Commentary

Anna Nicole and the American Dream

Anna Nicole Smith rose to a position of fame and
fortune after she dropped out of high school. Her sister
said, after Anna’s death, that she was a woman
determined to get out of her small town in Texas and
make a name for herself.

This desire has been an essential element of America’s
fascination with Anna Nicole; the drive for a better
life is emblematic of all that is supposed to be great
about this nation. Anyone can win, and a person’s lot
in life is not determined by the rung on the social ladder
that is assigned at birth.

The circumstances of her climb from the depths of rural
poverty also reflect America’s obsession with wealth
and celebrity status. If Ms. Smith were merely a hard-
working entrepreneur who had risen to the level of
material comfort, there would be no story worth telling.
Her life was filled with all of the elements that constitute
an intriguing fictional tale: sex, scandal, courtroom
drama, and in the end, tragedy.

Americans seem to have lost faith in ethics that stress
hard work, honor, and dignity; most are happy to stay
a few steps ahead of their creditors, and under the radar
screens of their demanding bosses. Anna Nicole’s life
and tragic death confirm that the new American dream
is but a shallow construct of a society that has lost its way.
Those who followed her life knew how it would end, but
they could not bear to turn away.

Greg Strid

© 2007 Splendid Marbles.