Being retired and being at home a lot during covid times, I’ve been watching a great deal more TV news than in the past. One of the things that I’ve appreciated is the shift away from so much focus on celebrity and the shift to the accomplishments of ordinary individuals, those I call “extraordinary ordinaries.”
The cult of celebrity in news, late night TV programming and social media leads us to believe that our models of behavior, success and enjoyment are through them. We don’t really question the nature of their accomplishments or why we are attracted to their lives and antics.
With covid affecting our lives, we now hear the heroic stories of first responders, medical professionals, service and charity workers. We could be them. Maybe we should be them. Effort, compassion, hard work and courage begin to bump celebrity as the stuff of news.
We look in the mirror of the accomplishments of “ordinary” folks, not in the mirror of celebrity.
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