Myths and Heroes : can we define pop stars, politicians or champions as heroes or myths ?

Myths and heroes

I’m going to talk about the notion Myths and Heroes.

To introduce it, let’s begin with some definition:

A myth is a story based on a set of beliefs, idealistic representations of a character (real of fictitious), a phenomenon, historic event, which give it importance, value.

A Hero is a person who stand up for his bravery, his exceptional merits, honesty… Often a legendary character to which are attributed exploits.

With this definitions, we can ask our self, can we define pop stars, politicians or champions as heroes or myths ?

Lets take for example Marilyn Monroe, from her real name, Norma jean Baker. She was the absolute icon of Hollywood, rising star of the United States. She assumed many roles during her life, actress, singer, model… but she leads a double life, she represented the face of Hollywood, by concealing an evil-being, revealed to the open day  at her death.

She became the archetype of the Hollywood blonde and even now, her aura still exist, she is a symbol for some stars, and people around the world, mostly in the united states.

The many assumptions about her death (murder or suicide) participate in creating her myth, as the movies made on her, like Blonde by Goetz Grossmann, or My Week with Marilyn.

Champions can also became heroes, like Paralympic athlete, who show that, even with difficulties, diseases or whatever, its always possible to follow its dreams. These people are heroes to continue doing what they like despite their problems, and they embody all the other people with the same issues

A politician can became a hero, or a myth, take the example of martin Luther King. He was born in 1929, and grew up during the American segregation. His education and studies will make him become a pacifist pastor. For many people, he is considered as an international hero because he was very implicated politically in the issues of his time: he fought against racial segregation, for the civil right of African-American. He has organized the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, which began when Rosa Parks (also considered as a hero) refused to let her seat for a white man.  He embodies true valors, freedom, equality, pacifism, power.

He was killed at the age of 39 years, and today his image is mythic, especially for the African-American community. He embodies the myth of the no-violence, equality and liberty.

But not all athletes are heroes, take the example of Oscar Pistorius, an example for all the disabled people : he participated in the Olympic games with artificial legs in 2012, hero of South Africa, a symbol.  

In 2013, he is accused of having shot 3 times on his fiancée. He is convicted of culpable homicide and is sentenced to 5 years in jail in October 2014.

As well as the pop stars: Michael Jackson, legend of music, king of pop. He is one of the greatest personalities of the 20th century. He was on the one hand an exceptional singer but wanted to remain a child, even after his death, his life stay mysterious, as indicated the many theories on the fact that he is not dead.

Nevertheless some things break the myth, like the accusations of paedophilia and other problems with justice.

And last, all politicians are not heroes as all dictators prove.

To conclude

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