Follow what they are up to at the stations in Antarctica. It's boring and depressing. Mars won't be any different.
I think a lot of talk about Mars is marketing to sell some other product (books/shows/movies/people etc).
Perhaps it's boring and depressing to most, I've always really liked the feeling of being in a desolate place, it's a kind if quiet you can't get anywhere else (that being said requirement 1 for me going anywhere is a good internet connection). And there is an unarguable novelty to being on another planet, in addition to the security idea, it's sort of a fail safe if we end up nuking each other into oblivion
I think you're right about it being like Antarctica and being exploited by the media. We shouldn't use that as an excuse not to propel the technology forward in order to get there though. The movies also help kids get excited about pursuing a STEM field and the possibilities for the human race.