Monday, May 24, 2004
WHORING THE WORDS “HERO” AND “COURAGE”
Have you noticed how recently, especially in the last few years, the words “courage” and “hero” have been consistently whored out? By this I mean that they are improperly used over and over again in such a way that cheapens their real meaning. Allow me to explain using a few examples.
The whoring of words is almost exclusively done when within a sports context. Take the word “hero” first. Michael Jordan was repeatedly referred to as a hero by the media during the span of his career. I remember vividly a made for TV movie chronicling his life entitled, “Michael Jordan: American Hero.” It’s pathetic.
A hero is someone who puts their ass on the line for a greater good. A firefighter who rushes into a burning building to rescue someone else’s child is a hero. A soldier who leaves his life behind to fight for his country’s freedom is a hero. Being able to lead the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships just does not measure up.
Was Michael Jordan a great athlete? Of course. Did he enthrall the people privileged enough to see him play? Absolutely. But, is he a hero for that? No way. Not even close.
As I said earlier, “courage” is another word frequently misused and, again, normally in a sports context. I can’t count how many times recently I have had to hear sports analysts talk about how “courageous” and “mentally tough” Kobe Bryant is. Why do they say he is courageous and mentally tough, you ask? Because he has been able, on several occasions, to attend a pre-trial hearing in his rape trial in Colorado, then fly back to Los Angeles for a basketball game to score a lot of points the same night.
Does it shock anyone else how amazingly ignorant that is? Does it upset anyone else how Kobe Bryant can go from a possible rapist in the morning to a courageous superstar a few hours later? Whether or not he actually is a rapist is secondary to me. At the very least he is an adulterer. He doesn’t deserve any respect for that. It’s truly sad when a man can engage in something as treacherous and despicable as adultery, yet still be held up as a role model just because he is famous and can score 30 points in a basketball game. Seriously, will they still be heralding him if it turns out he raped the girl?
Look, words exist for a reason. When their meaning is cheapened so that a journalist can add a bit of zest to his broadcast, it undermines their profession and it devalues our language. Slang or hyperbole is one thing, but this is something else entirely. Simply put, it needs to stop now.
Have you noticed how recently, especially in the last few years, the words “courage” and “hero” have been consistently whored out? By this I mean that they are improperly used over and over again in such a way that cheapens their real meaning. Allow me to explain using a few examples.
The whoring of words is almost exclusively done when within a sports context. Take the word “hero” first. Michael Jordan was repeatedly referred to as a hero by the media during the span of his career. I remember vividly a made for TV movie chronicling his life entitled, “Michael Jordan: American Hero.” It’s pathetic.
A hero is someone who puts their ass on the line for a greater good. A firefighter who rushes into a burning building to rescue someone else’s child is a hero. A soldier who leaves his life behind to fight for his country’s freedom is a hero. Being able to lead the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships just does not measure up.
Was Michael Jordan a great athlete? Of course. Did he enthrall the people privileged enough to see him play? Absolutely. But, is he a hero for that? No way. Not even close.
As I said earlier, “courage” is another word frequently misused and, again, normally in a sports context. I can’t count how many times recently I have had to hear sports analysts talk about how “courageous” and “mentally tough” Kobe Bryant is. Why do they say he is courageous and mentally tough, you ask? Because he has been able, on several occasions, to attend a pre-trial hearing in his rape trial in Colorado, then fly back to Los Angeles for a basketball game to score a lot of points the same night.
Does it shock anyone else how amazingly ignorant that is? Does it upset anyone else how Kobe Bryant can go from a possible rapist in the morning to a courageous superstar a few hours later? Whether or not he actually is a rapist is secondary to me. At the very least he is an adulterer. He doesn’t deserve any respect for that. It’s truly sad when a man can engage in something as treacherous and despicable as adultery, yet still be held up as a role model just because he is famous and can score 30 points in a basketball game. Seriously, will they still be heralding him if it turns out he raped the girl?
Look, words exist for a reason. When their meaning is cheapened so that a journalist can add a bit of zest to his broadcast, it undermines their profession and it devalues our language. Slang or hyperbole is one thing, but this is something else entirely. Simply put, it needs to stop now.
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