There are kids that collect winter coats for the needy but they aren't cheering them.
There are kids that collect food for soup kitchens. But they aren't cheering them.
They're cheering a kid that simply WANTED to sail the world.....to benefit no one but herself. And those of us that quietly go about our lives are denigrated because we aren't selfish too. Oprah-esque indeed.
I think it shows what personal qualities are valued. Qualities like duty, honor, taking responsibility especially in a way that benefits others, charity, humility, compassion, doing what is unpopular but right - all these are gone by the wayside.
Now what are valued are personal physical beauty (plastic or not), fame, being an admired sexual object, being number one at something - blue ribbon - the team won etc - and if one gets to be on TV or the internet, that’s the jackpot.
Shallow and tinny and IMO worthless. Absolutely worthless. Such shallow endeavors are only “satisfying” because a whole bunch of other people “luv” you and praise you. Doing something that few people know about - or even none - just because it’s the right thing to do gives an inner happiness that is not comparable to the fanclub stuff. This is like a version of Americon Idol or something (not that I’ve ever seen that, don’t have a TV) but plenty of people on FR have long threads about it.
Sounds like the most boring thing in the three worlds.