Becoming a monster to defeat the monster
After watching the brutal second-to-last episode of Game of Thrones I turned on a news channel to alleviate my discomfort. What was I thinking? Bear with me, I’m going to start in an unusual place…
I’m troubled by the vilification of highly literate and educated people, labeling them “elitists.” Once upon a time, the most learned among us were undisputed and logical choices to run companies and govern nations. Regardless of their privilege and pretense, cultivated individuals were valued above all else. After all, didn’t we want the smartest people running things? Fallible wisdom is better than uncontested brutishness.
The populist agenda would have us believe otherwise. Higher education is for entitled liberals and rogue progressives. Such elitists don’t care about hardworking Americans, they say. Professors and scientists live in ivory towers. They are so out of touch. Learning is thusly framed as a luxury i.e. elitist. Only snobs have the luxury to care about esoteric things like Truth and Beauty.
There are kernels of truth in such notions; that is why they become popular in the first place. Yet, it’s paradoxical. We all aspire to be successful geniuses even as we relish dismantling those who are. The rich are evil. Yet everyone plays the lottery.
We reap what we sow. Populism has become the new normal. Any satisfaction seeing a Washington elite lose the 2016 presidential election has been replaced by something far more depressing and sinister. We have a dumb-ass for a President. And when absolute power is given to a dumb-ass we all get screwed.
That said the other side has taken the bait of outrage, fomenting extremism. As the POTUS has gone low so, too, have they. To fight the monster they have become one, unwittingly or otherwise. The insidious political correctness demanded by the “smart” and “woke” has made speaking one’s mind a minefield. God forbid you do not walk and talk a certain way. You will be shunned. You will be fired. Or worse. The outraged have become an angry mob. Journalism is no longer objective. Media channels are mouthpieces for one side or the other, both equally repugnant. I am as sick of CNN as I am of Fox.
In this crucible of correctness socialism feels like a reasonable idea, an antidote. It is neither. Power to the people is merely a bizarro form of populism, a ploy fronting as a bold idea. At first the Mother of Dragons was the Breaker of Chains, freeing the oppressed and punishing their captors. She was a good idea, too. Spoiler alert: She isn’t anymore. Give anyone absolute power and invariably all goes to shit. An angry mob created this government. Now an angry mob wants to take it out. What is the common denominator? An angry mob. Brandishing their hash tags like Valyrian steel.
I want my leaders to be literate and temperate. I want them to be smarter than me, vastly so. So that they have the courage to forsake righteousness for compromise, to ask for help in difficult matters, to be able to say the three bravest three words of all: “I don’t know.”
The eyes of the demon, The Conjuring 2
Last Saturday night, I served as the “adult aged person” allowing my 8th grade daughter and her BF to see The Conjuring 2. Truth be told they served as my ticket to see this horror film as well. I have loved horror films ever since I began sneaking into them at various grind houses in Chicago when I was in the 8th grade. That one of my daughters finds them intriguing as well is a bonus I hadn’t counted on. Having an ally in this dark pursuit is irresistible. When she asks, “Dad, will you take me to see The Conjuring 2?” we both know the answer.
For the record, The Conjuring 2, is a beautifully produced, at times ridiculous, but also legitimately scary horror movie about demonic possession. That it’s “based on true events” make it even more compelling.
And then this. On the car ride home my daughter asks me if demons and the devil really exist. Rather than abruptly saying “Don’t be silly, sweetheart it’s only a movie” I truly ponder her question. I take it seriously. “Well,” I reply, “if you believe in the Christian God then you have to be open-minded that evil exists in this world and that it has a face.”
If one exists does the other?
Save for the radio, the remainder of the car ride is silent, perhaps the gravity of my answer weighing it down. Was that too heavy a statement, especially for two young girls to bear? I don’t know.
Later that evening, after the girls are in bed (not sleeping, their lights on) I go into my office and turn on the computer. There, I quickly learn about the mass shooting in Florida – the worst ever in US history. A lone gunman entered a gay nightclub firing a barrage of bullets into the dancing throngs, killing scores of innocent people enjoying their Saturday night. The next day his identity and photograph would be posted everywhere. Soon after, the terrorist group, ISIS, would take credit for his gruesome and deadly act.
The eyes of a demon? Omar Mateen, mass murderer.
Again, I think about what I told my daughter “that evil exists in the world and that it has a face.” I stand by my answer. Demons exist. It’s not only a movie.
The Happy Soul Industry is being reviewed from on high.
February 18, 2009
The author praying for book sales!
The publisher of my second novel, The Happy Soul Industry brought several reviews to my attention, emanating from the spiritual community. (I’m attaching a couple for your consideration.) Though they are not universally praiseful, I’m thrilled. I’m also kicking myself.
When the book launched this fall, we focused most of our attention on the advertising community, neglecting a far bigger community of potential readers: religious and spiritual. After all, the book is about God. And God has more followers than, well, anyone. Thank God, then, Inkwater Press had the good sense to pitch the novel in that direction.
Not that the attention from ad land hasn’t been awesome; it has. Ellie Parpis from Adweek reviewed it. Adrants. Adpulp. The American Copywriter. Before it’s all over I may even get my ass kicked by none other than George Parker from Adscam. But there are only so many ad persons in the world and, due to the failing economy, less and less of them every day.
Finding readers elsewhere is a Godsend.
Besides, the spiritual reviews are fascinating –mostly because they come from people so unlike my peers, at least on the surface. The two critics here gave my story kudos but got stuck on the profanity and sex in the novel.
“I think that this could have been a great book had the author not felt the need to include the f-word on several occasions,” said Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur of SpiritualWomanThoughts.blogspot.com
Bob Zykowski of Bobzbookreviews.blogspot.com was snider: “The author mines his knowledge of the ad biz to create an interesting story with characters that readers will care about. That is, if readers can get past the soft-porn.”
Um… as I said, I’m thrilled by these reviews. That professional, God fearing people found Happy Soul to be an “engaging” book filled with “good ideas” is a blessing.
In the novel’s defense, how in the *%&$ do you tell a story about advertising without dropping any f-bombs?
At the same time, the polite condemnation of the book’s naughty bits is not only understandable but also, frankly, charming. I’m not being patronizing when I say I’m delighted people still take exception to, shall we say, racy content. Somehow, it’s reaffirming. It makes me smile.
Am I slightly irked by the negativity in these reviews? According to Bob and Pat, I’ve written a spiritual and highly engaging story sullied by sex and off-color language. Sounds damn entertaining to me! Now, come on folks, the book is only 9 bucks on Amazon. Tell them God sent you and you’ll receive free shipping!
The Happy Soul Industry
The Last Generation
Gods of Advertising 