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Post by Mark on Jul 6, 2007 14:59:12 GMT
Hi everyone Many of us here at HWI and infact many people who come across Hayley in their lives, often refer to her as unique, at least compared to most celebrities. We all are more than aware of her upbringing, the support she had and still has from her family and her very grounded way of dealing with her status and her life in general. We all know also, that Hayley has been the driving force in her own career from a very young age and her family have been there to do what they can to help her - certainly not a case of pushy parenting. So what is the point of this thread I hear you ask ?? Well, firstly, I don't know many other celebrities, as I dont read national newspapers or popular magazines and watch very little TV  But I'm wondering if anyone can think of another well known person, perhaps of the same sort of age to Hayley, who is like Hayley in terms of upbringing, being grounded and not being tempted to lead the typical celebrity lifestyle. I'll start off - Although I dont watch much TV, the only sport I have any interest in is Tennis and in particular, Wimbledon. During one of the many breaks for rain over the past week, the BBC ran a short documentary on Maria Sharapova. Her background seems to have a lot in common with Hayley as in she knew what she wanted to be from age 7, it was her own drive and will to succeed that got her where she is today, again, not pushy parenting ! Like Hayleys parents, her father in this case had to spend 2 years living away from home with Maria in the US. Her interviews revealed her to be a very level headed girl, not at all big headed I thought, very aware of her background and yes, I felt "grounded". Of course, some may think differently. Over to you ....  Mark PS I should point out that it is certainly not my intention to compare anyone to Hayley directly - that would be impossible anyway |
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Post by milewalker on Jul 6, 2007 15:15:37 GMT
I am not sure exactly what is being asked here......
There are certainly many sets of parents who support their children, who have a strong family connection, and likewise many goal oriented children who remain relatively serious about their education or the acquisition of whatever life skills they are passionate about. I am not sure that there is very much unique about Hayley in this regard. For example, what about a set of parents who make sacrifices to allow their children to go to college, and those children who go on to have successful lives? Isnt that pretty much the same thing, except as a matter of degree?
What is unique about Hayley (and also Sharapova, and possibly Tiger Woods) has, in my opinion more to do with the early manifestation of a talent - which in turn meant that a set of prelininary decisions were made earlier than they might have been in a more normal case. I would actually question the degree to which they actually made the set of initial decisions actually, even though it may be stated that way now. One of the jobs of being a parent is to develop the talents in our children, and provide whatever support they need. Standards vary as to what constitutes appropriate support, but I suspect that most parents are a bit pushy about this, simply because it might be construed to be their job.
As far as being "grounded" is concerned, I never know exactly what that means either - because I suspect I would consider some attributes to be "grounded" that others would not and vice versa. I think that the kinds of decisions one makes, and the behavior sets which flow from that are context dependant.
Jon
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Post by stevemacdonald on Jul 6, 2007 15:24:58 GMT
... I'm wondering if anyone can think of another well known person, perhaps of the same sort of age to Hayley, who is like Hayley in terms of upbringing, being grounded and not being tempted to lead the typical celebrity lifestyle. ... Joss Stone comes to mind. She's identical in age to Hayley, is famously down-to-earth and doesn't covet the celeb spotlight even though the press frequently come a callin'. Lloyd Webber protege Andrea Ross is similarly well-grounded. Then there's the elegant and refined violinist Nicola Benneditti. |
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Post by postscript on Jul 6, 2007 15:52:55 GMT
... I'm wondering if anyone can think of another well known person, perhaps of the same sort of age to Hayley, who is like Hayley in terms of upbringing, being grounded and not being tempted to lead the typical celebrity lifestyle. ... Joss Stone comes to mind. She's identical in age to Hayley, is famously down-to-earth and doesn't covet the celeb spotlight even though the press frequently come a callin'. Lloyd Webber protege Andrea Ross is similarly well-grounded. Then there's the elegant and refined violinist Nicola Benneditti. That is a very encouraging reponse Steve. Of your list I have only met Nicola and can, on the grounds of one meeting, confirm you assertions. Anyone else with direct experience of the others? Peter S. |
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Post by postscript on Jul 6, 2007 15:58:35 GMT
I am not sure exactly what is being asked here...... There are certainly many sets of parents who support their children, who have a strong family connection, and likewise many goal oriented children who remain relatively serious about their education or the acquisition of whatever life skills they are passionate about. I am not sure that there is very much unique about Hayley in this regard. For example, what about a set of parents who make sacrifices to allow their children to go to college, and those children who go on to have successful lives? Isnt that pretty much the same thing, except as a matter of degree? What is unique about Hayley (and also Sharapova, and possibly Tiger Woods) has, in my opinion more to do with the early manifestation of a talent - which in turn meant that a set of prelininary decisions were made earlier than they might have been in a more normal case. I would actually question the degree to which they actually made the set of initial decisions actually, even though it may be stated that way now. One of the jobs of being a parent is to develop the talents in our children, and provide whatever support they need. Standards vary as to what constitutes appropriate support, but I suspect that most parents are a bit pushy about this, simply because it might be construed to be their job. ... Jon Having met Gerald only once but Jill on many occasions I am confident that 'pushy' does not apply at all in Hayley's parents' case. My description would be 'supportive to the extent the child welcomed and wanted that support.' When the child sets the pace there is no question of pushiness. Peter S. |
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Post by milewalker on Jul 6, 2007 17:14:46 GMT
Assuming I understand what is being asked here, I would suggest Alexis Bledel, or Mandy Moore are pretty good candidates. Emma Watson comes to mind as well. How about Amanda Bynes?
