Celebs rule the world?
“Politics is like showbusiness for ugly people”, Roger Stone said in the documentary Get me Stone while grimming contemptuously. And it got me thinking. Is it really? Is our world truly governed by a bunch of failed wannabe actors and singers, fighting over the worlds’ attention on the news, basking in glory when elected for “role” of president, while leaving their competition to fulfill the much smaller roles of secretary of state, senators, advisors. It left me feeling even more dissapointed in the current state of affairs in our world than I was before. Does anyone in leadership positions actually care about what happens to humanity and the planet or do they view their roles as one big movie scenario, with the ultimate goal to make as much money as possible while enjoying the luxury pampering on set. The way potential presidents get elected all amounts to simply getting to know the right people, showing their sponsors that they will bring in the big bucks once the movie actually airs and gaining the biggest popularity by studying their target audiences and adapting their campaigns to the obtained statistics.
If you think about it, the richest people on earth are policiticians, CEOs and celebrities. But who of these three is the most influential? Lets go through them one by one. How do CEOs earn their money? Due to the capitalistic structure of society, usually their companies’ earnings amount to selling the most of a particular product or service. What do these products and services ultimately amount to? Making our lives easier, better, more beautiful. And the main reference point of an easy, beautiful life are celebrities. They are the ones shown in magazines with flawless skin and shiny hair, they are the ones we see on instagram flying in their private jets, swimming in infinity pools at the top of a 80-story building. Now, politicians. We have already discussed that their lives are little different from that of an actor in a movie. But they do have one additional allowed action: the passing of laws. But then again, what are these laws based on? In an ideal world they would make the lives of average human beings better and safer, but in reality often enough it again amounts to making money for themselves, or their CEO or celebrity friends. Finally, celebrities. Their jobs started out as essentially to provide entertainment to the world, but have since then have grown out to be so much more than that. I believe we underestimate the influence these people have on the world. Which name would ring a bell in the average person: Kim Kardashian or Jennifer Doudna? I believe the first one, while the second one is the leading figure in the development of CRISPR, a genome editor that can be used for genetic manipulation. You tell me which one is more significant.
Is there really not a better way to govern our nations? If the universe is indeed infinite and there are many more life carrying planets out there in other solar systems, would they all have the same way of governance? Or would they be looking down on us in a way a grown up looks at a monkey trying to ride a bicycle: a cynical smile that says maybe one day you will learn. We cannot and shouldn’t live our lives with the goals of ease, beauty and entertainment. Why do we give so much power to people that actually do so little for our world, while the very few that actually do noteworthy deeds are often neglected. Whenever I hear young girls and boys say they want to become bloggers, actors or models, it truly breaks my heart. Why do we give the role of role models to people that do so little good? Of course when looking at the photos of huge yachts, beautiful clothes and large swimming pools, it might seem like a dream to live a life like that, but in essence their lives are so empty, so meaningless. Lets not make it our goals to earn the most money or buy the biggest yacht. Lets make it our goal to add something good to the earth, to make the future children look up to you instead of Kim K, so that not the money you make but the knowledge you have and add is the ultimate power symbol. And of course, if in the end your invention allows you to buy a yacht, I am not stopping you.
