American Idols - The New Religion of Celebrity Worship

It says in the Bible, in the book of Exodus, "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath...thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them.."
These were the words of God to Moses (apparently) on Mount Sinai but they may be useful to us today.

It could apply to the adoration that society pours over undeserving Celebrities day in and day out. It could apply to the attention our so-called journalists give to pop icons and boring actors whenever they do anything in public or in private for that matter!
These 'graven images' God talks about could refer to modern day glossy magazines, the internet and the television, that bombard us daily with images of painted, pruned, coiffed, so-called beautiful 'stars', and constantly inform us on what's cool, who's in, who's out, who's in rehab, who's adopting third world babies.

This is not an article about Christianity or any other Abrahamic religion but a reflection on our values as a society. It's an empty road ahead if we continue on this celebrity worship journey. Where are the real heroes of today? There are so many out there working quietly, changing the world around them in small or huge ways. Why do we never hear about them? If I had kids I would want them to have at least one person, who is truly talented and extraordinary, to emulate, someone other than an actor, singer or sports personality.

Some people spend so much of their precious time reading or watching stuff about their favorite 'stars' and know the ins and out of their lives. Do they know what the 4th Amendment of the Constitution is? Do they know aspects of that amendment have been eradicated by the USA Patriot Act? Isn't preserving our civil liberties a little more important than what Paris Hilton had for dinner and how much money she spent on her dog last Saturday? I guess it's just not as sexy and people would just tune out.
The question is this: does society deserve better and higher standards of entertainment and journalism? Or are we getting what we want, deserve and enjoy?

The public can be so unforgiving to single mothers or minorities with drug problems or who've broken the law, yet when a celeb is in trouble or in rehab there appears to be an outpouring of sympathy because they've been so stressed and exhausted poor little dears! If it's anyone else - one of us lesser mortals, a 'non-celeb', the new great unwashed of society - it's 'lock 'em up and throw away the keys'.

I was reading a great article on Associated Content about the coverage devoted to Anna-Nicole Smith's death, where the writer very accurately compared it to necrophilia! It was hard to tune into any news station or talk show around that time without hearing about this person, who actually did, well nothing important in her life right? There are six year olds who have achieved more. I wonder if God is watching us down here and ripping out his hair at this awful idol worship of the newly dead.

Last year there was a big deal concerning Tom Cruise's baby being born - like no-one has ever gone through that before eh? And there are countless stories about weight gain and weight loss and poor little rich girls starving themselves and not so much about the fact that a lot of the world's population is starving for real.

So why are we so fascinated by the lives of the rich and famous? Is it because most people live below or on the poverty line and need to be distracted? Is it some kind of carrot on a stick to lure people into thinking 'this could be you' if you buy this, or do that. Is it because we are so incredibly bored with our own dull lives that it puts a little sparkle into the day? Maybe it's all, some or none of these things. All I can say is that it needs to stop.

I wish everyone would realize that they are being duped. Most people who are obsessed with these celebs: their sex lives, clothes, thinness or weight gain, are living their life in some fantasy world - one that they themselves will never inhabit.

Doesn't the thought ever occur to them that wait a minute these people are not really that great and do they deserve such admiration and riches? What do they actually do that's so important? Act? Model clothes that no-one can afford? Sing stupid, mindless songs? Appear on reality TV? I think the world would still spin without them - don't you?

Yet half the population talks about American Idol, Big Brother or some other rubbish as if it's really important. Others know more about the lives of the 'Desperate Housewife' characters than they do about their own families! Please people stop giving them power and start realizing that you're just as important, if not more so, than these vacuous, spoiled over-indulged brats of society. How much money do they make compared to you? How long would it take you to earn what they are paid in one day? Or for one film or for one shoot? A year? Two? A lifetime? Two lifetimes? Their outfits on any given day probably cost more than any of us normal folk make in six months or more. Think about it and stop admiring them - they don't deserve it!
So take God's advice then, and try not to "bow down thyself to them" it might piss him off, because he goes on to say "For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God."