blown out of proportion

Today I was watching TV and an old commercial came on for PowerAde with Lebron James. Its that one where a newscaster is supposedly shooting a news report on a basketball court and the camera man "candidly" catches Lebron shooting consecutive full court shots. After a second viewing of this commercial, it becomes obvious that this isn't real. If my memory serves me correctly, this commercial came out close to the time Lebron entered the NBA. When I first saw the commercial, I was amazed. After all, as its supposed to, it actually looked like he was pulling this off. More importantly, there had been so much hype and news about this high school phenomenon, that heck, maybe this kid really could do mind blowing stunts like this. At the same time I was pretty skeptical and wanted to see it again to find the glitch as to where they may have doctored it, which, sure enough, I spotted the next time I saw it. I have to admit, I was a little dissapointed.

In any case, my point is this. The media and "word on the street" was that there was this amazing kid from high school who was drafted into the NBA. So much hype was created, then this commercial with him supposedly candidly shooting full court shots appears, and we're supposed to believe that this freakish phenomenon can literally do unbelievable things. Well, Lebron is an amazing basketball player, and he's able to do some amazing things, some of which could probably be classified as stunts. In fact, I'm sure he could make a full court shot here and there (probably by luck), but not multiple consecutive ones, especially with such ease. After all, throwing a basketball full court usually requires a good old "hurl" rather than a nice shot with "free-throw form." Basically Lebron, while certainly a superstar and one of the better players in the NBA, essentially doesn't do anything totally above and beyond the many other players in the NBA, or at least among the many superstars there.

This same thing, while not necessarily to the same degree, often happens in music. You hear about so and so, this guy, that girl, whoever, and how this person is just "such an amazing musician," or "simply the best." If I only had a nickel for every person I heard about that was the best, or unbelievably amazing. If these things were all true, I probably would've quit by now too. But these are the things that get into people's heads when they go to auditions, competitions, etc. You heard so and so is going to be there, and word on the street is that this person is the best there is. Well, look. This person is probably really good at their instrument. They may even be one of the better ones out there, maybe even one of the best. After all, there are freakish musicians out there who can do crazy things on their instruments. But all in all, when it gets down to the nitty gritty, that person is probably no better than the other professional that you've heard on that instrument that you thought was "amazing."

Here's the point. People talk too much. People like to know people, people like to know the most talented people, and people like to talk about people they know. Therefore, too often, (especially for those who enjoy talking) the people that people know and talk about, often miraculously become the most amazing, unbelievable people (or in our case, musicians) that suddenly can make brooms dance and dishes wash themselves. This is nothing against those musicians who are being talked about, after all, they aren't the ones talking about themselves (hopefully). And, more than likely, they probably are good.

What it comes down to it the loud mouths. People who like to talk a lot. People like the media. Boy are they annoying.