Oprah’s Popularity — Einstein’s Portent -&- The “Little Black Dress”
Oprah’s Popularity
-
Einstein’s Portent
-&-
The
“Little Black Dress”
*
LBD
‘If it looks good…
Wear (or vote for) it!’
*
‘Tide’s Up’
It was a sea of “black”. A: little Black Sea-scape. An ocean of ‘Little Black’ dresses. It was a flood. It was a tide. It was a tidal wave. It was a tsunami. It was a Little Black Dress Tsunami: that’s it! That’s what it was…LBDT.
(75th Golden Globe Awards, January 7, 2018)
*
“Time’s Up”
In a sense, Time’s Up is being launched as a companion to the #MeToo movement that grew out of the spontaneous response to revelations about Hollywood’s “casting-couch” system of sexual predation and enduring gender-pay disparities…
The initiative’s goals also include promoting legislation to penalize companies that tolerate persistent harassment, and to fight against the use of non-disclosure agreements to shield sexual abusers…
Organizers also plan to ask women walking the red carpet at the Golden Globes this year to wear black. “This is a moment of solidarity, not a fashion moment,” actor Eva Longoria, who rose to fame in Desperate Housewives, told the paper.
The Guradian (US Edition)
Edward Helmore (NY)
January 1, 2018
*
‘A Star Is Born’
To aspire to ‘live the good life’: requires the stuff of romantic imagination. Thus. Most every American must be a slave to romance.
Though some of us are blessed with greater powers of imagination than others. The more sentient of us are each equipped with the ability to believe: in what we think is necessary in order to ‘live the good life’.
It is the belief of an adoring American public that our “stars” represent the best example of those who ‘live the good life’. Our perception of the perfection of what it means to ‘live the good life’. Might be just as flawed as other perceptions that we, ‘the great unwashed’, entertain, however…
Yet. Because someone might ‘live the good life’, it is entirely possible that we are too easily encouraged to confuse that, which is nothing more than popularity. With a misperception that they possess the quality to be a: leader. Therein is an assumption that could not be further from the truth.
*
“Popularity is a confection of passion and fashion.
Thus leadership is seldom based on, popularity.”
-Julius D. Thomas
*
‘In God We Trust’
It is with a sense of near religious belief that so many of us revere those who: ‘live the good life’. Some of us possess an equally powerful belief that we too, might one day attain the elusive goal for ourselves. To: ‘live the good life’.
*
Yet. There might be no single satisfactory definition of what it is to ‘live the good life’. No matter how focused or unclear one’s personal concept of the matter seems to be, it is a universal objective that just waits to be accomplished.
It is an objective that is quietly embraced by virtually every American citizen. After all: the average individual’s personal belief that “it” should happen (to us) is the lifeblood of every successful state lottery!
Though beliefs about how to ‘live the good life’ are largely based upon subjective concepts: each to her or his own imagination. When we do, actually, see “it”, no matter how differing our own personal, individual, vision might be: we are all able to come together (often as an audience) and agree to just what “it” is.
So. When someone is clearly able to ‘live the good life’. It shows.
In other words, most of us will concur. Though we might not have lived “it” ourselves, when we see someone ‘live the good life’ we have no doubt about what we are witnessing. On this fact, no matter how different our personalities or imaginations or visions might be. We can all agree to “it” when we actually observe someone…‘live the good life’.
*
Technology
&
Trust
With the power of technology and the wide presence of digital access to every means of information whatsoever in the world, we each have the advantage of seeing “in real time” just what those who ‘live the good life’ possess and enjoy. Thus our ideas of how to ‘live the good life’ can become not just internalized, subjective thoughts: but detailed, objective, visuals as well.
It is with the assistance of such technology that we can experience detailed demonstrations of that, which might customarily have been hidden from view. So. The stuff of our otherwise blind, subjective faith can be verified with, actual on-screen digital images.
Thus. Though largely out of reach: the trappings possessed by those who ‘live the good life’ are everywhere before us. With the help of technology: things that would ordinarily be physically inaccessible are nonetheless plainly visible and brought to us instantly and in living color.
So. There is no longer a need to be limited by our own individual, imaginations. There are numerous, step-by-step examples of just what the average American would require in order to reach such nirvana. In order, to: ‘live the good life’.
