«MORE THAN ANYTHING PEOPLE JUST WANT STARS»

According to the experts, we create mortal heroes to idolize -- and then often judge, ridicule and destroy them."We get to see the absolute edges of human potential and vicariously experience that edge with them," says pop culture guru Dr. Lawrence Rubin. We join the outer realm of possibility with them."And then, it is our envy and inadequacies that leads us to bring them down again," says Rubin, adding that we are jealous of our creations because they dare betray us by being mortal like the rest of us flawed beings -- "they are our Frankenstein monsters, our Galateas..."A multitude of created heroes have fallen "or were pushed by our incessant and insatiable need to idolize, reify and then invariably deconstruct, brick by flawed brick," says Rubin, psychologist and co-author of Messages: Self Help Through Popular Culture (Cambridge Scholars).
From Michael Jackson, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Octomom to Barry Bonds, Bill Clinton, O.J. Simpson, Lenny Bruce and Bernie Madoff, inside and outside of Hollywood toppled pop-culture icons feed our voyeuristic obsession.

-Edmonton Sun
July 11 2009