Written Analysis III

Written Analysis III: Heroes and Celebrities of Violence

                Generally speaking, when someone thinks of the word Hero or Celebrity, rarely would they also think of violence in the same thought.  In today’s society, we essentially idolize famous people, giving rise to the term “cult of celebrity.”  However, how often do we really consider the violence committed by celebrities, or, gasp, our heroes that we have come to look up to?  Let’s take a moment to explore the connections between Heroes, Celebrities, and Violence.

                To illustrate how violence and heroes are intermeshed, let me ask you to finish this sentence: “From now on, you will no longer be known as David Webb.  You will now be known as… (Finney, 2007)” - Can you finish the sentence? If you haven’t lived under a rock for the last 7 years, you probably can.  The answer is “Jason Bourne.”  Jason Bourne is a hero for all who are anti-corruption, standing up for what is right.  He is undoubtedly a hero.  But something we have probably never considered in the means by which he accomplishes his goal.  Jason Bourne resorts to violence.  In a “fight fire with fire” display, Jason Bourne shoots, stabs, kicks, and otherwise kills his foes in a crash of brilliant sounds and effects.  We, as a society, certainly overlook this violence, and justify it for a cost to achieve the greater good, but it is certainly violence nonetheless.  I’m not saying it’s wrong, but certainly heroes can be violent as well.  From Han Solo to the Power Rangers, from Jason Bourne to our very own armed forces, heroes are often violent to save the day.

                Celebrities are also not immune to violence, either on the sending or receiving end.  I’d say the President of the United States is certainly a celebrity, and yet, four of them have been assassinated while in office, and another 6 had assassination attempts on them (Kelly).  Because of society’s obsession with violence, it is a go-to solution for anyone wanting their way.  All it takes is one person who feels the “rewards” outweigh the consequences to attempt an act of violence on a celebrity.  This could be to gain fame or for political reasons, as it often is with Presidential assassination attempts, or another reason entirely.  However, Celebrities can also be the ones perpetrating crime, as is the case with Ray Rice, Aaron Hernandez, and others who are celebrities (in the sense of being famous) because of their violence, like Timothy McVeigh or Osama Bin Laden.  Celebrities can be famous for many reasons indeed, but that certainly doesn’t exempt them from being perfect, or being non-violent. 

Any person with no exception can be a victim of violence or a perpetrator of violence.  Being a hero or  a celebrity does not exempt you from many of the issues we face as society as a whole, and violence is certainly one of those things.  While we often do not attribute violence to heroes and it is often an oversight to celebrities, we must stop and consider the facts laid before us: That heroes are often as violent as the villains, however it is the context they use their violence that makes them good or bad.  Secondly, we must realize that celebrities while often popular and favorable in the eyes of the masses, they can be violent just as easily as your neighbor, with the only difference being the celebrity is more likely to make the evening news.  We must keep in the back of our minds that, while this “cult of celebrity” is alive and strong, we cannot neglect the fact that celebrities may not be any better behaved or any less violent than the “average Joe.”  Ultimately, it is up to us as a society to hold heroes and celebrities up to the right moral and ethical standards when it comes to violence.

References:

Finney, A. (Performer) (2007). The bourne ultimatum[DVD].

Kelly, M. (n.d.). Number of presidents assasinated. Retrieved from http://americanhistory.about.com/od/uspresidents/f/faq_assassinat.htm