So. We aspire to a storied existence that is out of reach for most of us while we tend to adore and idolize those who actually do: ‘live the good life’.
*
Technology
Is
Power
With this power: exposure to information leaves little to the imagination.
With this power: (even) the premise of religion can be dispelled.
With this power: the strength of false idols can be enhanced.
With this power: we can worship idols, false and true with a more robust energy.
With this power: we can decide which idols are ‘sacred’ and which ‘profane’.
With this power: we can learn which idols are in earnest and which are…flawed.
*
‘In Oprah We Trust’
*
“All that glitters is not gold.”
-Wm. Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice
Unlike “God”: without technology, Oprah would not exist. It is unclear to many people what Oprah actually does but; there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that whatever she does is: startlingly successful.
Like a god, Oprah is worshipped. To all appearances Oprah does ‘live the good life’.
Moreover, like some god, she has hoards of zealous adherents: all born not of the trials of some ancient religion. Rather they are recent-spun, in real time and stand before themselves as their own audience. An audience washed over with the power of technology.
Additionally. We see Oprah’s successes conveniently and seamlessly translate into an image of popularity: wherever she goes, whatever she does. No matter the venue: Oprah does ‘live the good life’.
*
Oprah has successfully captured the imagination of so many, but only with the aid of the imagination enhancementthat is universally available technology. To the average person Oprah is the embodiment of what it means to ‘live the good life’.
Thus. Oprah has become a media god…our media god. Does that a leader make?
*
‘Render Unto Oprah, That Which Is Oprah’s…’
*
“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”
Matthew 22:21
*
The sensation that is Oprah is one that follows the pattern of ephemeral enthusiasm. The enthusiasm that seasons the judgment of the less contemplative among us is the energy of Oprah as sage; is the energy that dwells in the core of entertainment-enabled emotion.
On one hand the energy of, entertainment-enabled (viewer) emotion is the quick-jolt energy “simple sugar” to the average attention system. On the other hand, a more meaningful dose of close consideration of factual circumstancesis the slow-burn of intellectual “complex carbohydrate”. That provides a lasting energy benefit to the hungry intellect.
In short, from all appearances Oprah is entertainment: is sugar. For a system that is in dire need of the dependable slow-burn energy of complex “carbohydrate” intellectual fuel, simple star-power is not the stable mental diet that is necessary to sustaining a more mindful and attentive approach to the real problems that a real-world, outside-of-the-studio society faces.
The true issue arises when the equilateral availability of technology encourages a mindset amongst the wider masses. The mindset that: star power is the solution to every problem.
Whereas a single selected issue intended for the resolution of a staged problem is the predictable stuff of entertainment. It is so often nothing more than a contrived treacle confected of meticulously scripted and elaborately staged and manifestly profit-driven, pure: entertainment.
Oprah is entertainment. Oprah is a most effective messenger. Oprah is the magnet that brings attention to issues or problems. Oprah is not the solution for anything but entertainment. Alas…
*
“You blocks you stones you worse than senseless things.”
Wm. Shakespeare Julius Caesar
*
Where to Draw the Line: ‘That’s Entertainment’
*
The line between distracting entertainment and focused intellect is a fine one. In American society today, it is a line that is crossed without notice: all the time.
Even with the instantaneous and universal access to real information available to each of us. We are easily inclined to instantly misjudge that, which is fact and that, which is fabrication and how to resolve the difference with the aid of genuine policy leadership.
Today. We all have equal technological access to images and information, however we don’t always have equal facility to successfully make the distinction as to who actually has the ability to truly resolve complex social issues and who has the ability to simply make popular pronouncements relative thereto. There is a difference…
Thus. We cannot afford to be saddled with the consequences of rash, emotional judgment: either our own or another’s.
*
Sometimes it is difficult to determine just where fanciful entertainment ends and solid information begins. Unless and until Oprah establishes herself as something more than either an entertainer, a successful entrepreneur or, someone who just has had the great good fortune to ‘live the good life’.
The public should be wary of a simple but popular messenger. That is proposed to be the responsible leader…
*
“I fear the day that technology surpasses our human interaction.
The world will have a generation of idiots.”
-Albert Einstein
(Attributed)
*
Posted 15 hours ago by DILULIUS, King of Troy