R U a Celebrity Fawner?

A Fawner is defined as - "someone who behaves as if without self-respect or independent thoughts, who curries favor by behaving obsequiously and submissively, an apple-polisher, a bootlicker, a kowtower, etc."

As long as there have been celebrities, there have been those who have idolized and deified them, by attaching undue credibility, importance and credence to their every utterance and action, no matter how inane, ignorant, mean-spirited, self-aggrandizing or misinformed. Because of this near universal deference by their fans and wannabe followers, celebrities often take this as license to pontificate wily-nily on their bully pulpits, regardless of who it hurts or slanders.

I'm mystified that so many, despite their own personal accomplishments, will deify and give credence to the most inane, sophomoric, mindless rantings of celebrities. I know TV and movie exposure plays a big part in this 'anointing', but it still is dumbfounding.

My wise buddy, Nezet, Prophet of the Surreal says..."Completely and utterly dumbfounding! I've gotten into many an argument, not mere disagreement, but full-blown arguing with fam and friends over some sheet that a so-called celeb has said or done. I do NOT do celeb "worshipping" at all...and despite what society and the media says, I try to raise my kids to not worship celebs either. They are people...as flawed, nice and f-up'ed as any of us walking the planet, period. I think it has to do with collective low self-esteem, hero/ine worship, consumerism and projection (psychological term!). People are fed a constant dose of so-called reality by marketing, advertising and other corporate entities that they haven't achieved enough (foundation of capitalism IMHO), that when they hear and see people who speak well (and have all the material possessions to boot)....they seduce the masses with mass psychology/hypnosis (see: Hitler and other dictators, many televangelists and others)...and the lemmings (fawners) get behind the message cause it makes them "feel good"....and they feel so "connected" to the personality (see: Oprah, Cosby et. al.) that they think they are living their lives vicariously through these individuals. Despite a high level of education, people still flock to and are deluded in their thinking that Cosby, Oprah, Trump, Jakes...whoever, is somehow worthy of being deified and is "better" than them, because they have marketed themselves to make you part with your dollars and buy the "kool-aid" they be selling!"

Two prominent celebrities whose every word is often revered by faithful celebrity fawners, as if it was spoken from a mountain top by gods of the universe, are Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cosby. Recently these two have been quoted saying dismissive and disparaging things about the 'lower classes' of blacks in the ghettos of our cities. Their fawners, who hang on their every word, dutifully ignores the mean-spirited, damning words, and instead anoints them as modern 'truth-tellers' while ignoring their insulting, elitist words.

One admiring fawner wrote this;

"I am also so sick and tired of the jealous Black (and White) newsmongerers who can’t stop criticizing Oprah and Bill Cosby whenever they get the chance. Both of them have been exceedingly generous, having donated millions over time to historically Black colleges, numerous causes and to innumerable individuals in need here in the USA. Neither of them came from wealthy backgrounds, in fact just the opposite. They know the “ghetto mentality” and could have chosen to remain there themselves. However, God has blessed them exceedingly and has prospered them. They have the right to do with their wealth what they will. If they want to help the other Black nations of the world to come out of poverty, apartheid, HIV/AIDS, so what??? What wrong with that? We need to be proud of them and LISTEN to what they are saying.

Whether we want to accept it or not, calling it “airing our dirty linen in public,” what they have said is THE TRUTH!!! Ipods and sneakers and long baggy pants, hiphop music, rap music with its awful disgraceful lyrics, gansta rap, holdups, prison, gangbangging, crack/cocaine, methamphetamines, MTV, homelessness, fatherlessness, teen pregnancies, “Baby Daddies” welfare, etc etc etc are the order of the day in the Black community and it is DISGRACEFUL. Just walk through any mall or through any of our urban communities and there they are with doo rags on their heads and hairstyles with 5 different colors. Ask them a geography question and they’re looking at you as if you have rocks in your heads. Most don’t own a passport because they are not planning to go anywhere. Most can’t spell, read or speak. They take disgraceful pride in being on Jerry Springer and Maury Popvich illuminating their disgusting lifestyles. We know there are many of us who have pulled ourselves up against unspeakable odds and have succeeded. But we are less than 1%. Let’s not kid ourselves.

When Oprah or Bill Cosby try to speak out. They are NOT being insulting. But even those of us who know better want to shush they down. Why? We are in crisis!! MLK and Malcolm would turn over in their graves if they could see where we are now. After all they fought for, we have slidden backwards instead of forwards. Stop the jealousy because that’s all it is. Leave Oprah and Bill Cosby Alone!!!!"

It's clear that there will be those, like this writer, who make equally offensive remarks about the 'lower classes', and will defend these truth-tellers' not because they are necessarily telling the truth, but because they are celebrities, and therefore above criticism and being held accountable for damaging and insulting words, that would be rightfully deemed stereotyping and racist if uttered by any other ethnic group.

