Where Did All the Role Models Go?

I was watching the news the other day when I heard a three-minute spiel on Lindsay Lohan's latest trials and tribulations. 'Isn't there anything else going on in the world?' I wondered, stupefied at the fact that a reputable news station (sorry Fox, you weren't my inspiration on this one) was spending valuable air time on a cocaine addict gone wild(er). But then again, we live in a society where sensationalism sells, and everything of any newsworthiness must reflect that good old bottom line.

But I have to wonder, at what point did this capitalism become more than just a background ideology of America? When did the Bottom Line usurp the Genuine - the value of the dollar over integrity? And in this age of salacious storytelling, where did all the real heroes go?

The media favors the likes of the overzealous rule-breakers. The Lohan's and the Britney's (at least the former has some talent, however) are getting the same airplay as the Hank Aaron's and Florence Griffith Joyner's and Elvis Presley's of the previous generation. And although they had their fair share of life's inevitable hurdles, they reflected some essence of class and grace that spoke for a generation in limbo between questioning the mirage of government interests and the legitimacy of war.

Today, no one but the rich likes the government. And practically the whole country opposes the Iraq war. Our leaders are mere puppets dictated by the ever-increasing girth and strength of corporate interests. Killing others is more important than saving ourselves. Health care is crumbling, cynicism rising, and the hollow-eyed show of fancy rocks and gadgets and smut is dominating our visual, aural, subconscious landscape.

And all the parents wonder why their babies are growing up so fast.

Sports heroes and superstars today reflect this changing compass of American interests. And it reflects the devolution of what was once a past time, a fan-driven enterprise. We are becoming chattel to the behemoth of industry, gauging our worth on what's in our wallet. A hundred million here, an endorsement for Nike and Coca-Cola, and you are now a Real Man. A Woman of the Age.