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Apr. 5, 2007 In 13 days I will arrive at my 65th birthday and although the alternative to reaching this milestone sucks...I am not in a celebratory mood. For the first time in my life I feel old. I have chosen to write about pop culture and other current phenomenon in my articles rather than tackling serious subjects like politics, the environment and other pressing issues that face all of us in this new century. This does not mean that I am unaware of the state of the world and all of the serious issues surrounding me. It simply means that I have discovered another issue that not many are focusing on or seeing as a threat to our future. I used to be very involved in politics and worked for several different Presidential candidates and I used to march in support of serious causes that I had a strong belief in. I was quite active in the not so distant past but that time has come and gone. Now I use the keyboard rather than a bullhorn. There are some wonderful, talented and educated writers who submit articles to this site who do the hard work for me. There are many differing points of view and certainly more than enough controversy to keep everyone up to speed. As I age and lose my position in the demographic that most creators of movies, television shows, news broadcasts and other media try to appease, I am left with trying to understand exactly why certain subjects and individuals are kept in the public spotlight. So, I write about pop culture and in doing so, try to educate myself on what it all means. Anna Nicole Smith, Angelina Jolie, Reality Television, Britney Spears and so many others have become fixtures in the daily news coverage in many venues and I am trying to figure out exactly why these people warrant so much print or face time. They don't enrich my life and they don't solve the many pressing problems that we all face yet they are icons. I have come to the conclusion that in order to focus on what is really ailing all of us it is necessary to understand why our attention is diverted to celebrities and their actions. It is important to understand why we are so fascinated by what these people do rather than on a war or an environmental crisis or a Presidential election or what Congress is doing. I feel that this is especially crucial when it comes to the very young and how this will shape the future of our country and our world. How can they be prepared to assume their role as future leaders if they are preoccupied with who is in rehab and who has been partying too hard at some club? How can they act as role models for the generations that come after them and those of us who are going to be dependent on them for our ability to live if they are more interested in who wore what to some party rather than on the future of social security and Medicare? Even some colleges organizations are focused on how one looks rather than on what one can contribute via education. Will they outgrow this or is it the way of the future...a future where a messed up celebrity gets more attention than a war? I follow them in my mind as I read about and watch pop culture media coverage and I try to put myself in their shoes so that I can understand them. I write about it with tongue in cheek or obvious scorn in the hopes that someone will see what is going on and do something to change it. Thus far, I am discouraged and the phenomenon is growing stronger and the diversions more appealing. The media is pandering to the lowest of the low when it comes to what is watchable and who is newsworthy. I have known for a long time that most of the people who control the entertainment industry have attempted to appeal to those with the attention span and education of an 8th grader but lately that level seems to have dropped even lower. Even though I have a pretty long and varied education I find myself being sucked into the abyss of this mindless pablum that is being thrust upon all of us and as I stated in my article about Reality Television....it has become addicting. I have chosen not to tackle what many consider serious issues while writing for the UK, but, the underlying tone is very serious as I see it and I hope that I am doing something to contribute to the solution of a problem that I see as a major threat to our future and the future of our world...apathy toward reality via diversion into false reality. So ...yes, I am serious and I hope that what I am attempting to do comes through and shines a light on an issue that I find extremely dangerous. ------------ About the author: Meri has a Medical/Legal background and is a former forensic researcher specializing in psychological profiling. https://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=27335 Email: writers2@cox.net Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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