Miles's blog

Watching a lot of basketball this weekend has required me to see way too many commercials. So I have seen former dancer Amanda Schull (Center Stage) loving her shamrock shake and two guys dancing in the stands, and all kinds of Dennis Haysbert.  I was shocked, however, to see DirecTV using Charlie Sheen.  I mean really, they think the best way to get people to switch to satellite is to use commercials with Charlie Sheen?  This guy is the poster boy for proof that too much fame, fortune and success can turn people into someone you couldn’t possibly like.  And then a few commercials later, there was Charlie again, partying on behalf of Fiat.

You might think Charlie only appeals to a certain frat boy type who reveres partying to excess, and who aspires to the life of drinking, drugs and sex that Charlie has perfected.  But satellite TV is for homeowners and the Fiat Abarth starts at $22,000, so these commercials must be targeting an older demographic—I assume former frat boys who hanker for their degenerate youth while keeping track of their multiple tournament brackets as the wife demands they pay attention to their children until they go off to work at a job where they spend more time surfing the internet and flirting with support staff than actually doing what they are paid for.

Seeing Charlie back in the good graces of major corporations reminded me that the concept of “shame” is no longer part of American culture.  This was reinforced when CBS played a commercial for their upcoming Masters golf tournament highlighting Tiger Woods. 

Charlie and Tiger represent the epitome of qualities which should be reviled, not revered.  After what these two have done—and in the not-so-distant past—most people should be disgusted by them.  And yet, seemingly, neither seems to suffer from the kind of disapproval which was common in prior generations.  Hester Prynne’s adultery resulted in her being forced to wear a scarlett “A” as a sign of societal disapproval.  Her punishment was public humiliation.  Elliott Spitzer, on the other hand, was given his own show on CNN following the discovery of his adulterous behavior.

Mike and Mike the other morning were praising Kobe Bryant, nary was heard a discouraging word about his character.  Even accepting that he was never convicted of sexual assault, he admitted to, at a minimum, cheating on his wife with a young hotel hostess.  Apparently such behavior is not a factor in whether Mike Greenberg thinks you are a good guy. 

A felony conviction in and of itself does not seem to be an impediment to post-incarceration success.  Martha Stewart went right back to all her business success, while Michael Milken became a speaker heavily in demand.  Michael Vick jerseys abound in Philadelphia, and Robert Downey, Jr. is more popular than ever.  Lindsay Lohan appears on Saturday Night Live, although that might be because she is such a train wreck people want to see if she can complete a performance.

Rush Limbaugh maintains both his popularity and holier-than-thou bluster despite his admitted addiction to prescription drugs.  Bill Clinton’s memoirs, which I never read, were wildly popular, despite whatever he did with Monica Lewinsky (and Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, etc.).  I expect presidents of prior eras would have resigned in disgrace.  But disgrace is not part of the American lexicon anymore.