Celebrities honor heroes at the Oscars. Lookism rears its head again.

Following up on the Self-Absorption of Oscar Celebrities

One explanation of why today’s celebs seem so self-obsessed (the conclusion in my prior blog) may be that society has empowered them  thru celebrity-worship and a double-standard re consequences for their selfie-ness (pun intended) and frequent misbehavior. We know that power corrupts. When fans, judges, and the media give second, third, and umpteen chances to celebs who act selfishly, abuse drugs, or commit crimes, we’re further empowering Hollywood celebs. So, how did we get to this point?

 Insights into Heroes and Celebrities

People  magazine’s former editor, Landon Y. Jones watched America become increasingly infatuated with the cult of celebrity during his 40 years with the magazine, according to WND’s  Drew Zahn. Jones writes in the Washington Post, “There was a time when we didn’t have to choose, when our celebrities and our heroes tended to be one and the same.” Jones continues. “People became famous for great deeds. Think George Washington, Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong. But celebrity and heroism went their separate ways some time ago. It’s easier to obtain celebrity status, harder to be a hero. And when celebrity worship goes up against hero worship, the celebrities usually win.”

Jones cites a  study of the use of the words “hero” and “celebrity” in 5.2 million books published from 1960 to 2006 which found a sharp decline in the use of the former starting in 1970 and a relentless increase in the latter since.

Jones explains his own first-hand experience of this during this period: “As editor of People, I struggled to balance the magazine’s dual mission: telling the stories of extraordinary people and the stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things,” Jones writes. “Covers showcasing bona fide heroes – say, the first responders to the 1989 San Francisco earthquake or young mothers in the military who were mobilized during the Persian Gulf War – languished on newsstands. We had to rely on celebrity covers to make our circulation goals.”

Lookism rears its ugly Head

So, we have met the enemy, and he is us.  We everyday people have fallen for looks, glitz, glamor, and oft-empty achievement. This has blinded us to the real heroes in life such as first-responders,  very young kids who call 911 saving a life, and volunteers who devote untold hours helping the disadvantaged in various ways.

Unfortunately, it looks like the next generation will follow in our “shallow” footsteps. As Charles Blow noted in a recent NYT column entitled “The Self(ie) Generation,”we are learning disturbing things about what some call “The Me, Me, Me generation” (not to be confused with the “Me Decade”).

 

 

My latest book, PRIVILEGED KILLERS, is a true story about a half-dozen Dark Triad people in my everyday life - narcissists, manipulators, and psychopaths. Three of 'em murdered people, and one came after my wife and me. Print and e-book versions of this (and CLEFT HEART) available at Amazon and elsewhere online. Also at your local bookstore.