Can we believe the media reports about the scandal surrounding actor and director Mel Gibson? Who got arrested for drunk driving, made angry racist comments, and received preferential treatment? Should we care if Simon Cowell from “American Idol” has a girl in every port? Do we really care if new parents Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie abstained from “physical intimacy” or indulged in it while Brad was still married to someone else?

Consumer fascination, media dissection, factual distortion, and emotional intensity surround many of the American celebrities posing as heroes in today’s cult of personality. Perhaps the proliferation of fallen heroes is the direct result of who we choose to worship as such. Who could live up to the standards we set? Whether they are acting, singing, dancing, shooting hoops, doing touchdowns, flying to the moon, performing double axes on ice, serving in political office, writing best sellers, heading a corporation, fighting opponents in absolute dominance. , promoting peace, or waging war, America has an obsession with modern heroes.

Our obsessive interest, however, does not produce a concise definition. Traditional heroes who suffer and sacrifice for a higher purpose are a thing of the past. Today we admire beauty, talent, power, success and wealth. Although we respect the humanity of heroes, we despise human weakness. We love them for being better than the rest of us. And we hate them for the same reason. Modern heroes – usually sports stars, artists, or politicians – are often overexposed and overcompensated – that is, until a bigger, brighter celebrity replaces them at the top of the heap.

Understandably, some people consider the actions of a star athlete heroic. Seeing the strongest, toughest and most talented player claim victory in front of a cheering crowd is an exciting and uplifting event. However, the traits that make up a great athlete do not necessarily make them a great person. In fact, star athletes often possess a self-centered and determined ambition that propels them toward a singular center of attention.

Overcompensation and privileges that coincide with athletic and cinematic stardom turn some heroes into less than heroic figures. Public worship often leads to a sense of self-entitlement and a feeling of being above the law. Some examples include scandals involving former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Darryl Strawberry and figure skater Tonya Harding.

And the entertainers? In this world of swingers, breast augmentation, and excess lip enlargement, can true heroism exist? The problem arises when fans mistake celebrities for heroes. While true heroes, such as members of our Armed Forces, may attempt courageous acts or even die for their people or their cause, celebrities are more often killed by self-destructive practices such as drug overdoses, alcohol abuse, or suicide. A couple of exceptions are Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise, who made national headlines by taking their bravery off the screen and taking physical risks to help other people. Christopher and Dana Reeve were considered heroes because as they bravely battled their own injuries and illnesses, they paved the way for others to receive treatment.

Although we may occasionally enjoy reading about the proud off-screen moments of celebrities, it is those humiliating moments that the tabloids sell. By watching their shows, buying tickets to their movies and concerts, and buying their wares, we turn these people into stars, but then their fame makes us feel insignificant. Their falls from grace restore our power to us.

Some of us even feel an indirect thrill to see our demigods mired in scandal. The entire United States seemed to enjoy exile from Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s television ministry, which was once holier than you. Almost everyone followed the news closely when Peewee Herman, Michael Jackson and OJ Simpson had their reputations tarnished and their private lives made public by the scandal.

This same guilty pleasure is also obtained by many who watch celebrity marriages crumble. If gorgeous women like Christie Brinkley, Nicole Kidman, and Jennifer Aniston can’t hold on to their men, how can the average woman hope to keep her marriage intact?

Maybe Hollywood causes the scandals because the rest of the world yearns for it. Assuming the old supply and demand theory is true, it’s easy to see why junk TV shows and supermarket tabloids are multiplying dramatically. And with each addition to the tabloid list, another layer of privacy is removed from our once-respected public figures.

Although in the past, most artists and their work reflected the society in which they lived, today’s celebrities, stars, role models (heroes) seem to attract attention by stepping away from the crowd, rather than rising above she. They have their babies in foreign countries, flee to other lands after a scandal or, like Madonna and Johnny Depp, adopt the country of their partners.

While ordinary people, without significant athletic or performance talent, once had a hard time establishing themselves as heroes, today’s explosion of information and cultural diversity bombard us with constant images from different points of view. The Madonna of one fan is the Mother Teresa of another fan. One person’s Nelly is someone else’s Nelson Mandela. Diversification is part of modern American culture, and therefore should be a factor in our choice of heroes.

Each day, as the scandal unfolds, Mel Gibson looks less like a hero and more like a celebrity: a talented actor and director in need of alcohol rehab, anger management and sensitivity training.