Today's Heros are a Sad Reflection of Present-Day Values





Going over the discussion we had in class a few days ago about our personal connotations and definitions that come to mind when we think about a "hero," I can't help but feel like we excluded some very important concepts associated with this word. A hero is and has always been a great symbolic role model for where he/she (most notoriously a he) originated, someone we aspire and strive to be like. It's really a reflection of the qualities, morals, and abilities that the originating society finds most important and valuable. Considering the implications of what a culture's heroes and role models represent, I can't help but pity the direction our own culture has diverged throughout the few centuries it has existed. 



 



Mike "The Situation" sadly is one of the well-known faces of our nation



Who are our most notorious "heros", the people children aspire to be like and adults envy? No longer are they fictional characters that we exhibit in myths that are there only to provide guidance, morals, and some entertainment; our heroes have become real people within our society, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is when you consider what traits present-day Americans value. More children and adolescents recognize and respect "The Situation" from the reality television series "Jersey Shore" more than their nation's founders and culture. Our population is eager to forgive or excuse those whom they admire for committing morally corrupt acts, and even continue to admire them! (i.e. Tiger Woods, Donald Trump, Chris Brown)  Because our values as a nation in general have digressed so greatly over the past 50 years or so, who we view as heroes shift as well, and not for the better- valuing athletic abilities over intelligence or common sense, annual earnings over morals, etc. When a scholar studying mythologies of our nation comes across the most notoriously admired figures of our time, what do you want him to conclude? I for one am embarrassed already and hope that our citizens can re-evaluate their values sometime soon.