Human beings yearn to live
their lives free of the constraints and petty concerns which
tend to dominate our mundane existence. Since it seems
nearly impossible to live heroic lives based on truth, beauty
and goodness we do the next best thing. We turn on the
television or go to the movies. We have become willing
consumers of the stuff which we wished our lives were really
about or the types of tragedies we are grateful we have
successfully avoided. Rarely, does a Hollywood blockbuster
simply mirror the reality of everyday life. Even so-called
"Reality Television" is totally detached from most people's
everyday reality. When we watch a television program or go
to the movies we are captivated by heroic protagonists who
appeal to the innate goodness and idealism within every human
being.
What we somehow fail to
realize is that the actors portraying those heroic characters
are highly paid actors motivated mostly by greed and a hunger
for fame and spotlight. So we follow their every move only
to later realize that not only are they completely human like
everyone else but that they embody a selfishness and
self-absorption which borders on the pathological. They
bask in their own self-importance which is re-affirmed by the
celebrity culture which has been trained to worship everything
that glitters. Celebrities move around as though they are
royalty displaying the highest and most noble virtues worthy of
admiration and awe-inspired loyalty. In fact, they are
just acting. When we examine the personal lives of actors
and musicians, we usually discover the poorest and worst role
models imaginable for our children.
For those celebrities who are
celebrated for their beauty, usually it is only skin deep.
The superficiality of their lives reveal their true character.
They are often motivated purely by their own selfish need for
attention, fame and fortune. When they offer a small
percentage of their fortune to charity which is almost never a
sacrifice for them, they are celebrated and honored for their
wondrous humanitarianism.
