If President Obama is worried about selling his health care plan to the American people, he should ask Kanye West to explain it. The public outcry over Kanye West's interruption of the MTV Video Music Awards has all eyes on the popular musician. The force of celebrity worship in America has been staggering for some time, and the American public's reaction to Kanye's antics is indicative of a serious problem in American culture. It can be fun to follow the life and times of our favorite actors, musicians, and sports stars, but when it pulls our focus away from issues that affect our lives in a very serious way, it is time to reassess the role of celebrities in America.
It's understandable that people get wrapped up in the lives of celebrities. They tend to lead lives that appear more interesting than most. If it was a common occurrence to jet around the country and appear on national television or the silver screen, then people might care less about what celebrities are up to. Additionally, celebrity gossip is much easier to digest than factual information about politics, the economy, and social problems. After a long day of work, one is not always in the mood to catch up on all the problems plaguing the world. It is much easier to flip to MTV or another entertainment channel rather than tuning in to the News Hour with Jim Lehrer. This is a common occurrence and not inherently detrimental to the individual or society in general.
But with a bizarre influx in the number of celebrity deaths within the past year, the problems of celebrity worship have become more apparent. The most striking example is that of the death of Michael Jackson. In the weeks leading up to his death, most news organizations were concentrating on the civil unrest in Iran, a country that is a major focal point of American foreign policy. Iranian elections were widely disputed as being fixed by government officials in order to keep hard line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power. The contested elections led to demonstrations in the streets, unparalleled since the 1979 Islamic Revolution put the current regime in power. But as soon as Michael Jackson passed away one summer afternoon, the focus of the American people and news organizations was upon the King of Pop. As soon as he died, one would think that the world had stopped turning. And the people of Iran and their struggle for freedom was wiped from the collective American mind.
The MTV Video Music Awards this past Sunday was the conversation piece among most people last Monday morning. Many acted appalled that Kanye West decided to interrupt Taylor Swift's acceptance speech in order to express his view that Beyonce had a great music video. In reality, this is what people have come to expect of celebrities. It is boring when celebrities act with civility and decency. We want sex scandals, drug use, fast cars, and cheap thrills. Maturity and responsibility are boring. People that tuned in to the MTV Video Music Awards were watching in the hopes of seeing something entertaining and exciting, and they got just that. They are kidding themselves if they were expecting high-brow entertainment with popular musicians engaging in a pleasant evening of self-congratulation.
The concern is not whether or not what Kanye did was objectionable. The concern is that anyone cares for more than the five minutes after the awards show came to a close. America is at war in two countries, recovering from a major economic crisis, and considering instituting a system of universal health care. But instead the media is focusing on Kanye's manners. This too shall pass, and another celebrity will do something to attract the attention of the media, and Kanye will be off the hook. But once again, our focus will be taken off that which is actually important to our daily lives, that is, the operation of our government, our economy, and America's position relative to the rest of the world.
I have no objection to people participating in or enjoying low-brow entertainment. Some days that is all one can do, myself included, to keep from going crazy with stress and worry. But when Americans try to pass moral judgments on their entertainers for doing that which entertains us, it is imperative that we look at who we are as a culture. If we are truly disgusted by what we see on the television, we need to turn it off. Otherwise, let's sink back into our chairs and enjoy the show.
Michael Khavari's column usually appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at m.khavari@cavalierdaily.com.
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