Luke, Harry and Michael… what is a hero?

July 6, 2009 at 11:58 am (Uncategorized)

News headline today… Michael Jackson is STILL dead.

I wonder, was he really a hero?

I want make you think about the concept of HERO.  All over the world, we mourn losses of people who are only known to us through a series of images in the media.  It happens continuously:  JFK, Elvis, Dr. King, Princess Diana, John Lennon and now Michael Jackson.  These tragedies will transcend the ever-shortening news cycle into something deeply embedded into our culture.  (Where were you when you heard the news?)

A hero can be defined as someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.  With that definition, certainly the previously referenced names qualify for HERO status.

Joseph Campbell studied the HERO MYTH and how it has affected storytelling since the beginning of time.  When George Lucas created Star Wars he credited Campbell’s study of the ‘Hero’s Journey’ and now Luke and Obi Wan are permanently rooted in our culture.

The same holds true for Harry Potter.  In a ‘hero’s journey’ the father figure is ever mindful of the budding hero who will eventually replace him.  And regardless of the perceived sexual orientation of Dumbledore he guided Harry to his place in modern day folklore.

There is something primal about our need to worship our fallen heroes and I am not sure what it is. I wonder at what point in time these public figures transition to someone we worship.  After all, it was not long ago we vilified Michael Jackson, ostracized him as a “freak.”   In fact, many (most) of our modern day heroes had their very human failings displayed for all to rip to shreds.

It’s true, an enormously talented man died prematurely and this is sad.  His mastery of pop culture, music, and entertainment became part of the fabric of our lives.

But enough is enough… rather than focusing on the media driven frenzy of a pop icon we never knew, perhaps the lesson to be learned is closer to home.  At any moment, the heroes of your lives can be gone… a family member or a friend.  Perhaps we can all take a moment to appreciate those in the here and now before it is too late.

M.J.’s extravaganza will happen on Tuesday in LA, I wonder how many people will show up?  If I were smart, I would buy as many Krispy Kreme doughnuts as would fit in my car and drive by the Staples Center at 6 AM selling them for $2 each or 3 for $5!

What would you do?

JenScribe