ABSTRACT
Heroes state major themes of an ethos, the kinds of things people approve. The heroes here presented are types judged "heroic or admirable" by most raters, though some are markedly ambivalent. Mass communication has brought to the fore another variety of heroes, whose specialty is a shining impression and some remarkable thing they do before a crowd, camera, or microphone. Splendid performers also include those not strictly in show business who play so hard at a sport or recreation that they find their way into the limelight consistently and become drawing cards. Mass communication should increase the prominence of showmen and spectator sports. Television's moving eye provides innumerable arenas for new play heroes to appear in. It is hardly fair to stress goodfellows and conforming heroes without mentioning a thin but strong thread of individualism in the same fabric models who act and stand alone. Group servants do symbolize solidarity, but the derisive undertone of the term shows some alienation.
