Recently I was invited to a party with an assortment of individuals from different walks of life and ethnic backgrounds. Early into the evening, one of the men came over to me and started to chat. He immediately informed me that he was a Socialist––not an excellent way to get on the right foot with me. I heard him out and didn't say much until the conversation transitioned to the situation in the USA concerning the Covid-19 pandemic.
The individual in question made the mistake of saying to me how awful the states of Texas and Florida were for having a massive surge in Covid-19 with the worst death rates in America. Of course, he was totally wrong on the statistics, and I pointed this out to him. In fact, New York and New Jersey have the worst death rates by far in the USA. Then the man proceeded to bag Texas, stating that they were all "crazies". I then told him that I had properties and friends in Texas and that his views were, unfortunately, distorted. Needless to say, I did not converse with him for the rest of the evening.
I've had a similar experience with one of my neighbours. He is imbued with so much hatred for Donald Trump that every chance he gets, he makes a snide comment. It's surprising since he resides in Australia. I did initially try to engage him in the conversation that no one is all bad. However, no rational discussion is possible with this individual since he is totally closed-minded. Any communication with this person is relegated to a short, "hi" and a wave.
This led me to the realization that such attitudes are so widespread in our society. Many high profile figures are going out of their way to inflame, incite and generally ruin our ability to enjoy their skills.
I can remember about 15 years ago we attended a Santana concert. Carlos Santana is a most accomplished guitarist; however, about mid-way through his performance, he started to harp on political issues. At the time George Bush was the U.S. President, and Santana's words were inappropriate at that time and place. We had a similar experience with the jazz pianist, Herbie Hancock. He also, lashed out at a President who didn't fit his political views. Needless to say, I will not attend their concerts again. The problem is not what these individuals believe, it is their injection of politics into an entertainment event.
These two cases are not unique. Today, both Hollywood actors and high profile sports figures, are inserting themselves into contentious political topics. In the United States, and other countries, athletes are kneeling in a disrespectful nature during the playing of the national anthem, supposedly as a protest against the nation or perceived "institutional racism". This demonstrates a disdain for the sporting fan who is putting down hard-earned money to attend these games. In a similar vein, I didn't appreciate spending my money at a concert and hearing a musician spouting political vitriol.
Entertainers, whether in music, movies or sport, are there to entertain us, not to lecture us. That old idiom, "Biting the hand that feeds you", certainly applies here. Such arrogance leads many people to find that there are better ways to spend a couple of hours. The result will be that media companies who promote this narrative will suffer financially because the consumer is always “right”.
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