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MICHAEL, WALTER AND NELSON IN AN ERA OF ICONOMANIA</strong>
<strong>Worshipping Heroes Is Not The Same As Learning Their Life Lessons</strong>
By Danny Schechter
Author of PLUNDER
New York New York: What a time for Iconomania, none of it critical, none of it questioning, none offering deeper perspective or leading to very revealing coverage.
Politicians may rule but celebrities dominate in a culture where every pol dreams of shaping an aura that inspires hero worship and adoration. That was Barack Obama's trump card with his eloquence often blinding us to the substance of his stances.
First there was Michael Jackson's death with wall-to-wall coverage dominated by our info-tainment media where show biz and news biz merges more easily than media companies.
Michael's Moon Walk excited many more of us than even Neil Armstrongs' 40 year ago. The gloved one transcended the planet of the strange to join the pantheon of the adored, achieving in death what he failed to achieve in life, despite his fans, impact and commercial success. He became larger than life, at least for now, until all the details of his tragic death emerge as they surely will.
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