It's not the twentieth century anymore. And the media and titans of yesteryear and those following in their footsteps are ignorant and unaware.
The landscape has changed. For all the doody about adoration of artists, more people now believe artists are no better than they are. The emperor has no clothes. Let me see, the people being hit have been built by a machine that requires willingness more than talent. These acts are foisted on the public like they are gods, when in truth they're frequently empty vessels, parading their wealth and lifestyles with supposed impunity. The hoi polloi has had enough, they want to bring these people down a notch or two. And whatcha gonna do about it?
Gonna sue 'em like file-traders? Gonna arrest 'em? Are you even able to find out who they are? Are you going to lock down concerts? Give privileges to the beefy security guards who used to be sued on a regular basis after mishandling the public?
Income inequality. It's your fault you're not rich. Oh yeah? You keep telling us that, but we don't believe it. Forget the blind ignoramuses supporting Trump, those delusional people are driving the Republican party off a cliff. I don't care how old Biden is, unless you're a dyed-in-the-wool Trumper you're never going to vote for that man. In other words, the Republican brass has lost control. As has Fox News. Even Trump himself. He praised vaccines and got booed. This is what happens when you feed the monster, the monster devours you.
So what has happened in the past two decades is the public has gained the power of communication. Used to be you needed a media outlet to get your voice heard, and then only a tiny few got the privilege, oftentimes through connections. Media ruled and it was believed the public was going along.
Then the public got a voice.
TikTok is more powerful than Netflix. Think about that. The government pooh-poohs it, the Chinese company spends no money on "programming," and the public eats it up. Because the public is into visceral, into life. It doesn't want a bland presentation massaged for mass consumption, it wants the truth, reality, which is always stranger than fiction. Why watch a phony dating show when you've got people of all ages and all sexual persuasions testifying as to their experiences online? Regular people, not just the beautiful picked by TV producers. Talking about real issues, like cheap dates who want to split the tab, never mind whacked dates.
The lunatics have taken over the asylum because those running the asylum believed that change does not happen. This is how Trump got elected in the first place, it was a giant middle finger to Hillary and the establishment. They were sick and tired of being told they didn't count, to get to the back of the line, by people who kept telling them they were smarter.
Of course there was white nationalism. Woken up by Trump via dog whistles online, and then good people on both sides hogwash. Trump understood the media landscape. How it was now one to one, and you had to make news every day. Trump understood more about media relations than anybody else, he went directly to the public, screw the middleman. This is how you do it in music today, forget radio, forget the in-betweens, go directly to fans. And don't insist on the brass ring. The Grammys, the trophies... The public believes they're fake, and there are no trophies for them anyway.
In other words, if you're out of touch and rich, you're a target. Like Howard Schultz in Congress. You made those billions all by yourself, as if we didn't buy all that coffee? It happened in a vacuum? And Bob Iger castigating the talent for wanting more when he makes triple-digit millions? And even Zaslav, canceling that Batgirl movie, in one fell swoop he lifted his profile and became an object of hatred.
We're in the midst of a reckoning right now. Will it succeed? I'm not betting on it, but people are pissed about income inequality. We've got unions and strikes and the only people on the fat cats' side are other fat cats.
So you take the stage at some overpriced gig, not only the tickets, but the fare. And then someone in the audience feels empowered by their buddies and throws something at you, demonstrating their power. Whatcha gonna do? You can't sue, these people are judgment proof, it's the star who has the cash. And if you think you've got the public on your side...
Miranda Lambert stopped the show and criticized the people down front for taking selfies and... The woman in the audience got national publicity, sympathy. She paid, why shouldn't she be able to do what she wants? She became a hero instead of a zero.
And the wealthy and supposedly powerful keep trying to corral us. Tell us we're wrong. Don't use TikTok, it's bad, you're sacrificing your privacy! Meanwhile, we've got no privacy, our data is everywhere and the government helps collect it. And now you're worried? That ship sailed long ago.
Like Congress in general. Nitwits like Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene. They delusionally believe they are powerful. And they have been elected in their gerrymandered districts, but in truth they're laughingstocks. The institution of Congress has been brought down more than a couple of notches. I mean if these nincompoops can get elected... And then there's the Supreme Court. Getting endless gifts and making excuses about it like a five year old. Well, if I didn't take the seat on the private jet it would have gone empty, so there was no gift to me. In what world does this wash? None!
But you expect the public to respect you and the institution? Used to be people were afraid of lying in court, now we've got an ex-President who lies every time he opens his mouth and a rigged judicial system that can't be trusted. Who are you gonna believe in? Yourself!
Don't tell me I'm wrong, don't even think this is about politics. Those are just examples, it crosses many lines. Like the Bud Light boycott. That's about the public, not the leaders. They want to give the middle finger to Budweiser, show the company who's boss. And they did!
The corporations are hipper than the government. But they've got no backbone. Hell, Bud Light should have doubled-down, instead it caved, satisfying no one. This is the age of credibility, it's oftentimes more powerful than money. Have an identity, have beliefs, and stick to them. Don't do anything for the money, those are entertainers. And sure, influencers will take corporate money, but many are brain dead and even though their audiences might be large, they're de minimis in the overall scheme of things, and the media just focuses on the stars because that's all it knows how to do, when really it's about the nobodies, the endless sea of nobodies, that feels it's been pissed upon for years and isn't going to take it anymore.
The public is on the side of the unions, both nascent at Starbucks and Apple, and striking like the WGA and SAG. People can't understand how Apple, the richest company in the world, can't lay out a little more. Why not? Ditto on Starbucks, on every corner, an American institution, why should Howard Schultz get all that money?
This is what the internet has wrought. It has brought us together, showed that we are like-minded and have power, that we are not lone wankers. Come on, go online, you can find a group for anything and everything. You feel included. The media might not pay attention, but you feel powerful.
This is the story of our age.
And the powers-that-be think they can just quash it as opposed to appease it, get in bed with it. Only a police state could change the course of history. Which some people want. Yes, those Trumpers feel powerful. As for that Jim Caviezel movie, a conspiracy-mongering piece of trash, it's got a huge gross based in large part on people not going to the theatre. Don't you know that story? Sold out shows are empty. They're gaming the system.
You have to pay attention.
And the way you do this is by participating too. By going online, by being on social media. But all traditional media can do is decry the internet. Put your phone down! Don't upgrade it! Take time off! As if everybody is a harried executive working 24/7. No, the average person... Do you know anybody without a smartphone? Oh, I hear from Luddites and will after just writing that, but I do not know anybody without a smartphone, ANYBODY, except for people under ten. Think of the power, more computing power than landed men on the moon, right in your pocket. And the ability to not only consume, but broadcast your thoughts and beliefs across the entire world, instantly.
But even some supposedly bright people are clueless. Like Elon Musk. Turning Twitter, er, X, over to bros who ruined the platform. That's what freedom looks like. Hell, the public doesn't even understand free speech. A social network can edit and censor anything it wants, it's a private company, not the government. But people believe they've got a raw right to say whatever they want whenever they want. Are you surprised people are throwing objects at entertainers?
You shouldn't be.
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