The only thing worse than celebrity
actors publicly espousing their political views is a self-congratulatory award
ceremony where celebrity actors espouse their political views.
Thus, welcome to the 91st
Academy Awards, which, tragically, has degenerated in recent years to a
platform for bashing those political leaders despised by the Hollywood
Establishment—and during which each award-winner tries to out-do the one before
with vitriol and profanity in a competition called who can be the vilest.
These are the same people who
role-play and recite lines for a living. They possess a talent for acting (some
would say exhibitionism) and memorizing witticisms produced by screenwriters (the
real brains of the operation). This occupation rarely equates to either a) high
intelligence or b) knowing enough about government and politics to be taken any
more seriously than a New York City cabbie.
That political pronouncements by thespians
are taken seriously is a cultural problem
begging resolution.
In the 1930s and 40s, the pop stars
were magazine writers, like Hemingway.
In the 1950s… okay, for me it was Mighty Mouse.
In the 1960s the pop stars were,
well, pop stars.
In the 1980s newspaper columnists ruled
(think Jimmy Breslin, Pete Hamill, Mike Royko).
These folks—aside from Mighty Mouse
and actual pop stars—had well-reasoned political opinions worth expressing.
Today ‘s most famous “pop stars”—the
Kardashians and assorted reality show nitwits—are famous for nothing more than
being famous, yet their flatulent views are reported laxative-regular by the
news media.
But let us readdress Hollywood.
Actors are paid huge amounts of
money to perform. They protest about reporters
prying into their personal lives (think Alec Baldwin) yet, as rookies, they once
begged the media to pay them any kind of attention (think Alec Baldwin). Once
famous, through media attention, they feel impelled to use celebrity status to
issue lofty pronouncements (in front of a camera or on Twitter) because they somehow
believe fame translates to genius (think Alec Baldwin).
Problem is, these self-presumed
geniuses don’t even keep their word.
Case in point: Barbra Streisand and
Rosie O’Donnell (and others) vowed to leave the country if Donald Trump won the
presidency. (May we hand you your coats?)
Last time I checked, they were still
here—every single one of them.
Where is the dignity in this?
And why should anyone believe what
these entertainers say if they don’t even stick to their word and their
principles?
The answer is, people should not
believe them.
Why not?
Because these people are actors!
They were acting!
The people in our country who deserve
awards and applause are scientists working to cure cancer, first responders who
put themselves in harm’s way to save the lives of others, philanthropists (no,
strike that, for them it is mostly a tax write-off), and educators (but only
the truly bright teachers who come to the classroom with knowledge and
enthusiasm devoid of bias, agenda and—God help us—political correctness).
These are our real heroes. But the
best they ever get is Employee of the
Month, which translates to maybe a plaque on a wall near the restroom or perhaps
a better parking spot for thirty days.
Actors and actresses memorize lines
written by writers who have recreated the lives of heroes. And then they pretend
i.e. act (beyond the lines written
for them) as if they are the actual heroes—like Ed Asner’s ridiculous
television commercials in which the audience is supposed to believe that the passionate,
honest, hard-working Lou Grant is addressing them.
I leave you with this thought:
How long until the Political
Correctness Brigade joins forces with Feminists to demand that the Academy’s iconic
gold statuette be changed to… Oscaretta?
Me? On Sunday evening, I’ll be
reading a book. But if I’m tempted to switch on a TV set, it will be to laugh
at the histrionics masquerading as entertainment.
