There is an old song by The Kinks titled, Celluloid Heroes. It was a favorite of a boyfriend, and I remember seeing the live decades ago. I think it is appropriate because it identifies the role of ‘movie stars’ or ‘entertainers’. They are a prop, a character, a stage persona, that we identify with based on the role they play. Their true beliefs and personality are supposed to be locked inside themselves, given that is not their purpose. Therein, we can create – heroes.
The initial goal was to create heroes that were flawed, men and women who came to see their err in life and rose above as their lesson was learned. Jimmy Stewart played a host of such rolls, always with a failing, always with a message, always with a learning.
Today, actors seem to have abandoned this shadow appearance and taken on roles that are politically, socially, and morally obscene. And as such, don’t realize that this taints their screen appearance. It seems more a fraud than a role. It makes them … smaller.
In particular, I am watching a Christian themed Christmas movie in which Ed Asner stars as a devout – Christian father. In reality, Asner has been vocally demonstrative, demeaning, and vacuous in his hatred and divisive nature. And so, I no longer see an actor, I see a hypocrite. I wanted, a celluloid hero.
I don’t think Hollywood quite understands how vast is their destructive mouth and tongue, how uneducated is their stance, or how stale is their breath. And I try and recall Christ’s words, “They know not what they do…” As he asks for forgiveness of their vast sins.
Most recently I was shown a Facebook post in which Gaga sat and for a lengthy term had an analogue with herself about how we must all stop being so divisive, so antagonistic, so filled with contempt and foul negativity toward others who don’t share beliefs. And yet, a quick Google search revealed her revile, her hatred, her animosity, her repugnance… her very vocal negativity toward anyone who did not hold her beliefs, of anything and all that was not in align with – her.
Of course, what this revealed is the fact that Hollywood hypocrisy is somehow ignored, or forgotten, or justified…
Another case in point: I recently wrote a response to a ‘Christian Blogger’ in Australia, Mike Frost, whose site stated that he embraced 1) open conversation 2) grace vs nature, and 3) positivity vs negativity. The blog I was responding to was about how American Christians are hypocrites when it comes to the Bible and gun control… Errr, not positive, not filled with grace, and as I found – not open – unless it was to laud and praise the ‘author’. OUCH!
- Not positive. But, I still – believed. And so I presented facts and statistics. I was completely blind-sided when his response to my statistics and facts from the US perspective didn’t align with his and as a result he chose to attack my character – like a Hollywooder. Instead of the ‘open conversation’ and ‘grace’ he spoke about, his true value was about self and attack.
But even worse, he revealed that he most likely – was not a Christian at all. It was a mask.
He was no different than a ‘celluloid hero’ pretending to be something – that was far afield of ‘truth’. What was revealed was that there are wolves who will use the Christian platform to attempt to woo people into a false reality. He was not about ‘open conversation’, ‘ or ‘grace’, or ‘positivity’, he was about bashing Christian American’s as ‘hypocrites’ and shaming me as incompetent. Neither of which support his ‘belief system’.
It is quite sad.
I knew the name Jimmy Kimmel. But I knew nothing of the person. His fame was simply a by-product, like Kathy Griffin, he has made a name for himself based on his animosity and hatred. But otherwise, I had no idea, who he was as a person. No college degree (an honorary – doesn’t count, sorry), a shitake mushroom load of self lauding, self grandizing, self glorifying that makes me cringe, grit my teeth, and stiffen into contortious contempt. As in “ARGHGHGHHGHHGHGHG” are you kidding me! His bio is ‘not’ one that I would embrace.
But that is the evolution of “Hollywood”, the celluloid heroes who once were, but are no more… instead they are simply grandiose narcissists who have no boundaries, ethics or morality. And as such – The World Turns.