The Gollum Culture
How money, fame, power and the non-stop pursuit of all three is creating little Gollums out of otherwise good people.
By Michael McGruther
I call it the DARK NUDGE — that unspoken push towards seeking fame and fortune which awakens the worst qualities in any person that goes looking exclusively for such things. How so many get lured down this path in the first place is part of the problem and the main reason we now live in a Gollum culture.
Sméagol finds the ring.
Gollum, as you may know, is a fallen Hobbit in JRR Tolkein’s “The Hobbit” He’s hoarding a ring that has tremendous magical power. To him it is everything and so he begins to worship it. He dwells on the ring and keeps it all to himself until it slips from his grip — then he spends the rest of his life trying to get it back again.
In today’s terms that ring translates into fame, fortune and power for the sake of fame, fortune and power.
“America has a genius for the encouragement of fame.”
G.K. Chesterton
Fame and fortune grants anyone membership into the global elite. And since the vast majority of American’s take their lifestyle-queues from pop-culture, celebrities, flawed movie characters and television stars, it’s easy to raise up a whole generation of Gollums in search of their rings and that is exactly what Hollywood cultivates.
Many who get into show business, it seems, become far more concerned with finding and keeping their “precious” than anything else. Little Gollums can be found everywhere in the world of entertainment and politics if you know how look.
Democrat and Republican political pundits on cable TV? Just little Gollums arguing over whose precious will last longer.
MY MAGA!
Young Hip-Hop artists and mini-moguls? Just little Gollums trying to out-precious one another.
I GOT PAID!
The truth is, the Hollywood-induced understanding many have — that being rich means you’ve made it, being famous means you’ve really made it, and being both rich and famous together makes you into instant American Royalty, is pure poison for the nation at large because it is nothing but a myth that is propagated by the culture-makers in power positions.
The Sauron’s of the world want you looking for that magical ring so you don’t look for something true and of real value to your fellow human beings while you’re here on Earth. They don’t get a cut of that.
Come get your ring.
Fame, it turns out, is the greatest of all opioids for the masses! The soul corrupting formula works without fail because it is hardwired into every human being. The pleasure of the flesh vs care of the soul is the battle that rages inside us all and when you lose that battle by focusing entirely on worldly pleasures and power you go FULL GOLLUM.
Ask yourself — who is the master of your precious? Whom do you serve?
Gollum the lost.
The age of social media is where little Gollums can really thrive and spread the disease. Nothing makes little Gollum happier than knowing he has the ring and you do not.
The problem for Gollum in the Lord of The Rings and all the little Gollums in real life is that their precious cannot be kept without corrupting the keeper. Cannot be worshiped without destroying the soul. Cannot create joy in the heart of wearer.
Real treasures do not originate in this world. They come from outside reality and penetrate our world by mystical force. There is no ring. There is only the truth that money, power, and fame lead one further and further away from authentic joy and closer to authentic Hell.
Sadly, all Gollums share the same fate. It never ends well. Beware of the dark nudge. It can kill your soul and you won’t know until the fire finally engulfs you.
