Mediocrity As Merit
We live in the age of the adoration of the serene witless, where mediocrity is seen as being meritorious. And why not? It does, after reflection, reveal a fascination with oneself, with the greater public. That public held in fascinated thrall to the fixed idea that only celebrity is worth emulating, that only those in the public eye who have attained the stature of the envied for having achieved notoriety by their witless behaviour are worth bothering with.
The truly incredible ascent of Sarah Palin a case in point. Where once people were admired for their intellect, their acumen, their sound judgement and universal values and, if they were in the political arena, pursuit of upholding the good of the public weal, they are now intimately invested in the private lives and idiosyncrasies of those who make themselves famous by being infamous.
Sarah Palin - inspired-and-failed vice-presidential candidate who managed to utterly amaze the Republican Party who, along with that old war-horse John McCain who really did know better, placed their trust in a down-home, plain-talking beauty queen mom who revelled in hunting and raw sports by revealing the shallow surface of her inclined cerebral functioning - has never looked back.
Her peccadilloes only made her fans more fond of the woman. She could attire herself splendidly in elegant designer clothing paid for by the Republican Party, but she was still that woolly-checkered hunting jacket backwoods-lover that they adored. And her tongue may have experienced difficulty tripping over words her vocabulary lacked, but they loved her - because she was just like them.
Most importantly, an unabashed and proud anti-intellectual, and let's hear it for them down-home folks! Who don't need no universal health care shoved down their tobacco-afflicted throats. Only those candidates reflecting her authentic street smarts need aspire to public office for the Tea Party set.
Unpretentious and outspoken and confident and brash, and able to put anyone who put her down in their dunce-capped place. If Barack Obama could speak of the audacity of hope, she could audaciously forward her impeccable credentials as a soccer mom, a sometimes-state-governor-when-it-suits-her, acclaimed author of a self-reverential autobiography, and presidential aspirant.
She exemplifies the zeitgeist of her time, uninformed, unlettered, self-absorbed and star-struck with her own entitled celebrity status.
You betcha.
The truly incredible ascent of Sarah Palin a case in point. Where once people were admired for their intellect, their acumen, their sound judgement and universal values and, if they were in the political arena, pursuit of upholding the good of the public weal, they are now intimately invested in the private lives and idiosyncrasies of those who make themselves famous by being infamous.
Sarah Palin - inspired-and-failed vice-presidential candidate who managed to utterly amaze the Republican Party who, along with that old war-horse John McCain who really did know better, placed their trust in a down-home, plain-talking beauty queen mom who revelled in hunting and raw sports by revealing the shallow surface of her inclined cerebral functioning - has never looked back.
Her peccadilloes only made her fans more fond of the woman. She could attire herself splendidly in elegant designer clothing paid for by the Republican Party, but she was still that woolly-checkered hunting jacket backwoods-lover that they adored. And her tongue may have experienced difficulty tripping over words her vocabulary lacked, but they loved her - because she was just like them.
Most importantly, an unabashed and proud anti-intellectual, and let's hear it for them down-home folks! Who don't need no universal health care shoved down their tobacco-afflicted throats. Only those candidates reflecting her authentic street smarts need aspire to public office for the Tea Party set.
Unpretentious and outspoken and confident and brash, and able to put anyone who put her down in their dunce-capped place. If Barack Obama could speak of the audacity of hope, she could audaciously forward her impeccable credentials as a soccer mom, a sometimes-state-governor-when-it-suits-her, acclaimed author of a self-reverential autobiography, and presidential aspirant.
She exemplifies the zeitgeist of her time, uninformed, unlettered, self-absorbed and star-struck with her own entitled celebrity status.
You betcha.
Labels: United States
posted by Pieface @ 6:07 PM
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