Breaking News

Sarah Haskins makes a good point here. These shows about Hollywood make everything sound like a scandal, just to get a story. They have the ability to make the smallest coincidence into the biggest controversy. I have doubts that either Brad and Angelina or Jennifer were even slightly ruffled by seeing each other. Celebrity news is horrible for making a huge issue out of things that just don't matter. They use exaggerations and embellishments to make stories about celebrity's lives seem juicier and more  exciting so that people will want to read about them. Despite the fact that this "news" stretches the truth horribly and sometimes blatantly lies, people continue to watch and believe it, and the people they show are gossiped about constantly. Somehow, these exaggerations are finding their way into our lives. We start to worship these celebrities for no reason other than the fact that their lives seem glamorous and dramatic. These shows that we watch daily are twisting our values, making us concentrate on the drama and excitement, rather than focusing on making ourselves and the people around us happier. People care more about getting the latest dish from Hollywood than what their kids did at school or how their siblings are doing. Whatever happened to when we only saw actors in movies or TV shows? Where did all this gossip and drama come from? Why are we so concerned about who saw who at the Oscars, or who married who overnight in Vegas?  We need to stop being so concerned about these "big issues" that come up in these ridiculous shows and start concentrating on the things that really matter in life. 

Heroes

Look at these pictures. On the top is Michael Phelps, fourteen time Olympic gold medalist and American hero, standing proudly on the Olympic podium with his hand over his heart, honoring his country's national anthem and representing his nation to the world. The bottom is the same Michael Phelps, using a marijuana bong in his apartment. This last picture has sparked a lot of talk about whether or not Mr. Phelps is  still a national hero. Police from the area Michael lived at the time are threatening to arrest him, and people around the country are putting him down as a lowlife, and a degenerate. These two pictures depict seem to depict two very different people, but they are in fact one in the same. Americans seem to think that in order to be a national hero, you must in fact be perfect in every way. If you have ever made a mistake in your life, you are not worthy to call The United States your home. However the truth is, none of us can ever be truly as God-like as we need to be to be recognized as a "good person". No matter how long ago or how far away it was,  if you are a recognized hero, your past will catch up to you. No matter how desperately people need a hero, they are just as desperate to find flaws, and tear him down. If you are anything less than perfect, you will be shot down, and made an example of. But if we are so harsh on people for their mistakes, it only encourages them to be secretive and sneaky. Why try to be great when you know that people are going to try as hard as they can to demonize you? What is there to stop people from just giving up and falling into mediocrity? We need to stop turning the pedestal into a chopping block. If we keep tearing down these heroes, soon we will have no one left who is willing to step up and be great.