I wrote this for a radio station this morning. It is long yes, but I'd like to hear my bois weigh in.
In the era of me-promoting, where YOU was named Time’s Person of the Year, Anna Nicole Smith’s death is undoubtedly the apex headline in the world of the undeserving famous. It was unsurprising, and yet disturbing, to find Anna Nicole’s picture atop media outlets throughout the country. My question is, `Why are we so compelled to discuss a figure who sacrificed her soul for our attention’? Why is this person, ridiculed for her shallow existence, worthy of our discussion? I find the answer to be fame, which although we may not admit, has established itself as maybe the number 1 ambition in our culture.
Look at our television programs: American Idol, Beauty and the Geek and the Surreal Life. It seems that we, as a people, are willing to subject ourselves to humiliation and ridicule simply to be known, not for talent, but for our disregard for self. These hollow characteristics were Anna Nicole Smith. Her life was an immoral sacrifice to attain money, recognition and fame. And yet, because of her despicable behavior, she was glorified, thus completing her lifelong objective of fame. My parting question is: Do we not have the presence of mind to ignore such soul-sacrifice? Or, is there a part of us that, deep down, maybe wish that we too could have what Anna Nicole did have: Fame.
Look at our television programs: American Idol, Beauty and the Geek and the Surreal Life. It seems that we, as a people, are willing to subject ourselves to humiliation and ridicule simply to be known, not for talent, but for our disregard for self. These hollow characteristics were Anna Nicole Smith. Her life was an immoral sacrifice to attain money, recognition and fame. And yet, because of her despicable behavior, she was glorified, thus completing her lifelong objective of fame. My parting question is: Do we not have the presence of mind to ignore such soul-sacrifice? Or, is there a part of us that, deep down, maybe wish that we too could have what Anna Nicole did have: Fame.
11 comments:
Thoughtful, clever, and most importantly touching. I will print it out and read it aloud at the dinner table tonight.
Adam, you are a very dexterous thinker. - and writer.
and douche bag.
WE WERE FASCINATED WITH HER CUZZ OF HER TIG OLE BITTIES.
U.S. CULTURAL AMBITIONS
1.FAME
2.MOOUSE COCK
3.FAME VIA MOOUSE COCK
4.SPAGHETTIOS
-CAPTIAN SERIOUS
jolly good read...even though i never realized anna nicole was dead. i thought it was just her kid.
I agree with you to a point. But I am not in the business of damning us all b/c of the tiny minority of people who sell their souls for fame. We are obviously intrigued by the Paris Hilton's of the world. Because their lives are so fantastically empty and their ambition to be famous is baffling to the common man. American Idol and others offer this fleeting fame to Julie from Spokane or Frank from Buffalo, and though we see thousands of people attempt to achieve fame, that is not the norm. The norm are people like us who frown on this behavior and ask, why is Anna Nicole Smith on the cover of every paper? I would disagree that she has ever been glorified. She has been mocked, ridiculed, and made the ambassador of idiocy. Reading an article about Anna Nicole is the equivalent of eating a bag of Doritos. There is no nourishment, just guilty and immediate satisfaction
And that's it. I don't think it's because we secretly want to be them. People need an escape from the dregs of their daily lives. Something to poke fun at, something to say, "Well, my life ain't perfect, but at least I'm not 'Michael Jackson'."
I like Doritos and US Weekly.
did necrophilia cross anyone's mind?
I think her buffoonery was `glorified' when she was granted her own show.
Lastly, when did the IC become grouped in with the norm? I think you need to glorify our superiority over ``the norms''.
I don't see how having your own show glorifies you. Was Jessica Simpson glorified on Newlyweds? Are people on the real world glorified? Like Anna the entire show revolved around them being idiots. The shows gave them popularity, public attention, and even fame, but I don't see how in any way they were glorified.
We are special. I was wrong about that.
Really looking for a worm in this apple, huh? They seem to be similar apples, but, sigh, here we go again...
Here is the definition for `Glorify':
To cause to be or treat as being more splendid, excellent, etc., than would normally be considered.
We all thought Anna was an idiot. Then we watched her show and thought `Wow, she is dumber than I ever imagined'.
Here's my point: Though her character status devalued, her fame increased. So her FAME was, in fact, `glorified'. It `was treated more splendid than normal'.
So SHE was not `glorified' by everyone, but the condition of her FAME was `glorified'. But wasn't SHE a derivative of FAME?
I'd rather eat a green mushroom than play anymore 1-up Luigi.
Fair enough, brother. -Mario
Fight......FIGHT!
Normally I like Williams, but it appears that Faust has been eating through the city of London by the looks of his drunken night photo
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