Wednesday, December 9, 2009

The curse of hero-worship.

I've learned through the years that the only hero is a person without heroes. But most people, certainly most people in our industry, still engage in hero-worship.

That's why you have Q scores and ads featuring asses like Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods is a golfer. Not the paragon of animals or the quintessence of dust. The idea that he is super-human in any pursuit other than golf is utterly asinine.

Yet every advertiser and his caddie thought by linking to Woods they would get the glow of his manufactured persona, without the risks when that persona's putter starts getting a mind of its own.

I think of the ancient sculptor whose perfect female is turned real by one of the gods. "Oh my god," the sculptor exclaimed, "it speaks."

As far as advertising and life goes, hero worship is not healthy.

It's certainly no substitute for an idea.

No comments: