The Celebrity-Obsessed Culture of America
July 10th 2009 07:38
There have been an unusual amount of celebrity passings lately that have made some aspect of our society very apparent to me. This is something that is not covert or unknown, and it is something that I have certainly realized before. The reaction to the deaths of Michael Jackson and Steve McNair, however, have been very off putting to me.
Have you ever seen any spectacle like that of Jacko's memorial service? I was shocked by the response that occurred after the news of his death hit the wire. So much support, so much nostalgic reminiscence by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. I could expound upon this point further, but the point I'm trying to make is that a sizable portion of our country, and world, have gone very far in glorifying the King of Pop--his life, his music, his quirks--and haven't really held much back.
My problem is with the ignorance that is inherent in his glorification. It seems like people are so easy to forget that this guy is wrought with personal demons, identity issues, and endured allegations of sexual abuse against young boys. THIS is our hero? THIS is someone to whom we give honor, praise, and respect? People will ignore anything that is contrary to the personas they want to glorify. Americans are in so deep with celebrity obsession that our core values have been perverted and corrupted, even abandoned to conform to the demands of fame and celebrity.
I feel the same about the Steve McNair situation. His memory is being honored by several memorial services, which is appropriate and acceptable in itself. Again, fans and supporters are well within their rights to grieve and mourn a fallen star, but the extent in this case is extravagant to me. The media coverage and news breaks have been constant since his passing on July 4. An inordinate amount of attention is being afforded to a celebrity who was, by all accounts, an adulterer who may have carried multiple affairs beyond the known one. His judgment of character was clearly flawed, as evidenced by the discoveries about his now-deceased girlfriend.
Yet this is someone who people are calling a great MAN and FATHER, not just a great football player. In my book, a man who leaves his wife and four young sons is not worthy of any such praise. Is this lip service? Is this the superficial, ingenuine courtesy that is paid to everyone in this situation? I'm floored by the values that 21st century Americans are exhibiting.
These are our heroes? These are the people we look up to? These are the figures we deem acceptable for our children to emulate? There are things evident in these two people--not to mention the countless other screwed up public icons--that I won't want my kids to even know about. We have to be a little more aware of our thoughts and actions, as well as the repercussions that follow.
Nobody is perfect. I don't expect any such thing. Everybody, even these immaculate superstars and celebrities, have skeletons in the closet. I don't want to soil the memory of certain people, but I feel the need to ruffle some feathers about the things we value as Americans. Maybe everything's changed and I'm just old-fashioned and outdated, but there's been a distinct shift in the values of our society, and I don't think its for the better.
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