple. In a nutshell, Tom Cruise identifies as a Scientologist. I
personally do not judge people based on their religions, I believe you can be
whoever you want to be. However, his religion caused backlash in the public
eye, as well as within the press. At the same time, this brought Scientology
into the limelight, causing an increase in conversions.
To be
honest, religion is close to people and may seem part of people’s identities. When
mediating a situation involving religion, you might always be walking on
eggshells, hense, the need to understand people’s human needs an ensure that
the mediation environment is respectful. Cruise’s situation is another case whereby
mediation techniques aren’t realistic. For example, perhaps the conflict could
have been averted if people observed privacy around religious issues; however
that defeats the purpose of paparazzi. I guess the advice to give for a
workplace conflict involving religion is simply setting down rules with both
parties that your personal life shouldn’t affect professionalism within the
workplace. At the same time, encouraging respect and understanding between
everyone in the process so that they are valued for their diversity.
Was this
issue over-exaggerated, resulting in an overreaction from the public? I
personally believe the answer is no. The reason for this opinion is because Tom
Cruise was merely a catalyst that thrust Scientology into the limelight, a
controversial religion to say the least! He was criticized mainly because of
his high profile status, and the negative effects his association could have in
terms of sign-ups.
Judy Garland and Intra-personal Conflict
The story
of Judy Garland is a sad one, and the conflict I am focusing on in this section
is the conflict within her, and how that was perceived within the media.
I don’t
know why the stories about old Hollywood stars seem to be lengthier, but Judy
Garland is another lady with a long history, so I will briefly skim the
details. Miss Garland has a tough childhood, and from a young age she was
thrust into the limelight. She was very successful, however over time she began
to deteriorate, resulting in issues such as not turning up to set. Eventually,
stress and depression led to her early death.
In terms of
conflict resolution, multiple attempts were made to help her. She saw a therapist
often, sometimes twice a day, and she had taken multiple trips to
rehabilitation centres to attempt to wean her off her vices. I believe
compromises were made, however she could not comply. The only option that did
not take place was a leave of absence from acting or a more permanent stay in a
rehabilitation centre, which I believe was most likely the family’s next move. Conflict
resolution is only possible when parties are healthy in a wholeistic sense.
Taking leave is common to return to health, which may in turn, help in
resolving issues internally and with others.
I believe
that the media was putting her in the wrong light. They were portraying her as
a diva, rather than a celebrity with some serious problems. This led to
misconceptions by the public of her being spoilt. This was not so much an
exaggeration as an assumption without reliable sources or backup for their
claims. In the end, it seems that her deeper needs were not being recognized by
the media, whether their recognition would help, that is another story.
Miley Cyrus and Conflict Resolution
I thought
to end on a bit on a more positive note; I would finish on Miley Cyrus, a young
lady who is always the victim of controversy, with the main source of conflict
being with the public. I will discuss her behaviour and some tips to address
inappropriate actions, but in a workplace context.
As the
daughter of a famous singer (Billy-Ray Cyrus), Miley was exposed to the public
from a young age. As a teen, she was recruited for Disney Channel’s ‘Hannah
Montana’. Through this role, she became a role model for many. Once she was
released from her contract, she changed her look and attitude significantly.
Whether she was smoking weed, swinging naked on a wrecking ball or twerking on
Robin Thicke, she was stirring
strong emotions (like AND dislike) throughout pop culture (watch video
below).
Although I
personally believe she was not at all in the wrong, I will go through some
possible mediation techniques you could use within your workplace to address
this behaviour, as it would be inappropriate in that setting. As an employer,
you would have to be firm. Set
down ground rules (or boundaries) as soon as you set up your business (or
once you read this), so if this happens, you can refer back to these rules.
Compromise in this situation would give those in a lesser position power over
you, and although every member of a team relies on each other, the chain of
command should always be maintained. This discussion
should be calm, and I believe it would be appropriate to have a third,
neutral party. Also see our blogs on how
to fix conflict (or a relationship).
I believe this
situation was blown out of proportion by both the media and consumers. Parents for
example, complained about their children being tainted by her actions, and that
her concerts were inappropriate. However, this information is readily available
through magazines and the internet, so if they were worried about it being
inappropriate, perhaps they should not have brought their children tickets in
the first place. Miley Cyrus was trying out a new look and personality, as most
teens her age do, and yet she was held to a different standard than others.
Thank you
for reading. If you have any comments, opinions or advice, I would love to hear
from you in the comments below!
