Do Some Celebs Need a New Attitude?

June 25, 2008— -- It is abundantly clear that attitude is everything. Katy Perry chants amidst a brothel of bodacious boudoir babes in this summer's rebellious anthem: "I kissed a girl and I liked it!" Her defiant attitude says it all -- not shy, not remorseful ... I liked it! Perry also exclaims, "This was never the way I planned out my intention."

In life, we are constantly dealt an unpredictable hand, and how we choose to play this game of life is completely up to us. Whether we win, lose, or draw is simply a matter of attitude. Do we roll with the punches or do we fight fate? Do we bow and bend like the willow or do we crack and break like a dry piece of kindling?

I've always found it to be an amazing study in human nature when several people, who are thrust into the same predicament, react in totally different ways. Some panic, becoming more of a hindrance to themselves than a help. And others manage to rise to the occasion, like superheroes sent to save the day. When I see people's unique reactions, I become more and more convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to us, and 90 percent how we react to it.

This fact is made all the more clear in the attitudes of celebs in this era of media saturation. Take the recently exaggerated antics of the tabloid temptress Ms. Britney Spears. Now that Britney has had a slight behavioral and attitude adjustment, the tabloids have laid off a little, her scandal factor is diminishing, and it almost seems possible that she will hang on to the threads of her tattered career.

Simultaneously, the public is lashing out at the 17-year-old son of reality and WWF star Hulk Hogan. Nick is serving time for a DUI that paralyzed a longtime family friend. When a recorded jailhouse conversation between Nick and Hulk -- about a reality show that is waiting for Nick after he gets out -- was leaked to the press, the public's attitude towards the family plummeted. Father and son's cavalier, unapologetic, self-serving, inconsiderate attitudes have turned the public against them.

Recently, Katherine Heigl's seemingly self-righteous attitude has caused some controversy after she removed herself from Emmy consideration, due to what she feels was a lack of substantial character development during this season of "Grey's Anatomy." It was definitely not a grateful or gracious move, and extremely pompous as attitudes go.

How much love will the studio, "Grey's" writing staff and the viewing public bestow on her now?

In contrast, the economic downfall of my friends Ed and Pam McMahon, who are in jeopardy of losing their home, has been embraced by the public, primarily due to their sincere and down-to-earth attitude.

On CNN, the couple made it incredibly clear they are not blaming their problems on anyone but themselves. Pam, a particularly spiritual person, has even said she is relying on prayer to get them through. The McMahons' decidedly humble attitude has subsequently generated a deep outpouring of love and help from fans around the world.

Nine times out of 10, in conversation as well as in conflict, we react to reaction. As we mature and evolve, we learn we cannot change the past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in certain (or, actually, uncertain) ways, and we cannot change the inevitable or the unknown. We can only change what we can control, and most of the time, we can only control ourselves.

Some of the best advice I have been given was during a shoot for an upcoming VH-1 reality show. When I was about to have a mini-diva fit, my girl, actress Vivica A. Fox, turned to me and shared some wisdom and advice she had previously received from actress Victoria Rowell.

She said, "Baby, you can't wear your heart on your sleeve. Stay happy, keep smiling, and don't let them see you sweat."

It may seem cliché and trite, but even the seven dwarfs knew life is what you make of it, how you feel about what you do, rather than what you do, itself. How else could you be happy enough to sing, "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go," without knowing that success is all in your attitude?

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