TWIF (Part 3): World Champions of Triviality
As an encouragement to our new readers to take advantage of our “past series” on the sidebar, we post the following installment from our series “The World Is Flat.” Enjoy.
I find it hard to respect intelligent, humanitarian-minded women who resort to prancing around on stage in bikinis to gain recognition. Nevertheless, Natalie Glebova was dubbed Miss Universe for doing precisely that.
And though the organizers of the world’s largest beauty pageant insist that contestants are judged for their intellects and attitudes as much as for their figures, it is very probable that Miss Glebova has been declared the most beautiful woman in the universe primarily for showing off parts of her body that most beautiful women I know keep appropriately concealed.
Still the fact remains that Glebova is the world champion of her particular silly activity. And though I don’t watch beauty pageants—never have, never will—I must admit that her preening is no sillier than a myriad of other activities whose competitions we follow and whose champions we idolize.
Regrettably, we have formed a culture of the trivial. We all want to be champions of our own silly activity. Just ask Emily Fox, the current world-record holder in the fast-paced sport of cup stacking, or champion eater Takeru Kobayashi, who downed 83 streamed dumplings in eight minutes during an August 13th contest.
Yet these champions are no sillier than Tiger Woods who is idolized for hitting a little white ball with a certain metal club so that it goes into a special little hole in the ground. They are no sillier than Misty May and Kerri Walsh who are recognized for wearing little more than their underwear while batting a cushy ball back-and-forth over a net. And they are no sillier than Barry Bonds, who is paid millions of dollars for hitting a ball with a stick and then running around in circles.
Although it concerns me when young competitors at the World Cup Stacking Championship speak of making a career out of it, I am equally concerned that a majority of American young people long for nothing more than to become kings and queens of their own particular triviality. It might be Hollywood that beckons them; it might be the NBA, or it could be American Idol. Whatever it is, the sad truth remains that America has prioritized entertainment and celebrity over true service and heroism; and our young people have taken the cue.
The tone of this article shouldn’t be taken as condemning, only concerned. I am not against the existence of these ‘silly activities’ that make life more enjoyable for many and bearable for some. I enjoy the thrill of watching Emily Fox stack cups faster than the eye can see and rooting for American athletes at the summer and winter Olympics. I’ve had 15-minute crushes on my own share of movie actresses and even voted online during last season’s American Idol competition. But then, after my niece was born with an extremely serious heart defect, I found myself in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at OHSU; and I met true heroes.
Shaun, Pam, and Colleen. They are nurses. They are heroes. And they symbolize millions of people across the globe who sacrifice, who serve, and who receive small thanks next to the Michael Jordans, Marilyn Monroes, and Elvis Presleys of our day. It often takes catastrophes to remind us of these people. September 11th did. It was policemen and firemen; rescue workers and soldiers who lifted our nation back up. And we honored them for it.
Even so, nearly four years later, my generation is still pursuing triviality at the expense of true service. Everyone wants to be the cherry on top, but no one is making ice cream. It is as if we have completely forgotten the steady, shining glory of heroism, because of the glaring, flashing glamour of celebrity.
Until we take the time to re-examine our ideas of what’s important we will continue to choose lesser professions and America will keep getting weaker. As our culture continues to embrace the trivial we will become increasingly incapable of responding to the significant.
Continue Series with Part Four: The American Idol Syndrome
Begin Series with Part One: Competition On Our Plateau
October 16th, 2006 at 10:02 pm
[...] I guess I’m not the only one blogging about globalization - how about that! Here are some great posts on the effects of globalization by Josh Harris and some by his bros - here and here. [...]
March 6th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
I quite agree. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the fame of trivial occupations versus the heroes in the trenches, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the occupations that matter the most are Mother, Father, teacher, healer, and anyone else who helps from the heart.
August 6th, 2007 at 9:50 am
It is really sad that we idolize people now who win “Gluttony” challenges and women who have all but starved themselves to look good in bikinis and underwear and walk around onstage in them for tv… and yet we almost completely ignore the brave people who explore the unknowns in space, work hard to save the lives of their patients, and rescue people from fires.
