Heroes in Today’s Media, Have They Changed?
Heroes in Today’s Media, Have They Changed?
Latonne Williamson
English 122: English Composition II
Instructor Terrence Westhoff
April 1, 2013
Heroes in Today’s Media, Have They Changed?
There are many heroes, but there are those who sit back and question what or who makes a hero in today’s society. It has never been a set standard for heroes. In this modern world, there are many types of heroes. In today’s media, there is a contrast between million dollar sports figures, glorified celebrities, and the normal people we call heroes. Some heroes receive no recognition and others receive hero status with ease. However, it has yet to be determined whether our meaning of heroes has changed due to this influence. We have known about the existence of heroes but have not stopped to see which ones we admire and value.
If we had to define a hero, one definition would be, “A hero is a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal” (Dictionary.com, 2013). There are extraordinary people who preform heroic acts and go unnoticed. These heroes are firefighters, police officers, war heroes, teachers, and even a child. Many of these heroes do not ask for any type of recognition. These are the heroes that we should value and admire.
Anyone can become a hero. A hero is an ordinary person that will go beyond what is asked of them. These people are the ones who become our heroes. When we were younger, we look up to these types of heroes. They were people in our communities or someone we read about in the paper that had done something heroic. Many of our hero’s accomplishments are briefly mentioned in the media today. When a week or two goes by, we forget about those heroes and what they have done. When it comes to recognizing our everyday heroes, we do not give them the same recognition we reserve for media heroes. Are the achievements of every day heroes less significant? The answer
Latonne Williamson
English 122: English Composition II
Instructor Terrence Westhoff
April 1, 2013
Heroes in Today’s Media, Have They Changed?
There are many heroes, but there are those who sit back and question what or who makes a hero in today’s society. It has never been a set standard for heroes. In this modern world, there are many types of heroes. In today’s media, there is a contrast between million dollar sports figures, glorified celebrities, and the normal people we call heroes. Some heroes receive no recognition and others receive hero status with ease. However, it has yet to be determined whether our meaning of heroes has changed due to this influence. We have known about the existence of heroes but have not stopped to see which ones we admire and value.
If we had to define a hero, one definition would be, “A hero is a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal” (Dictionary.com, 2013). There are extraordinary people who preform heroic acts and go unnoticed. These heroes are firefighters, police officers, war heroes, teachers, and even a child. Many of these heroes do not ask for any type of recognition. These are the heroes that we should value and admire.
Anyone can become a hero. A hero is an ordinary person that will go beyond what is asked of them. These people are the ones who become our heroes. When we were younger, we look up to these types of heroes. They were people in our communities or someone we read about in the paper that had done something heroic. Many of our hero’s accomplishments are briefly mentioned in the media today. When a week or two goes by, we forget about those heroes and what they have done. When it comes to recognizing our everyday heroes, we do not give them the same recognition we reserve for media heroes. Are the achievements of every day heroes less significant? The answer
References: Bisiotti, S(2013, January) Years later murder case still echoes for Ray Lewis, Families. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved from http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-lewis-case-victims-20130110,0,7080263.story?page=1 Campbell, J(1949) The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Bollingen Foundation. 1st edition Dictionary.com (2013). Hero definition. Retrieved from http://dictionary.refrence.com/browe/hero Giovacchini, A (1999). The Negative Influence of Gangster Rap And What Can Be Done About It. EDGE. Retrieved from http://www.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/mediarace/negative.htm Pynchon, V (2011, September) September 11 and the Heroes of Flight 93. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/shenegotiates/2011/09/10/september-11-and-the-heroes-of-flight-93/ Skola, C. E.(2005) Celebrity, Media, and Sports Heroes In America (para 5) Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:kzCGMvSow6MJ:lsawarchives.lib.lehigh.edu/include/getdoc.php%3Fid%3D464%26article%3D363%26mode%3Dpdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgh-uNnzzFFOY9hlaUwwb77cUzdZqbNBCZqJeizMX0QGMiUdra_u6EcfqtI9VmWbmrop4uhXOdMcfnOdpWDf7qXidMoyjos7x1yFpK81rrbZNlFj7EVTXyiNtg41HhOEHqJkop3&sig=AHIEtbTP9GF4B3gWcQu9C4137Q09shfpmQ Zimbardo, P ( Nov/Dec 2010) We Need a Hero. The Futurist. p 25-26 Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/757071184/abstract/13CE98510DEB5DB8888/1?accountid=32521