Sunday, February 27, 2011

Lack of Being Maximally Entertained: The Most Important Standard for Dislike?

Earlier this evening I was listening to a local talk radio show while making some dinner. The host was talking about actor Charlie Sheen's recent spate of what has become his expected strange and bad behavior and weird public outbursts.

While speaking of this, the host remarked to a caller that he did not 'hate' Charlie Sheen because of his bad behavior (reportedly, traveling around and partying with prostitutes, doing drugs, etc.), rather, he 'hates' Sheen because in his opinion, Sheen's TV sitcom (Two and a half men) is bad.

Now, what does such a comment tell us about the state of our culture?

In a healthier society, a radio host would dislike Sheen (I think the term 'hate' used by the host was deliberate hyperbole) because of his publicly flaunted, highly immoral behavior. But today, this radio host rooted his dislike of Sheen not in his blatantly immoral behavior, but because Sheen's TV show is not entertaining enough to suit him.

It is very sad indeed if we are becoming persons whose interest in the public reputation of celebrities is based more upon whether or not a celebrity possesses an ability to keep us maximally entertained than upon his moral character as revealed in his actions outside the sound stage. Who cares about the fact of a public person damaging his life and the lives of others? What really matters is whether or not I like his TV show!

How much more self absorbed can we become?