Whats even more pitiful is we idolize them more than the doctors and nurses Brett talked about- the ones who sacrifice so much time and energy and sleep in an effort to save even the tiniest of human lives.
What is the world coming to that the young people would rather try in vain to be the top or the best (or the cherry) at something so fleeting like eating competions or beauty pageants rather than be part of the groups of people that work hard save lives and help people in everyday life… I would rather be a part of the second group- the ones who will help people and make a lasting difference in the lives of at least a small part of humanity.
~Elisabeth Gruber
April 7th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
This quote will stick with me: “Everyone wants to be the cherry on top, but no one is making ice cream”. Our world today is all about selfishness, and lately I have been very convicted about serving only myself.
The true heroes, champions, or whatever we call them, are those who are selflessly serving others… It is so wrong and hurtful that the world focuses on trivial “accomplishments” while ignoring their sacrifices. I’m really thinking about our military right now, but also missionaries, Christian leaders who stand for truth… as well as those who serve in their own ways, behind-the-scenes, for the good of God’s kingdom.
Ahhh, I want way more in my life than always seeking the cherry… Great post.
August 24th, 2008 at 8:51 am
this article made me remember Romans 2:7 - “to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life”
We really need God’s grace to make us realize that everything that the world values really is garbage. The world has no idea what real glory is. God knows. And he tells us to seek it. Seek glory! I like the sound of that.
February 13th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
This is so true!
What has happened to little girls playing with dolls imitating their mothers love and devotion for their children? What has happened to the little boys pretending to be firemen and soldiers?
Nowadays little girls play with Barbies and little boys play video games.
In all my childhood I never owned a Barbie and my favorite thing to do was to play “house” with my dolls. To the day the person I aspire most to be is a loving wife and mother just like my Mom!
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I read stuff like this and all I can do is shake my head and say,”What HAVE we come to?” what have we come to, that,as a nation, we worship the trivial, and the mediocre, and put down those who would rather do something with their lives, that is worth something? Personally, what I hope to do with my life is to get married, and have a BIG family. I WANT to be a housewife, and I WANT to be a stay-at-home mom. But, in this day and age, that sort of thing isn’t valued. When I die, I want to be remembered for the impact I had on peoples lives, and how I was not a silent Christian. I don’t want to be remembered for something trivial and worthless.
April 11th, 2009 at 6:56 am
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”
-Revelation 3:1-3
June 16th, 2009 at 2:46 am
[...] World is Flat‘ (see some great thoughts about that book here, or here in four parts 1, 2, 3 and 4) as you might be able to see from this wonderful mindmap by Brandy Agerbeck below, Globality [...]
August 6th, 2009 at 7:58 am
I disagree with parts of this article. Yes, of course, firemen, police, nurses, and others who’re saving lives and risking their own on a regular basis are the best and bravest of us, but it seems wrong to me that you dismiss entertainers as, ‘trivial.’ True, they’re not saving lives per say, but the example they can set, and the people that they inspire, in my opinion, make them anything but trivial. Individuals such as Bono, Spielberg, Oprah, and Gibson all are entertainers, but they lead lives that inspire and lift up others. Not only that, buy they use their wealth and influence to help those in need. The movies, songs, and other media put out by these people is art, and in the end, doesn’t true art glorify God as well as saving lives?
August 30th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
When I was in High-School, I spent hours every day practicing the very important skill of throwing a round ball through a hoop ten feet off the ground. I practiced all different kinds of throws, turn around jump throws, set throws from thirty feet away. I was successful, I was on the varsity team that won the state championship. Would to God I had use those many many hours learning something useful. I could have learned to be fluent in Spanish, and now be able to witness to the Hispanics in my area. I could have learned so many things that would have helped my life, and my family’s life through the years. But no, I had to learn how to throw a ball through a hoop.