Despite the fact that our country is entirely divided in the midst of an election year, the economy rests in a state of uncertainty, border control is ineffective, Barry Bonds used steroids and our troops are fighting a war abroad, America has another problem. It’s an image problem to be exact, and it’s affecting our once-renowned American swagger and damaging how we’re perceived abroad.
America lacks a real hero. America lacks a true, genuine, “badass” public figure. Let us embrace a figure of refined sophistication, brute confidence and overwhelming knowledge mixed with a hint of inspirational flair and attitude to serve as the poster child for the American public. The international community has formed negative opinions of America based off of celebrity behavior and our colorless politicians who currently do not possess such distinguished qualities.
The term “badass” certainly does not refer to the current deplorable celebrity behavior associated with the contemporary rich and/or famous — crotch flashes or multiple DUI offenses. Their behavior is criminal and vile, neither of which are qualities of a true “badass.” It’s time to ignore the good-for-nothing celebrity.
Let’s face it; our current celebrities are imbeciles. They make headlines for all the wrong reasons and enhance the “stupid American” stereotype that never existed back in the good old days of pleasant entertainment and vivid politicians, all of whom created an American image the world came to admire.
American celebrity women are a walking catastrophe. Paris, Britney and Lindsay are the epitome of classless. Their constant disregard for the law and embarrassing behavior is nothing short of obscene. To everyone outside of America (and most in), their actions are a poor reflection on American pop culture and values. They’re the reason much of the world perceives America to be a morally baseless society.
The men aren’t much better in this category. As a whole, their behavior is slightly more favorable and less publicized than that of the women, but they don’t have the well-rounded qualities of a Frank Sinatra or a John Wayne to deserve the title of “badass.” Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, though both respectable and talented, are no comparison to the colorful personalities and distinct qualities of Sinatra, Wayne or James Dean.
The Brits have been outclassing us for years in the celebrity category (minus Amy Winehouse). They continue to do so currently by exporting pleasant idols such as Daniel Craig, David Beckham, Keira Knightley and Paul McCartney (who has maintained his temper with the media when discussing his ongoing divorce). None of them have public conduct issues.
Recent American politicians haven’t stood out either. Some may argue that the last time Americans voted for a “hero,” we ended up with, well, George W. Bush. Bush is the cowboy (the classic American hero) who just won’t ride off into the sunset for most Americans.
We don’t have a much better selection in our current presidential race. We have the choice between a woman with way too much attitude in Hillary Clinton, a man who hasn’t seemed to accomplish anything in Barack Obama, and a boring old guy in John McCain (five and a half years as a POW aside).
The most depressing fact of the matter is that even France has us beat in the politics category. Yes, the French. The story has it that their president, Nicolas Sarkozy, was being harassed by photographers while on a vacation. Instead of playing it cool like the average politician, he jumped onto the intruders’ boat and proceeded to give them the appropriate verbal lashing. To top it off, he was sporting a pair of reflective Ray Ban aviators as he chastised the photographers.
Sarkozy combines a classic style trademark with a fiery French attitude, creating the ultimate public figure America so desperately needs.
America needs to change what it values in public figures. How are we supposed to decipher what candidate characteristics will be the best for the country if we can’t even determine what celebrity characteristics are worthy of merit? The thought processes between entertainment and politics are unfortunately linked more closely than many think. The American figures of today don’t match up with the characters and personalities of those of the past, and a big name must step up to fix this.
That somebody should ideally be a man or woman with a conservative appearance — well-dressed and attractive. Add a John Wayne style of confident fearlessness that most accurately reflects the land of the free and home of the brave. Implement the superior brainpower of an open-minded critical thinker. Blend it with the cool attitude of James Dean. Add a whisk of verbal eloquence and sprinkle some acting ability on top. Throw in some altruistic tendencies for good measure. Behold the perfect public figure: a genuine “badass.”
Does that description sound familiar? Perhaps Ronald Reagan comes to mind.
— Oliver Casey is a sophomore in enterprise management. He can be reached at [email protected].
