"We live in the United States of Entertainment.... The Commander in Chief is really the Celebrity in Chief." -Bernie Goldberg

INTRODUCTION

Nine-time Emmy Award winning writer, journalist, and political commentator Bernie Goldberg recently made the astute statement above, which just happens to fall in line with the theme of my previous editorial "Charisma Trumps Character" (FMI Report, January '09). Charisma is a primary value in a media driven culture, and that's the key!

OUR STORIES

Media has always played a major role in shaping cultures. Our culture is built on our history, mythology and heroes... in other words, the stories about our past, real and/or fanciful, concerning the exploits of those legendary figures we may honor. Whether those stories were preserved by a wandering story teller of ancient times, the parables of Jesus, or oral and written traditions, media has been the grout that has held together the bricks of our traditions.

A THIN VENEER

If we define media as the main method of disseminating stories to the people, then we have to see how the changing of our society's world view from Judeo/Christian to a largely secular viewpoint, over the last several decades, has altered all of our values. Values are the things we value! So, do we still value such things as loyalty, truthfulness, faithfulness, integrity, purity, etc.; or have our stories become as superficial as the thin veneer of history being taught in our schools these days, dating back not much further than the life of President Lincoln? Our thin-skinned historicity is very see-through compared with the historical depth of such nations as China and India, with 5,000 year old cultures.

DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION

Entertainment is defined as amusement, diversion and distraction. If so, from what...? Here in America, we are currently being shaken out of our rampant materialism. However, the irony is that expectations that the recession might drive us away from our superfluity and back to the basics of life has proved not to be the case. As it was in the Great Depression of the Thirties, people are looking for an escape from their encroaching problems, made worse by deteriorating financial conditions.

MUSHROOMS

Commercial media in America has treated us like mushrooms, as we say in Australia, kept us in the dark and fed on BS! We hardly hear anything about what's happening in the rest of the world. We are just lulled into an ever deeper stupor, while the world is on a highway to hell in a hand basket!

I want to challenge you to be more informed, less amero-centric and more globally aware in your outlook, less consumed with distraction and amusement, more concerned with the real, valuable things of life like loyalty, integrity and faithfulness. These are some of the things that we take with us to eternity when most all else is left behind! #