Icons
The death of Elizabeth Edwards, wife of the former Presidential candidate and suspected abuser of the public trust, John Edwards, has spurred a flood of media attention to terminal illness. This anniversary of the handgun assassination of John Lennon thirty years ago has spurred media attention to his fame and violent demise.
The media-bathed culture in America encourages life-by-icon. While there is value in educating consumers of media about the realities of dying with cancer or handgun violence, the constant use of icons to get this information across encourages a certain distancing of common people from the reality all around them. Token grief and token outrage are not real involvement in real community.
During the AIDS epidemic in the U.S., celebrities generally hid their diagnosis from the public. Rock Hudson and Magic Johnson were the most notable icons of AIDS. While their appearance in media helped to show the general population that AIDS could happen to anyone, the impact on actual AIDS patients was not at all positive. This is part of the schizoid effect of media. Many people reacting to Rock Hudson's death with great sorrow would run away from a neighbor with AIDS, living in desperate poverty and isolation.
Icons tend to reinforce the perception that their tragedies are remote. They also tend to create the illusion for the common people that somehow every person's tragedy will somehow be special and greatly supported by an imaginary caring society or fan base. Icons distract people from looking next door at their own neighbor who is dragging herself to chemotherapy every day without any help. The convenient assumption is that the neighbor must have a fan club to do that. This is most often untrue.
John Lennon's death by gun is somehow elevated to the level of cultural martyrdom. Meanwhile, young people of color are being gunned down in every part of the U.S. daily with minimal public outcry from those who set up altars to the likes of Lennon. John Lennon's death has done nothing for gun control in America. It has fueled an industry of Lennon memorabilia.
Life-by-icon is a pathetic shadow of real life, engaged with real people in real community. Turning away from icons to life around you is a great step to getting involved in community. Being engaged in the human joys and sufferings in your own environment makes you a part of that environment. Alienation is an obstacle to full health and well being. Being fully human entails living well in community. Living life through famous people is a path to self-delusion and alienation.
The media-bathed culture in America encourages life-by-icon. While there is value in educating consumers of media about the realities of dying with cancer or handgun violence, the constant use of icons to get this information across encourages a certain distancing of common people from the reality all around them. Token grief and token outrage are not real involvement in real community. During the AIDS epidemic in the U.S., celebrities generally hid their diagnosis from the public. Rock Hudson and Magic Johnson were the most notable icons of AIDS. While their appearance in media helped to show the general population that AIDS could happen to anyone, the impact on actual AIDS patients was not at all positive. This is part of the schizoid effect of media. Many people reacting to Rock Hudson's death with great sorrow would run away from a neighbor with AIDS, living in desperate poverty and isolation.
Icons tend to reinforce the perception that their tragedies are remote. They also tend to create the illusion for the common people that somehow every person's tragedy will somehow be special and greatly supported by an imaginary caring society or fan base. Icons distract people from looking next door at their own neighbor who is dragging herself to chemotherapy every day without any help. The convenient assumption is that the neighbor must have a fan club to do that. This is most often untrue.
John Lennon's death by gun is somehow elevated to the level of cultural martyrdom. Meanwhile, young people of color are being gunned down in every part of the U.S. daily with minimal public outcry from those who set up altars to the likes of Lennon. John Lennon's death has done nothing for gun control in America. It has fueled an industry of Lennon memorabilia.
Life-by-icon is a pathetic shadow of real life, engaged with real people in real community. Turning away from icons to life around you is a great step to getting involved in community. Being engaged in the human joys and sufferings in your own environment makes you a part of that environment. Alienation is an obstacle to full health and well being. Being fully human entails living well in community. Living life through famous people is a path to self-delusion and alienation.
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