The Culture of Exploitation

To be honest, the first time I heard someone mention The death of Heath Ledger, my reaction was "Why do we care?"

And that's the one I'm still asking, really. I've only seen one of his movies, but I ceratinly respect him as an actor and as a decent man. Of course I'm sorry about his death, and I commiserate with his family. It must be extremely hard for them. But does anyone think that his mourning family really wants his death plastered all over CNN and other news sites? Do they want a bunch of high-schoolers gossiping about it? Do they want all of that attention? It must be difficult-- Every time you log onto the internet or turn on the news, you have to steel yourself for another reminder of loss.

Why do people care about celebrities? Britney Spears, for instance...Though that may have a logical explanation. Have you ever seen how people slow down to watch a car wreck? The truth seems to be that human beings have an innate need to pedestalize other people. Americans, especially, seem to have a bizarre interest in hearing about the escapades and suffering of others whom they see as important. Or even just the suffering of anybody. It's like a testimony to how vacuous and shallow American society has become; the need to praise and pay attention to the beautiful, sucessful people and chastise the ones who aren't. A culture of self-exultation and arrogance, along with the exploitation of others.

Maybe it's a need to elevate ourselves that makes us do it. A need to think that other people who we think of as even MORE important than US (God forbid) have lives that suck more than ours. It really is almost apotheosis. In some lights, I guess it could be considered just that. The deification of celebrities, even posthumously.

I'm probably being too cynical, but so be it.