Fleeting Fame — By John Reed

Fleeting Fame
Another week of sheltering in place. Another week of the media breathlessly proclaiming doom and gloom. And then calling out some famous person who has succumbed to the virus.
Apparently famous people are the only victims who deserve mention. If you can catch a ball or sell a record, then you matter. We’re all supposed to raise a glass to these people who made a lot of money and ignore the regular folks who got just as sick but didn’t have cameras and reporters following them around.
Fame can be tricky. Sing one off-key tune on YouTube and you might get millions of hits (let’s don’t say “go viral”). Or you can beat the odds for years in a white man’s world and never get noticed…until you’re nearly 100, and the movie “Hidden Figures” comes out.
Katherine Johnson never wanted fame. Yet without her efforts and those of her coworkers, NASA would never have gotten to the moon. Types like the Kardashians contribute nothing to society and yet they seem to get hours of coverage each day.
I suspect when the current situation rights itself there will be some new priorities. I’m seeing it already as nurses, doctors, and emergency workers are being recognized for their efforts. Teachers may finally gain some respect. Truckers and farmers and others who keep our economy humming will be recognized.
And maybe sports “heroes” won’t be idolized quite as much. It’s nice they’ve developed their particular skill to where they can make a lot of money at it. It takes a doctor or a teacher a heluva lot longer to finish their schooling to do what they do.
And let’s face it: baseball players make millions if they hit the ball only one-third of the time they’re at bat. Doctors really really need to get it right every single time.
Who really deserves the media coverage?