Why Don't We Have "Heroes" Today?

[Big Man]

Reading through the Amelia Earhart thread, I began to think about the "heroes" of the past. Famous fliers like Lindbergh, Earhart, Post, et el. Athletes like Joe Lewis and Babe Ruth (and all the baseball "greats"). Politicians like Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, T.R. and FDR. Explorers like Byrd and Scott. Musicians like Goodman, Shaw and Miller. Actors like Gable, Wayne, Flynn. The list could go on with iconic names from the past.

I know there are people today in politics, sports, cinema, etc. that contribute a lot and have great name recognition, but will they "stand the test of time" like those great names from the past? I don't think it's because we don't have anyone today doing "great" things, but the times have changed so much that they are quickly forgotten.

Any thoughts on why we don't have such iconic figures today as we did in days gone by?

 

[JimWagner]

People are a lot more cynical today about "heroes", particularly as it seems more often than not it's only a matter of time before the so called hero is discovered to be drugged to the eyeballs (sports), or has the morals of an ally cat (fill in your favorite politician).

 

[Big Man]

People are a lot more cynical today about "heroes", particularly as it seems more often than not it's only a matter of time before the so called hero is discovered to be drugged to the eyeballs (sports), or has the morals of an ally cat (fill in your favorite politician).

Good points, but a lot of the heroes of the past also had these "flaws". Is it that today we know so much about people via the "instant" (and overly intrusive) reporting of the news?

 

[djd]

I agree that it's partly down to increased scrutiny of every public figure. It's a very very rare person who is without faults .... Which seems to be what the media expects. I have 'heroes' still. Certainly a few from music, literature and science. I guess another factor these days is that we accept (quite rightly) that most endeavours are actually team efforts.

 

[JimWagner]

Instant reporting is certainly part of it, but today the news (and I use the term loosely) media really delight in playing up dirt where the mainstream media tended to be more discrete when it came to important public figures in the past. For example JFK while he was president. There have always been "Muckrakers" of course. The term isn't new.

 

[Big Man]

I just wonder who will be in the history books 50, 75, or 100 years from now when they study the late 20th and early 21st century? Will Thomas Edison be replaced by what's his name that invented Facebook? Will Sam Sneed and Ben Hogan be replaced by Tiger Woods (or has he already been forgotten)?

 

[LizzieMaine]

The culture today doesn't *want* heroes, because to express open, honest admiration for someone else's acts betrays the all-hallowed principle of everlasting "cool."

 

[Big Man]

The culture today doesn't *want* heroes, because to express open, honest admiration for someone else's acts betrays the all-hallowed principle of everlasting "cool."

I'm afraid you are right. I worry about my grandchildren. When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be like John Glenn or Alan Shepherd. Who do my grandchildren want to "be like" when they grow up (besides me, I hope)?

 

[C-dot]

Using the example of movie stars, consider this passage from Leading Ladies: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era:

"There was something else we know nothing of today: reticence - both on and off the screen. From time immemorial, the studios controlled the stars' images and protected these gods and goddesses from the press. There was no TV - and, consequently, no celebrity interviews, no talk shows that would expose their 'humanity,' their scandals, their boringness."

The public is skeptical and hungry for exposés: Today, Joe Lewis or Babe Ruth would be on the 6 o'clock news for abusing steroids. Washington, Jefferson, and FDR would be splashed on the front of your supermarket tabloid for having an affair with Oprah. Gable, Wayne, and Flynn would be on TMZ for sleeping with the nanny.

There are no more heroes, because people don't want it - They want superheroes to be 'just like us,' only worse. They don't want to adore, they want to gossip. In the era of reality shows and tabloids, idealism is just an ideal, dead and buried like our beloved heroes of yesteryear.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Gossip-mongering was certainly alive and well in the Era -- there's a reason why Walter Winchell was the most-read, most-listened-to reporter of his time. But there *was* a difference, there was a line that wouldn't be crossed. Winchell himself refused to publish anything about adulterous behavior -- he actually had an inside scoop on JFK sleeping with some starlet or other on the night he received his party's nomination for President in 1960, and he refused to print it. Today something like that would not only have been on the front pages, it would have changed the course of that election.

The supreme irony, of course, is that the general public tends to hold celebrities to a far, far higher standard than they are willing to hold themselves.

 

[C-dot]

But there *was* a difference, there was a line that wouldn't be crossed.

Therein lies the difference. Nothing is off limits these days - "Normal people" are guilty of the very same indiscretions, but we aren't splashed over the TV for it.

 

[JimWagner]

"Normal people" are guilty of the very same indiscretions, but we aren't splashed over the TV for it.

Except on "reality" shows, where it's all the thing.

 

[C-dot]

Except on "reality" shows, where it's all the thing.

But its different if you make money off it! lol

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's a wonder zoos have any business at all today, given the competition.

 

[Pompidou]

The heroes mentioned in the OP typically were a first in some regard. What firsts are left? We'll need new technology to produce more firsts. Once a thing has been accomplished, nobody cares if future people accomplish it a little better. There's not much on earth to explore. I imagine the first person to journey to the center of the earth might be remembered, or maybe the first person to travel at/faster than the speed of light. There's just not anything hero-making of the standards of the OP going on. We have wars now and then, but they're not world wars, and there's no real risk of loss, but only of not winning, and that's not where heroes are made. We need big events to make big heroes, and they're just not happening.

 

[Oldsarge]

True heros are those who grit their teeth in the face of peril and dread and do what must be done. Try the NYFD on September 11th or any line doggie in one of our miserable 'wars of choice'. Sports heroes? Heroic politicians? Entertainment heroes? The terms are oxymorons. Real heros don't make the front page because most of them don't want to, they're shy and would rather let the deed speak for them.

 

[scooter]

We do have heroes, but somehow our media today has made the decision that if scandal is not involved, it is not worth dwelling on. Albert Pujols, of the St Louis Cardinals, is VERY active in the fight against Down Syndrome. In the off season, he travels to impoverished countries and helps deliver everyday items to help improve quality of life; he doesn't just fund it, he DELIVERS them personally.

How about the two Army Rangers who rappelled down into the streets of Mogadishu trying to save the crew of a downed helicopter, only to be killed by the angry mob. Anyone remember their names? They knew they were dead when they stepped out of their helicopter!

I read a story of a young marine Corporal and Lance Corporal who, after their officer was shot in the face and bleeding profusely, climbed down out of an armored vehicle into murderous enemy fire. The Corporal held a pressure bandage to the face of the officer with one hand, firing his weapon with the other; while the Lance Corporal fired his weapon with one hand held a radio handset to the ear of the Corporal so he could call for life saving assistance.

I watched a video of two young Marines standing watch with Iraqi counterparts at the gate to a military compound. Insurgents drove an explosive laden truck toward the checkpoint. The Iraqis fled in terror, but the two young Marines never flinched and directed all their firepower to the cab of the truck and stopping it's deadly payload. The driver detonated his load, killing both the Marines, but they successfully saved the lives of countless others inside the compound.

The question you have to ask, is why have we not heard these stories on every media outlet in the land? Why are we badgered mercilessly with the indiscretions of Paris, and Lindsay, or some obscure congressman, or some other buffoon?

We have heroes, but for some reason we don't seem to celebrate them as we should!!

 

[Mojito]

I think there are exceptions - we still hail heroic behaviour when the story comes to our attention. Look at the remarkable Captain Sullenberger, who was able to land his plane in the Hudson and save all his passengers and crew. He has received many well deserved plaudits and international recognition. He probably won't go down in history for this one action, except as a footnote, but I doubt anyone who hears the story will forget it or fail to recognise his actions.

In Australia, we still hale remarkable individuals like Fred Hollows, who took up the cause of medical health around the world and in some of the poorest countries. Years after his death, we remember and acknowledge what he did.

I have personal heroes that are political figures, but I don't think their historic stature will be recognised for another 50 years or so - it's only then that we'll really be able to begin to assess their impact on history. Abraham Lincoln, for example, was both revered and reviled in his own lifetime.

Definitions of heroism are going to differ from individual to individual...some people revile the use of it when applied to sports people, but I'd argue that while it is certainly overused there are some atheletes who have overcome tremendous odds and personal obstacles to inspire us, and that could be seen as heroic. Their actions could not compare in heroism to those who, for example, put their own lives on the line for others, but I can understand why in some instance they are so popular (and I'm speaking as someone who has no interest in commercial sport at all).

The question of too much emphasis being put on celebrity rather than real merit has been around for a long time - when Rudolph Valentino died, commentators wanted to know why that event was given so much coverage at the expense of issues and individuals of what they saw as having more lasting significance. I think it is a tremendously important point and agree that the cult of celebrity distorts our perceptions, but it's not a new issue. The news cycle isn't helping either - as always, so many factors go into making what is seen as newsworthy. There are many remarkable instances of heroism that have been neglected because certain factors were or weren't in play...sometimes it can be as simple as timing, and a bigger story hitting the stands. It doesn't just apply to heroism, either - we've all seen stories of tragedies relegated to the third page or further back because it happened in some far-off part of the world and wasn't deemed as newsworthy as a celebrity break-up or something of that ilk.

 

[RichardH]

How about the two Army Rangers who rappelled down into the streets of Mogadishu trying to save the crew of a downed helicopter, only to be killed by the angry mob. Anyone remember their names? They knew they were dead when they stepped out of their helicopter!

You're talking about Gary Gordon & Randall Shugart of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta. RIP

 

[Lincsong]

Heroism is now "obsolete". There seems to be an almost pathological delight in bringing "the top dog" down. Society seems to enjoy watching someone or something crash, burn and smolder. Blame it on jealousy, blame it on sadism. But with a general decline in standards those who do what is honorable and good are now mocked and sneered.

Do I think the kid from Facebook will be a "hero" in 30 years? Who knows; he could end up like Steve Wozniak and be on Dancing With the Stars.