What is this strange fascination with the lives and doings of the holier than thou among us? The trappings of royalty in the UK have been on a roll this month with the lavish and extravagant wedding of "William & Kate," (Charles & Diana II). And for that matter, British royalty seized the early beachead with "The King's Speech" earlier in the year as our own glitterati gathered to pat themselves on the back for the academy awards. And Americans are equally fascinated with the celebrity of those in high places. In fact, a quick look at the sad state of television broadcasting in the US will show us nothing more than a series of vapid, circus like shows all about the commoner trying to achieve some holier than thou status under the watchful eye of a panel of expert judges.
Each week Americans go dancing with the stars and ice skating with them as well. Then they try to become stars themselves on shows like the Voice, American Idol and others. We have shows purporting to discover America's next top model, next super chef, and next millionaire. It's all about becoming more than you are, achieving some status and approval by "your betters." Even Donald Trump is largely known, not for his business operations like Warren Buffet, but for his TV show where hopeful teams of young wannabes complete trivial tasks under his stern and sour faced judgement.
How sad to think that our media culture equates the great "land of opportunity" with nothing more than the opportunity to get rich or achieve status and recognition from those who already are rich. In the meantime, ask any typical American what is going on in the world outside the frame set of his favorite TV shows and you will more often than not get a blank stare. They know more about how many times Kristy Alley has fallen on the dance floor than how many governments have fallen in the Middle East in the last several months. Talk to someone about news stories of any real importance, stories that matter and those events that will shape the world in months and years to come, and you are quickly tuned out, or worse yet, told these things don't matter.
I suppose for a nation of people who have had so much, America remains a nation of people who seem largely dissatisfied with the state of their lives, and are constantly yearning for more--that one super lotto number hit, or that one big break on the dance floor of life in the arms of a bona fide "star." Deep down, we all want to be "holier than thou."
