Yep, I’m here to rant. Because I’m disgusted with one of America’s bad habits. And disgusted people rant.
I think one can argue that we idolize the wrong people for the wrong reasons…and yes, I’m going to pick on the Kardashians. I’m going to make them the objects of my tirade because I don’t have to tell you who they are. And that is the EXACT point I am trying to make. But let me back up a minute…
I believe one can argue that less than a century ago, America was a forerunner in science and maths…we were in the top two for the great Space Race (the other contender being Russia). Rich Europeans would travel to America to “ooh” and “aah” over inventions and wonders like the Ferris Wheel, the telephone, and x-rays.
Unfortunately, in my lifetime, I have been witness of the shift from idolizing astronaut heroes and heroines to putting celebrities on pedestals…very high, golden, untouchable pedestals. WHY??
Historian and social theorist Daniel J. Boorstin wrote The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America in 1961. In this book, he is quoted as writing, “a person who is known for his well-knownness”…in other words, someone is “famous for being famous”.
I will admit…before reality TV was really a thing, Anna Nicole Smith‘s show was a must-see every week. I was entranced by this silly, beautiful, anti-Mensa figure. When she died, I was sad…like I had lost a distant friend. Elton John had said, “I really liked her. I thought she was a good girl. I feel incredibly sad for her. She became kind of a freak show on her own reality show (but) I was really upset when she died.” This encompassed my thoughts and feelings exactly. I never gave much thought to “bonding” to reality TV personalities until lately.
Lately, I am sick of hearing about the Kardashians. Every magazine, tweet, or social media newsfeed does not seem to be complete without a Kardashian morsel. I can’t bring myself to watch their TV show…I feel my IQ dropping at the thought of it. My IQ is not that high, so I do not have any to spare. And even if I wasn’t worrying about my intelligence why should I watch it? Or most other reality TV shows? What do they contribute to society and what do I get out of it? Why should I idolize them or allow my children to idolize them?
I could go on and on about this nearly forever…that’s what rants are, right? The bottom line is that we need to stop looking to outwardly beautiful people to emulate and idolize… and we need to get a little more socially-conscious about the world around us. Learn about real-world issues…and I don’t mean which curling iron Kim K. used…I’m talking about someone who has dedicated his or her life to the study of something useful to the rest of the world.
And just so you know, this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald “for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos have mass”. If you don’t know what this means, put down that magazine with Kim K. on the cover and look up “neutrino oscillations”.
Writer Bio
CJ Heath gets pretty passionate about things sometimes. No, she doesn’t know what “neutrino oscillations” are–yet. But she knows that she wants her Nerd Herd to find their way in the world based on their social and scientific contributions…not by how pretty or social media savvy they are.
