It tax season once again so I guess we’ll all be contacting
our plumbers to assists us in our annual tax preparation. What, you don’t use a
skilled, licensed tradesman to review your finances and prepare your taxes? I
don’t either because, while my plumber is very good at doing things I could
never do, why would I possibly listen to his opinion about my taxes? That would kind of be like listening to…oh I
don’t know…an entertainer’s opinion about politics or pretty much anything
else.
Earlier this week I began noticing a lot of noise on the
news and social media about a speech Meryl Streep gave at some Hollywood award
show. I don’t watch award Hollywood award shows because the idea of watching a
bunch of entertainers dress up in fancy clothes and reinforce each other’s
fragile egos with shiny objects bores me to tears. I’d rather sit and listen to
group of women drone on about their husband’s inadequacies endlessly (you know….
watch Dr. Phil) than to watch a bunch of painted monkeys pat each other on the
back.
I’m not a huge fan of grown-ups receiving awards for doing
jobs that they get paid for. I have been nominated and even won a few awards
for writing this column over the last decade or so, but I’ve never attended a
ceremony and I couldn’t list the awards I’ve won; not because I’m humble (it’s
hard to be humble when you’re….well…me) but because I get paid for doing this.
I realize it’s an old fashioned notion but to your average working stiff (not that
I could ever claim to be a working stiff) getting paid is all the validation
you need that you’re doing your job well.
I didn’t hear Ms. Streep’s speech, nor have I read excerpts
from it because I really don’t care about her opinion. I don’t know her and, as
a general rule, I put little stock in the opinions of total strangers. That
said, whatever she said seemed to cause a hell of a stir from people who care
about such things.
Online the story about her “controversial” comments was
listed just above a story about the President-elect tweeting about her comments,
which was just above the story about a US Navy destroyer firing on Iranian
gunboats. I really wish I were making that up but on every media outlet I
checked (both the “lame-stream leftwing” media and the “fair and unbiased”
right wing mouthpieces) the fact that Americans had to defend themselves in
international waters was deemed less newsworthy than some thespian’s opinions.
What a load of crap!
What’s worse it seems my own group of friends felt the need
to weigh in on her rant and/or Mr. Trump’s rapier like Tweets in response.
There was an avalanche of comments and clever memes howling that the lefty
Hollywood types shut up and stick to entertainment. To make their point they
used memes quoting Mark Wahlberg, Clint Eastwood and Kid Rock…you know, the
good celebrities who know what they’re talking about. Please read that in the
heavy sarcastic tone that it was written with.
Other’s praised her for what they called her heroic and
courageous remarks. You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t “like and share”
comments about the courage of a millionaire who plays dress up for a living
when I just read that some young sailors are standing tall in harm’s way.
You’ve probably figured out by now that celebrities don’t
impress me. I’ve met three Presidents, a handful of Senators and Congressmen as
well as a whole group of movie actors and musicians over the years and they all
had one thing in common; they were just people who desperately need our
approval to make their living.
My plumber doesn’t give a rat’s ass whether I agree with his
opinions or think he’s charming as long as I pay my bill. I could not care less
if he worships a three-eyed alien god and voted for Elmer Fudd as long as he
can keep the water running in my house for a reasonable price. I feel the same
way about the people who entertain me; dress up, make me smile then go away.
For the record my plumber is sort of a good-looking guy, as
long as you don’t look at him from behind while he’s under the sink, and he
tells pretty funny jokes. Still, I won’t be posting his picture or thoughts on
my Facebook page because that would be weird…sort of like giving relevance to
anything an actor says about anything but acting.
Remember celebrities are like fear and telemarketers; if you
don’t pay attention to them, they eventually go away.
Well said man !!!
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