Golden Globes More Important Than Life?

I generally don’t watch TV, and I couldn’t care less about award shows, but my husband insisted on watching the Golden Globe Award show last night.  I had only seen three of the movies, so I held no strong opinions (although I was glad 12 Years A Slave won for Best Drama).

The one thing that caught my interest in the program was that one of the winners (I believe he directed one of the TV shows but I wasn’t paying attention so I’m not sure who he is or why he won) mentioned that he had dropped out of med-school in order to make movies. He made the statement that he was thrilled he quit school, because winning that award was much better than saving lives.

That statement has been gnawing at me.  What kind of society are we creating where winning an award is more important than saving lives? Where are our priorities when becoming famous trumps saving even one child’s life, and then seeing that child grow and mature into a caring, loving, fruitful life?

Is this really where Western society is heading? Does fame and fortune really outplay everything? Of course, everyone has their own values, and values change over time. Perhaps when this person becomes critically ill, he’ll more appreciate the people who dedicate their lives to helping others.