The American Mind

The comments are popping. It was tough but rewarding making sure they got out of the moderation queue.

Let me get make this clear. I’m not ripping the Dixie Chicks. Except for the little Simpsons’ “Ha-ha” they were fairly classy. “Not Ready to Make Nice” is not a bad song. It’s got a hook and a good melody. (Thanks to Semisonic’s Dan Wilson.) Other than one autobiographical verse the song could fit a few different situations. It’s doesn’t mention President Bush or the war. It’s more vague. Years from now people will hear that song and not know the story, yet it will still be enjoyable.

My complaint is with the music industry who thought it wasn’t enough to vote against the President last November, donate to their anti-Republican candidates, or make their public statements. They had to turn the Grammys into a political statement. They had to display their outrage at their President and the Red Staters who voted for him.

Expect another statement when the movie industry sighs and coos over AlGore’s An Inconvenient Truth at the Oscars.

Why do entertainers feel the need to politicize their awards shows? Why the need to “send a message?” It’s a result of an inferiority complex they possess. These people have massive egos and drive, yet in the end deep down they know they’re just entertainers. They may make millions and have fans across the globe, but they know their importance is superficial. They don’t advance ideas or make history in ways business, political, or military leaders do. They don’t lead troops into war, broker peace, or build companies that last generations. Actors and musicians create popular culture which by its nature is faddish and fleeting.

Inside their skulls–even Alec Baldwin’s–they know their achievements don’t amount to much. Yet they’re put on pedestals where paparazzi chase them and magazines, television shows, and weblogs document their lives. There’s a disconnect: they garner so much attention yet, in the big scheme of things, for no really good reason. Entertainers need to compensate to bridge that disconnect. They feel the need to do something of substance. But they know they’re just entertainers. So they reach out for their industries’ biggest events and turn them into communications mechanisms to advance their agenda. Their group therapy sessions make news and push a message that would be more difficult to project via normal means.