Adam splitting: the nuclear fission of opinion

Miley Cyrus dominates a week of news. Thousands sign a petition against Ben Affleck taking the role of Batman. Grown Ups 2 makes a significan tamount of money at the summer box office.  The Kardashians somehow remain relevant. These things are our popular discussion topics, our concerns. Yet, strife occurs across the globe and hardly anyone bats an eye. It's a common complaint in our society.                                                                                                                                                                                          Our country is in trouble in far too many ways. There are always issues and problems, but the ones we currently face are some of the most harrowing. A great percentage of our citizens are denied the same rights millions of others have had for decades. The ever-growing class divide allows the exponential growth of homelessness and hunger. Foreign interests often seem more important than those of the homeland to our government. Then there are the race issues that still exist. But, while all of these things plague our country, one facet of our society is discussed with far too great importance: pop culture.                                                            Popular culture relies heavily on escapism, the fact that the world around us is so unbearable that we must escape to the comfort of couch and cinema. Television, music, movies, and other media make us feel good and are often a pleasant conversation piece, something that easily connects to our fellow human being. Media is powerful, but it can be abused. In our society, it is being abused. Why do we talk about this or that? What should we be talking about? Who gets to decide what topics are worthy of discussion? It's subjective certainly, but importance can be deemed based on the consequences of that discussed. Who does it affect? How long will it last? What kind of effect will it ultimately have on the worldwide community? The answers to these questions can ultimately help us decipher what is attention-worthy. As we continue ad nauseam to discuss celebrity hijinks or comic book casting our society fall deeper and deeper into a dull lull of comfort and complacency. The world hardly becomes better under such circumstances. Around the world, the almighty dollar rules all, especially in the media. Monetary security ties right back into the same comforts media and pop culture provide. We feel good. We feel safe. Big businesses get bigger and for all the wrong reasons. Success usually comes from the continued exploitation of particular demographics through sense and "need" based marketing. The companies know what you like, what you "need", and what you want. The companies that focus on selling you all the things you "need"are the same companies that operate the 24-hour news cycle. So when former Disney star Miley Cyrus is the top story on CNN one Monday morning, it won't be too difficult to figure out why.                                                                                                                                   So what can we do? Get involved. Share your voice. Enact change any way you can. But, will we actually do this? I'm not sure, what's on HBO tonight? If it's Game of Thrones, that's what I'll be doing.                                                                                                 In the end, it's all rhetorical and subjective. People talk about what interests them and popular culture has convinced many that celebrity endeavors are of significant importance. We could do better, we could rearrange our concerns and focus on what is truly important for all. But we won't because we're selfish. We won't because the VMA's are on.