Hero Worship and the Human Delusion

Thousands of students protested the firing of Joe Paterno this evening, yet nationwide others looked on in disbelief. To understand how many people still believe a man guilty of perhaps ignoring the most famous quote of all time ("The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing"), one must understand sports in general. There is nothing outside sports to the delusional fan; it is an escape from the dim realities of life. The world is full of pedophiles, murderers, philanderers, and creeps, yet fans believe their heroes are above that. That money, fame, and power make the darkness that exists inside of us go away.

In fifth grade, we cheered when OJ Simpson was acquitted. He was in all sense of the word guilty, except beyond reasonable doubt. We cheered because he was a hero: a football star, a TV star, and a movie star. In 2000, we celebrated a man, Ray Lewis, who was found not guilty of murder, but from all views seemed complicit (a word which defines this scenario). He won an MVP and a Super Bowl and to this day is a symbol of persistence and hard work, yet that dead man will never feel anything near to the ecstasy Ray felt later that year on a podium hoisting a Super Bowl trophy. We love our sports heroes or heroes in general and odds are the majority of them are assholes.

This week has been defined by two horrible situations. One involved a man who until this week I highly respected, and the other involved a man I abhorred as a person and respected as an artist. The differences between each situation in my mind is nil and void. Both situations involved despicable human beings, who I find it revolting that they were never brought to a trial before more harm was done. However, each situation is at a different stage. Jerry Sandusky will come to trial, already guilty in the court of public opinion. Michael Jackson lies dead in the ground, yet never will be guilty to the millions of people who still worship stronger than any God.

When I talked about the man I respected in Joe Paterno, I meant that. He is the greatest coach of all-time, despite the senility that has seemed to creep in over the years. Yet he is just a football coach, he is not God (who for all intents and purposes is an asshole in his own right, if you believe in his omnipotence) , he is not even a great man as this saga tells us. He values winning and his ties above the welfare of the unprotected and for that he should have been fired at least. Yet people stand outside and say he didn't know or he shouldn't be responsible, but the Grand Jury charges as loaded as they may be, say he was in the know and also complicit. Complicity is not as bad as being a perpetrator, but is so much weaker and cowardly. I see the word every day as I walk out of my apartment, and it serves as a reminder. When anyone does something that is beyond moral reproach, report it and be their deliverance to the hell/judgment that such transgressions deserve.

Thousands of miles away others stand outside and support another pedophile, albeit one of a higher profile. Michael Jackson was a scumbag personally, yet people think his music absolves him of all his scumbaggery. When people stand outside demanding justice for the man who "killed" Michael, they forget the children who he "supposedly" took advantage of. A delusional star is much more deserving of a delusional fanbase, whereas in Paterno's case the assholes cheering for him do him a disservice.

I almost called it an American delusion rather than a human one. Yet it is something inherent in humanity itself, we need someone to lean on, to believe in. The problem is: there is no golden boy. Even the good man, like I strive to be, has his flaws. Someday, darkness will creep into our lives, yet the best we can do is fight it with all our might. The complicity Paterno showed is not as despicable as the act itself, but he should have the moral fiber to know better. He should have resigned immediately after this aired instead of having to be fired and then put the Penn State President through the ringer (Which if anyone noticed, they replaced the reporters with drunken wolves and he stood ground as the wolves shredded his clothes and he stood firm. It was a PR man's dream example.). The fans of Michael Jackson are worse than the Penn State fans. They spend their days and nights worshiping a dead man, and a worse man than Joe Paterno. There is a point where even the people not involved become complicit, and the fans no matter where their heart lies have crossed this line and now willingly or not have become fans of not only men but their dirty deeds as well.