A Saint She Ain't
Posted by: Jared
Pardon the "punny" grammar but I think this latest Paris episode demonstrates a crisis point in American culture. I mean, the picture of her crying in the back of the police car (see the last post) is a classic . . . if she were a three-year-old. The atrocity of her claims of "innocence" and "resolution" to be a "model" to young people by "enduring" her "punishment"--is it really any wonder that many nations consider America the "corrupter" of the world?
Sainthood-Heroism-Celebrity
A Matrix of Meanings is an awesome book that posits itself as a "theology of pop culture". Now, before reading this book, I didn't think of pop culture as saying anything "theological" but the authors, Detweiler and Taylor make a convincing case. A key point of their argument is that "celebrity" is the "sainthood" of contemporary culture.
I agree that culture has moved from sainthood and heroism to celebrity. Sainthood focuses attention on the person's character and relationship to God (we still use the term in that way. . . "Oh, Sis. Smith truly is a saint!"); heroism, on the other hand, focuses not so much on character as on laudable, extraordinary, and/or superhuman actions. Heroism describes behavior in stressful times such as war or natural disasters.
Then there's celebrity. What makes someone a celebrity? Fame. What makes a person famous? Notoriety. What gives a person notoriety? Being notorious (note that the term "notorious" has decidedly negative connotations as in "the notorious criminal"). A "celebrity" is someone who is noticed-by that definition, even the mass murder who headlines tonight's news is a "celebrity"! So, by definition, a "celebrity" is someone who does outrageous deeds not out of an overwhelming concern for fellow humans or even to test the upper limits of their abilities but simply to be noticed. And if they aren't noticed for being good, then they'll try to be noticed for being bad.
I can't help but think that, even now, we are all playing into the well-laid plans of Paris Hilton's publicist. Even though we don't particularly appreciate Paris or the things she stands for, we are still noticing her. It's really pitiful that Paris Hilton was the motivation I need to re-enter the blogosphere. (Well, that, and the fact that my thesis is finally getting wrapped up . . . )
If anything, I would argue that "celebrity" is the crisis of American culture. We have no saints, no heroes, only celebrities. We have lost the desire to be honorable in our quest to be famous. I beg the 90&9 audience, please do and be something worth remembering, worth celebrating. It's the only way our culture will survive.
Pardon the "punny" grammar but I think this latest Paris episode demonstrates a crisis point in American culture. I mean, the picture of her crying in the back of the police car (see the last post) is a classic . . . if she were a three-year-old. The atrocity of her claims of "innocence" and "resolution" to be a "model" to young people by "enduring" her "punishment"--is it really any wonder that many nations consider America the "corrupter" of the world?
Sainthood-Heroism-Celebrity
A Matrix of Meanings is an awesome book that posits itself as a "theology of pop culture". Now, before reading this book, I didn't think of pop culture as saying anything "theological" but the authors, Detweiler and Taylor make a convincing case. A key point of their argument is that "celebrity" is the "sainthood" of contemporary culture.
I agree that culture has moved from sainthood and heroism to celebrity. Sainthood focuses attention on the person's character and relationship to God (we still use the term in that way. . . "Oh, Sis. Smith truly is a saint!"); heroism, on the other hand, focuses not so much on character as on laudable, extraordinary, and/or superhuman actions. Heroism describes behavior in stressful times such as war or natural disasters.
Then there's celebrity. What makes someone a celebrity? Fame. What makes a person famous? Notoriety. What gives a person notoriety? Being notorious (note that the term "notorious" has decidedly negative connotations as in "the notorious criminal"). A "celebrity" is someone who is noticed-by that definition, even the mass murder who headlines tonight's news is a "celebrity"! So, by definition, a "celebrity" is someone who does outrageous deeds not out of an overwhelming concern for fellow humans or even to test the upper limits of their abilities but simply to be noticed. And if they aren't noticed for being good, then they'll try to be noticed for being bad.
I can't help but think that, even now, we are all playing into the well-laid plans of Paris Hilton's publicist. Even though we don't particularly appreciate Paris or the things she stands for, we are still noticing her. It's really pitiful that Paris Hilton was the motivation I need to re-enter the blogosphere. (Well, that, and the fact that my thesis is finally getting wrapped up . . . )
If anything, I would argue that "celebrity" is the crisis of American culture. We have no saints, no heroes, only celebrities. We have lost the desire to be honorable in our quest to be famous. I beg the 90&9 audience, please do and be something worth remembering, worth celebrating. It's the only way our culture will survive.
