Golden...

Gold has never relinquished the power it gained five thousand years ago. No ruler of men has lasted as long. It was of course, man who attributed this value to gold; he ended up falling into his own trap, submitting to gold's reign. This rule is so powerful that it continues to be the only unit even today: The most successful athletes who break records are rewarded with gold medals and cups. The Nobel Prize recognizes achievement in science, literature, economy and in peace, and this prize is given in the form of gold medals. The most successful and best films win the golden Oscar statuette of the Academy, the Golden Bear of Berlin, the Palme d'Or of Cannes. The best and the most popular songs win golden Emmy awards. Teams who have succeeded in whatever field are referred to as the "golden boys", "golden girls" or "golden men".

Gold has become such a ne plus ultra that even ideas, locations, events, policies and the concept of beauty are all measured thus.