Newsweek ran an article this month called Celebrity — The Greatest Show on Earth devoting five pages to discuss America’s near hero worship and obsession with modern celebrity and how we hang on every personality tic of those who are only “known for their well-knowness.” With all that’s going on in the world with healthcare, money woes and whatnot … Newsweek gave up FIVE glossy, multi-colored pages to those living in glass multi-angle houses who hold their hands up to shield them from the media’s glare but not enough to block their pretty faces? Puh-leeze. My brain is already too full of information I never ever needed to know about people I am never going to know. Ever.
The Newsweek article tried (in vain, I think) to convince readers that there is depth and breadth to the fixation many have with celebrities, pointing out that it is an art form that helps society see (“if we have the tenacity to dissect it”) the things that matter in life and the things that don’t. Call me crazy but I don’t see a lot of deep, intellectual discussion going back and forth about Speidi, Octoweasel and pals, just reams of paper and pixels publishing fluffy comments on their lives, lusts and loose lips. [Seriously, it seems that there is one particular brand of celebusleeze that will never shut up.] Breaking down information might be easier to do if the media would stop printing their opinions, as Newsweek chose to do by stating that “Tiger Woods greatest crime seems to be his presumption of a right to privacy.” Honestly, that’s all you got? What about simple breech of contract? Surely we can all agree that tiniest of transgressions took place, right?
There are many opinions on whether we should focus lens and pens on the every movement of those in the public eye and, to be fair, maybe we should take the media to task for the intrusive way they collect their journalistic minutiae of every figure out there (seriously, TMZ should be renamed TMI). Even so, I believe that anyone who chooses to share their talents with the public – whether it’s the guy cleaning the bathroom stalls at my mall, the mayor or the kid gifted with the ability to hold all four professional major golf championships at the same time – has some responsibilities once they make a choice to walk in that world. For starters, high profile individuals could look to the scouts for an outline of some basic traits they should have before entering the world’s arena and try their darndest to:
Be Trustworthy — tell the truth. Be honest and keep your promises. People should be able to depend on you.
Be Loyal – true to family, friends, leaders, school and nation.
Be Helpful – care about other people, willingly volunteer without expecting payment or reward.
Be Friendly – meaning, be a friend to all, offering friendship to people of all races and nations, respecting them even if their beliefs and customs are different from your own.
Be Courteous – polite to everyone, regardless of age or position.
Be Kind – it is a simple truth, that there is strength in being gentle. Treat others as you want to be treated.
Be Obedient – follow the rules of family, community, country … and if you think they are unfair, try to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobey them.
Be Cheerful – look for the bright side of life and try to make others happy.
Be Thrifty – work to pay your own way and to help others. Use time and property carefully.
Be Brave – face danger and have the courage to stand for what your think is right.
Be Clean – keep your body and mind fit and clean and choose the company of those who live by high standards.
Be Reverent – faithful in your religious duties and respecting the beliefs of others.
After all, if you were going to invest in the price of a cheeseburger to share with someone, wouldn’t you want them to have at least half a dozen of those traits? Heck, even a poorly matched marriage might survive if each spouse made an effort to follow a handful of the above-mentioned qualities.
What a world it would be if those “known for their well-knowness” could step up their personal game even a smidge, so that the objects of our constant (short) attention might turn into those we look up to for all the right reasons, instead of the current ones. For now, when I see the headline or crawl announcing Gosselin, Lohan or Mistress #? — I promise to do my best to look away. I’m going to hold out for someone worth watching. Maybe even an honest-to-goodness hero, if we can ever figure out where they’ve gone.