Sándor Németh on Michael Jackson as a modern idol

Reflecting on the death of Michael Jackson, Sándor Németh looks in the weekly paper Hetek at the phenomenon of idolatry: "Apart from its religious forms, secular versions of idolatry are also offered by today's global culture. One could even say that profane idols now exert more influence on people than religious systems do. While idolatry in religions is based on a false image of God in material objects, in secular idolatry this very false representation of humans (in most cases as some sort of 'superman') is decisive. Masses love idols, they can enthuse over them and identify with them. They often subordinate themselves to them, admire them, follow them and imitate their actions. ... So it's hardly surprising that even in times of serious nervous and psychological crises, Michael Jackson clung to the illusory world he had built up for himself and his fans, behind which he could hide his real personality. He fled to this world to escape from the pains and conflicts of reality."

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