LeBron James and Lindsay Lohan

LeBron James and Lindsay Lohan? Nothing in common you may say. I say not so fast. Full disclosure I am from Northeast Ohio so am not pleased with James' decision to go play in Miami. That being said what these two infamous people have in common isn't that at the heart of it they are entertainers. It is not that they are on the down side of the news cycle. It is that they live in a bubble that separates them from the majority of people.

First Ms. Lohan. I have never seen anything she has done, nor do I expect to go out and change that. She is a young actress that had the fortunate claim to have been a cute kid that got a break. As a child actress she became very famous. As an adult she has become a drain on society. After missing seven court mandated appointments she was sentenced to jail. This attitude is not unusual especially in Hollywood, but her reaction is what should be shocking. She had an expletive manicured on her middle finger. I doubt if the framers intended the first amendment to be exercised in this way but it is hardly her most egregious error. Her most glaring error is her betrayal of the people who made her famous. Families made her rich. Families went to her movies and saw themselves in her if only as an escape. The actress and her roles were in conflict. She chose the pampered life. She chose to thumb her nose at the families that made her successful. She has every right to do that, but she should not be surprised when the fallout makes her no longer rich and famous.

Now Mr. James. King James as he refers to himself. LeBron James comes from a working class background in Akron Ohio. He skipped college and went straight to the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers won the lottery and drafted him number one. Sounds like a fairy book story. In the seven years since, the Cavs have been good, and he has been personally great, but no championships. The fans of Cleveland sports teams have been without a championship since 1964. This of course is not LeBron's fault but being from the area he knows the history.

When the season ended he spoke of his team. He meant his posse not the Cavs. He had several teams entertain him with offers as is normal with free agency. He came to a decision. At his core he had to know that the decision would be unpopular. That should not have made him change his decision, just not twist the dagger into the proverbial backs of the fans. He chose to have an hour long spectacle televised on ESPN. He chose not to let any of the teams know other than the winning Miami Heat. He spoke about his doing what made him happy. This, again is not wrong, but given his history should have known what the outcome would be.

Like Ms. Lohan he gets rich from families. Families struggling to get by to buy their young son a pair of Nike shoes or a LeBron Jersey. He has showed those young boys that narcissism is the order of the day. The young boys get enough of that lesson already. A lesson of character would have been nice.

After it is all said and done, Lindsay Lohan is going to jail and LeBron is going to Miami. They will continue to be surrounded by people who care not at all about the people who pay the bills. They know that their fans will continue to take it on the chin. Someday we fans of both venues will get over our cult of personality. If that happens they will think a little bit about the little people outside of their posse. I'm not holding my breath on that happening soon.