Jon
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Post by milewalker on Jul 6, 2007 17:32:44 GMT
Peter, Am I correct in assuming on the basis of your response that you have never raised a chlld? The problem is that by logical extention, a child should be not be pushed to do his homework if he doesnt "welcome and want" that support. What I was saying was that in the real world, I never met a kid who didnt need a kick in the backside from time to time (not literally of course), talent or no talent, and I include myself in that. Simply getting schoolwork done can be a challenging in the best of cases. I dont, in any case think that a seven year old has the framework to make certain early decisions regarding a talent. I would be willing to bet that there were days when Tiger Woods was practicing golf when he would have rather been riding his bike or something - that was what I meant by being "pushy". Jon |
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Post by Stephany on Jul 6, 2007 17:45:51 GMT
This is a very interested topic. Thanks Mark! I'm very impressed by actress Natalie Portman. She's very well-grounded and returned to University (Harvard) although she has been a 'celebrity' since a very early age. She also recently went to several African countries to launch a microfinancing campaign with FINCA (Foundation for International Community Assistance). I'm personally really interested by microfinance so it came as a surprise to see a 'star' promoting this banking movement. Natalie is not bigheaded at all and I know she will do her best to help others who are in need. |
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Post by postscript on Jul 6, 2007 21:43:02 GMT
Hi Jon.
You are correct in assuming I am a bachelor but of what relevance that status to the debate? Like everyone else in society I am subjected to interaction with the product of those who do have children and achieved or failed in that process--as well as contributing to these same children's state education through my taxes! I am, therefore, proactively involved by social default.
I think the nub of our problem is what Churchill described as 'two nations divided by a common language'. In UK English in the manner to which I perceived the question as pitched, 'pushy' means to direct a child into a non-core subject which is not necessarily the child's prime interest; in which the child has some ability but not naturally that quality of ability that makes for something exceptional. It can arise from a parent wanting to be the parent of such an achiever or is pushing through the child their own unachieved aspirations.
In the need to get schoolwork done, I would describe this (in core subjects) as nothing more than simple parental discipline.
If the child is not meeting expected norms, clearly incentives need to be instigated as also in the case of an exceptional child coasting too easily, even if meeting the 'norm' for expected targets.
Peter S.
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Dave
Administrator
HWI Admin
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Post by Dave on Jul 7, 2007 2:39:01 GMT
... I'm wondering if anyone can think of another well known person, perhaps of the same sort of age to Hayley, who is like Hayley in terms of upbringing, being grounded and not being tempted to lead the typical celebrity lifestyle. ... Joss Stone comes to mind. She's identical in age to Hayley, is famously down-to-earth and doesn't covet the celeb spotlight even though the press frequently come a callin'. No Steve, I'm afraid not. Not Joss. There's a long article about her here and it pretty well sums up the situation in the first three paragraphs. She made an absolute fool of herself at the BRIT awards this year, she had one of the worst radio interviews on BBC Radio 1 (Chris Moyles) that's ever been heard and her press was as bad as you can imagine at the time her latest album was released in the UK. It flopped; not all publicity is good publicity. I fervently hope that Hayley never follows in the footsteps of Joss and I do not think she will. Joss seems to do well commercially in the US though, I acknowledge that. But in her homeland (UK), she is in exactly the opposite situation to Hayley in her homeland (NZ) - and it makes me feel sad. Joss seems to have gone off the rails.  Cheers, Dave |
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Post by milewalker on Jul 11, 2007 16:27:16 GMT
Hi Guys The difference in opinion between Steve and Dave about whether Joss is "grounded" or "off the rails" is exactly the sort of thing which confused me about the question. The way the initial inquiry was raised, there are definitive value judgements involved, and the problem is that everyone has different values - and there is a tendancy to think that only our own values are the correct ones. I am not a fan of Ms Stone, nor do I actively dislike her. To me she seems quite good at singing a genre of music I do not particularly care for, and I have therefore filed her accordingly  The bottom line however, is that there is little in the article quoted by Dave which would upset anyone in America who is likely to buy her albums. It is quite possible that Ms Stone's demeanor, type of music, stage persona, etc simply happen to fit the American music scene better than they do in the UK at present, thereby creating her multi-platinum status here and her "flop" there. If you value commercial gain, it is hard to be critical of her. Comparing her with a set of more traditional values might produce a different conclusiion Personally, I wouldnt say she was either "grounded" or "off the rails" at the present time. I dont consider myself qualified to pass that kind of judgement on someone - nor do I consider the decisions I have made in my own life to be even relevant to someone else. Jon |
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Post by thomas on Jul 16, 2007 20:47:51 GMT
