
Originally Posted by
leedsmiller
Just read this thread and was pleasantly surprised by the kind words. Thank you, much appreciated!
But, that said, I must decline the nomination as acceptance could mark me as a hypocrite having been reminded that I once wrote:-
‘When I was younger, I had the usual cricketing and football heroes and so called super-heroes, such as Batman and Superman but by my mid to late-***** these had all but disappeared and I never replaced them. Today, I fail to comprehend the adoration, often bordering on hysteria, heaped on rock stars, movie stars, sports stars…
Why do people stand for hours in the pouring rain simply to catch a glimpse of someone parading on a red carpet?
And what am I missing about industries that pay homage to themselves in an orgy of self-adulation, self-indulgence and gross extravagance?
Oscars, Grammys, Golden Globes, Brits, Baftas… with each one having numerous categories, best non-speaking part by a Danish dwarf in a Victorian melodrama; best debut album by a one-armed, dyslectic Polish immigrant; best-dressed actress in a Bolivian silent musical…
What’s all that about?
I can appreciate artists' skills and abilities but to me they’re simply entertainers, successful, or not, in their chosen professions.
But no better people for it.
And did they ever stand in the rain to see me enter or leave the office?
The major problem I have is that people base their adoration on image, rather than personality.
On perception, rather than reality.
But isn’t this a common human failing?
Fans have little or no comprehension of what their ‘heroes’ are like in real life, whether they abuse their husbands, wives or mothers when they fail to win a nomination; whether they kick the cat when their record fails to make the charts; whether they ridicule their fans’ obsessive behaviour; whether they spend their non-productive time in orgies of ***, drink and drugs; whether they have callous disregard for anything other than the accumulation of wealth and luxury…
The world has its priorities vastly distorted. The true heroes are those that strive for the betterment of mankind, that work for humanity, often unrecognised, unappreciated, in trouble-torn, dangerous parts of the world. People who confronted the deadly Ebola outbreak in Africa; people who save lives or put their own life on the line, fire-fighters, doctors, surgeons, nurses, aid workers, charity workers… And our armed forces’.
Not that I had Millersmad in mind when I penned these words but you'll appreciate the relevance.