Moreover, every story has a contextual framework. To only tell part of the story while dismissing contributing factors, is disingenuous and factually incorrect. If one is going to tell the "truth" - then tell the whole truth, warts and all (see an article by the recently departed Norman Mailer that does such, here: http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0708-01.htm )

We will all do well, if we view celebrities as just as flawed and subject to error, as any of us who are not celebrities. Their words and deeds must be subjected to the same scrutiny and criticism, as those of us who don't have the big bully pulpits they do.

What Does Love Have to Do With It?

Recently, I read an article by a single man (he describes himself as a 'Grown-Ass' single man) and how he tries to cope with that status at Christmas, when those of his friends who are married or partnered, tend to be a little bit pitying towards him and his singleness.

As one who was married for 21 years and now has been single for 24 years, I have been on both sides of the holiday table, and have found that whether I have someone special to love or not, does not detract from the significance and the specialness of the holiday for me. In fact, when I was married and had a growing family, Christmas had a meaning that was totally different from what it means to me now, but both states have been full of the good vibes that come automatically with each season's celebration. I don't envy those who have partners, and I don't feel 'less-than' because I'm single. Each state has it's own positives and negatives, and I prefer neither one over the other.

Love has a lot to do with who we are individually, and how readily we have accepted and adapted to our status. That is the real essence of love....for ourselves first....which then permits us to love others fully and unselfishly, regardless of the season.

Some years I have a Christmas tree, this year I didn't, but all years are filled with the richness of holiday music, some recorded, and some created by me. And I don't need music to put me in the mood, neither shopping nor the usual parties, all I need is to be alive - to be breathing and in good health - that's enough to make it memorable for me. Those friends and family that I am able to spend time with and correspond with, are the icing on the cake and are a great substitute for the lack of that special someone so many think is necessary. This season is almost over now, and in a few days the new year of 2007 will be here. I'm already looking forward to the next holiday season!

Finally, Love has always had and continues to have, a lot to do with everything - but maybe not in quite the same way many people tend to think it does - this is how I see it!

Happy New Year to all the long-suffering and wonderful readers of my blog!

Dying While Climbing?

Of all the ways to die, this is got to be the stupidest - there is nothing noble or heroic about dying this way, it's just plainly stupid!

I don't mean to be insensitive to the recent loss of the climber who was just found frozen to death in an ice cave on the side of a mountain in Oregon. It is tragic but entirely predictable that this would happen to him and probably to his two buddies that have yet to be found, because of the sheer insanity of their expedition in winter, on one of the steepest and most dangerous mountains in North America.

Every year, this scenario is repeated where climbers irrationally set out to 'conquer' a mountain that clearly wishes not to be conquered, particularly in the winter season. It has to be asked, what motivates these individuals to risk their lives and limbs and the future lives of their families, for the thrill of conquering an unforgiving mountain somewhere? Do they not care about the loss and heartache that will be experienced by their families if they don't return? Do they not care enough about their own lives that they are risking so foolishly? Do they not care about the thousands of man-hours and thousands of dollars that have to be spent from public funds in trying to find them if they don't return? Do they not remember that 14 other climbers have died on this same mountain in the last 4 years?

Sadly and incredibly, I think the obvious answer to all five questions is....no, no, no, no and no!
If they truly cared, would they really engage in such a dangerous undertaking, given the huge risks and the uncertain prospect of success? I certainly would not - and I'm certain all of my sane friends and associates would also agree.

It's especially sad when these tragedies happen at a time of year, when we are celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with the joyous celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus.

Their deaths are a sorrowful reminder to their families and friends, of how inconsiderate, selfish and self-absorbed, these thrill-seekers were.

I'm sorry I can't say it any other way - I get angry just thinking about their stupidity, their arrogance and their recklessness!

Genetically Destined or Merely More Motivated?

I agree that those sufficiently motivated to start over in a strange land (or even a different part of the same country, such as the northward and westward migration of southern Blacks starting in the early part of the last century) are probably destined to succeed, even beyond most of those that are natives of the new land. The Jamaican immigrants, Marcus Garvey and Colin Powell comes to mind, among others. However, I think it goes beyond being merely more motivated, focused, educated and purposeful. I would not discount the possibility that those who are so motivated, could be part of the 'talented tenth' of each particular ethnic/cultural group, as W. E. Dubois discussed in his writings. Could there be a superior gene common to these who have this drive and willingness to go beyond their comfort zones to migrate to succeed? If so, then it might indeed be said, that the 'best and brightest' who migrate elsewhere, are probably 'better' than the average of the persons who are native to the new land they have come to. This might be a more satisfactory explanation for their dominance, since they as a group (1st and 2nd generations) appear to achieve even more, than those natives among them, who could be characterized as focused, educated and purposeful.