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Shame on Us… If We Remember What That Means


shame.JPGI watch sordid reality TV (only because it’s my job to analyze it). And when I see people who’ve achieved fame through lewd behavior, drunken rambling (ahem, Jersey Shore on both counts) or by any other means that bypasses actual talent, I wonder about what it’s all doing to our brains. After years of such shows, it seems we’ve created a culture in which bad behavior is considered exciting and cutting edge.

So thank you, Star Jones, for writing an Uptown magazine editorial that nails exactly what I’ve been thinking about Hollywood lately:

When did the quest for fame overtake the drive for excellence? When did starring in a sex tape rather than a breakout performance in an independent film become your entrée into stardom? When did becoming the third, fourth, or fifth baby mama of an athlete or a musician make you a 'housewife'? When did posing with your behind up and your boobs out standing in front of a stripper pole make you a model?

Star’s answer: “When shame moved out.”

She continues:

You want to know what happened to shame? We made it impossible for shame to live with us anymore. Reality shows moved in with their newly minted 'stars' and shame moved out. Society started rewarding those who engage in egregious behavior with magazine covers and clothing lines; the media began anointing chicks 20 minutes off the pole as 'socialites'; and parents, grandparents, and aunties stopped giving the side eye to folks who act a fool. … Shame doesn't live in America anymore. Some people think that's a good thing—you know, all that 'keeping it real' mess. I don't happen to be one of them. Some say it's prudish to expect decorum, dignity, and respect in public settings. Those who say that aren't my friends. I admit it. I'm old-fashioned, and I'm mortified by what now generates fame. These days, my pearls are in a constant state of clutch.

I rarely wear pearls, but my heart is in a constant state of “clutch” lately. And it occasionally skips a beat when I watch our culture accept as a murky new “reality” what used to be considered deplorable.