I agree with Mark that nobody can be compared with Hayley. She's too unique.  I've seen a few celebrities in person but almost never had the chance to talk to anybody of them. One exception is the Brazilian race car driver Christiano da Matta. I can't suggest anybody I haven't at least talked to so I suggest him. He used to be very successful in the US ChampCar series but unfortuneately not in Formula One. As far as I know he doesn't drive a race car this year because he still recovers from a bad accident he had last year. Like Hayley he's very patient with his fans and takes time for autographes and photos. I met him at the Eurospeedway in Germany when the ChampCar series came over in 2001 and he even had time for a little chat although it was practising day where everybody is in a hurry. A very grounded person. Thomas |
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Post by grant on Jul 16, 2007 22:27:05 GMT
Hi Thomas Loved the spider (Ooops!! sorry - off topic!  ) I have heard of Christiano de Matta - one of the few sports I follow are the various motor sports and it's good to hear that there are other personalities in different spheres prepared to spend time with their fans. I agree with what you say about Hayley though Thomas, she is unique. There may be others who have similar traits, but for me, and I suspect for most of us on this forum, no one can compare to the Hayley we know and love. She is truly inspirational. Best wishes Grant |
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Post by Oksana on Jul 18, 2007 2:07:48 GMT
Hi Mark, and everyone! I can think of two people who remind me of Hayley -- the first is Sophie, who seems very sweet, grounded, and responsible from what I know of her; and the second is an American Idol contestant called Melinda Doolittle. Although Melinda is older than Hayley (she's 29), I think they're very similar. Melinda is most famous for her humility.. if you look at her myspace, she's actually put up a YouTube video of an unsigned artist in order to promote him. She is very appreciative of her fans too... here's a blog excerpt:
"You all have to be the most amazing people on the entire planet! I have never experienced so many wonderful people all at the same time. Every time I log onto the internet, I see something special [my fans] have done, said, planned...you name it. I could not ask for better representation. You all represent God well, which represents me well. I just pray that I continue to represent you all well. Thank you for staying above board on all the crazy topics that go on out there in blogs and posts and stuff like that. I feel so honored to have such an amazing backbone out there supporting me. I just want you guys to know that none of it goes unnoticed...and although I can't repsond to each of you like I want to right now, know that I pray for you daily and I am sooooo grateful."She's the only singer other than Hayley who loves her fans so much... from what I've seen, anyway! And did I mention that she's currently in Zambia with Laura Bush, providing bed nets to helps stop malaria? A real kind heart.. just like Hayley! And a great voice too... www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNAxnwYDrAMWhat do you think? Oksy |
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Post by Gene on Jul 18, 2007 6:43:30 GMT
Hi Mark, and everyone! I can think of two people who remind me of Hayley -- the first is Sophie, who seems very sweet, grounded, and responsible from what I know of her; and the second is an American Idol contestant called Melinda Doolittle. Although Melinda is older than Hayley (she's 29), I think they're very similar. Melinda is most famous for her humility.. if you look at her myspace, she's actually put up a YouTube video of an unsigned artist in order to promote him. She is very appreciative of her fans too... " She's the only singer other than Hayley who loves her fans so much... from what I've seen, anyway! And did I mention that she's currently in Zambia with Laura Bush, providing bed nets to helps stop malaria? A real kind heart.. just like Hayley! And a great voice too... What do you think? Oksy Hello Oksy, This season was the first time that I watched American Idol from start to finish. There was no doubt whatsoever that Melinda was the most talented singer on the show. She was the only consistent, quality performer week after week. And what a voice. I would put her alongside anyone. I picked her to win from the beginning. Unfortunately, she didn't win the competition, probably because the viewers thought that she was a "shoe-in" and therefore didn't see a need to vote. Big mistake by the viewers. Yes, she does indeed seem to have a warm and caring personality. I feel however that as nice as she is, some of that humility that we saw on the show may have been partially staged. Simon advised her on one occasion to cut out the surprised looks after receiving accolades, because it was not genuine and was beginning to get stale with the viewers. True. But no doubt, she has character and she has a good head on her shoulders. Melinda understands what it is to go through years of trying to make it big. This is perhaps one of the reasons why she is so appreciative of her fans. She also understands that so many places in the world need help and she acts on it. And her faith in God is a key part of her makeup. Melinda gets a big "thumbs up" from me.... |
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But I'm wondering if anyone can think of another well known person, perhaps of the same sort of age to Hayley, who is like Hayley in terms of upbringing, being grounded and not being tempted to lead the typical celebrity lifestyle.
) I have heard of Christiano de Matta - one of the few sports I follow are the various motor sports and it's good to hear that there are other personalities in different spheres prepared to spend time with their fans.
