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Cormier's Thoughts on Modern Heroes

"Where Are The Heroes" John Fitch IV Column

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In this John Fitch IV column Cormier laments the commodification of our heroes. Citing the example of the legendary Joe DiMaggio selling coffee makers, he argues that consumerism robs our heroes of their mystique and that by broadcasting these images of on television makes for a more vulgar society.

"And So On -- Heroes and Heroines" John Fitch IV Column

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In this John Fitch column Cormier examines the shifting definitions of our culture's heroes, and wonders why Julia Child and Andy Warhol, for example, made a recent list. He concludes that our choice of heroes ultimately reflects the times we live in, which, in 1976 when this artifact was written, meant a veneration for famous athletes and celebrities from film and television, especially O.J. Simpson and John Wayne.

RELATED LINKS:

Commodification: The Essence of our Time This article by Colin Leys (2012 Apr. 2) on the blog, Open Democracy, unpacks the pervasiveness and perversity of cultural and human commodification that is (and has been) part of the particular version of capitalism prevalent in 2019.