As IF Times

Source: Greta Thunberg | Speaker | TED  

If nothing else, you have to hand it to Greta’s handlers for pushing her front and center as an advocate for the Global Warming cause. Just 16 years of age and probably not yet finished her grade 10 math, she is nonetheless able to expound  and extrapolate the purported evils brought about by global warming.

Sure, we may believe in the old chestnut about wisdom from the mouth of babes, but that was before babes had handlers and sponsors and a wardrobe crew. Certainly it’s admirable for young people to have a sense of purpose and ambition beyond being an Instagram sensation, although she has accomplished that.  At least she always has clothes on.

I can think of the last famous young girl who gained notoriety for her courageous position on something and that was the legendary Joan d’Arc in France during the 15th century. Like Greta, Joan apparently heard voices, er had divine guidance, which told her how to overthrow the English during the Hundred Year’s War with France.  In a time when women, much less teenaged girls, were hardly considered worth paying any attention to, she was able to convince King Charles to give her an audience.   The court likely thought she was a nutter, but since the people supported her, he thought, what the hell, and gave her some armaments and horses.

This didn’t work out that well because she fell off her horse in battle, was captured by the less enlightened Brits and then there was that famous bonfire.

Our recent heroine Greta is unlikely to meet the same fate on a burning stake; it’s more likely her handlers will be torched for their vapidness in foisting Miss Thurnberg as the modern day Joan D’Arc.  Unable to demonstrate scientifically that the fantasy of Global Warming exists despite billions of dollars spent on marketing and propaganda, they now turn to the appeal of the children to plead their gossamer case. Why bring forth learned scientists when a 16 year old girl will do?  Heck if this works, they can copy this model for virtually any cause in society which can’t be swayed by sound logic and reason.  And it’s genius.  You can assail an adult, but you can’t be seen to be dissing a kid. Why do you hate young girls? Are you a misogynist?

Greta will play well in the primary schools where she will be admired as a role  model for kids to follow her path and convince their parents that the Earth has only 12 years left and therefore they should eat plants, ride bicycles and pay as much tax as the government wants.  After all, don’t their parents love them enough to give them a better future?

The path of this tack is predictable. Soon we’ll have Greta clones emerging as earnest voices to influence community policies ranging from straws to power stations. And also to not be rude.  Except that the voices that these kids hear will not be from within their heads. It will be from their handlers.

Source: NFL free agent Ryan Russell reveals hes bisexual in letter he calls my truth

In this current era of pervasive self absorption, the word “celebrity” has lost all meaning.  People in societies everywhere have always been fascinated with the lives of those apparently leading more interesting ones than their own.  The rich and powerful to be sure, but also the famous by virtue of their appearances in popular entertainment.

In America, that fascination focused on Hollywood stars beginning in the 40’s and 50’s when actors were credited with the personas they portrayed in their roles. Larger than life characters such as John Wayne, Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe and other assorted entertainers of the day provided ample headlines for the common folk just plugging along in their comparatively dull lives. Some may recall a very minor actress named Rula Lenska who did hairspray ads for Alberto VO5, supposedly a celebrity, but whom no one had ever heard of.

To this day, tabloids are still bursting with breathless headlines on the activities of the current crop of “celebrities”.  We’ve long passed the Brad and Angelina stage and have now moved on to various one hit wonders who are having their 15 minutes of fame.  The real outlet for celebrity adulation has moved on to new platforms now that the internet has become as common as wall outlets.  Social media is now the medium for spreading fame and notoriety.  Presumably, the exploits of everyone and anyone can be offered for the world to ogle.  It’s the democratization of fame.  Let’s not kid ourselves, what we are fed is still manipulated by small cabals of influencers; someone always runs to the front of a mob and pretends to lead a parade.  But notionally, we can now be exposed to the banal utterances of anyone who has opposable thumbs.

Now we are free to consume stories like the one in the linked article in which the hero exposes his personal truth to a presumably rapt audience.  No one has heard of the guy before, but he obviously thinks that his revelation is important enough to share with his fan base of 3.  The modern narcissistic selfie culture has made everyone think that their mundane exploits and banal observations are worthy of exposure on par with those with genuine accomplishments.  If a guy gets exposure for finding a cure for snoring, that’s one thing, but to expose your sexual proclivities, your preferred handbag, your recent meal at a chi chi restaurant is to spread spam.

This self delusion of importance has affected every level of society.  Consider the present crop of characters vying for the Democratic Presidential nomination.  It would be impossible for a screenwriter to make up the nutters that constitute the contenders.  Most of them are so deluded in their self importance and abilities that in another time, they would be confined to padded rooms wearing suits with the fancy arms that tie at the back. The idea that any of them have any standing at all speaks volumes about the makeup of the general population that first elected or supports them.  The message is that being a rational person with simple math skills is not really that important in potentially guiding the path of 330 million people.  Apparently being gay, or a skateboarder that fries burgers and changes tires, or a believer in healing crystals, or claiming native heritage, or a member of a visible minority, or a believer in junk science, or having sat in elected office for over 40 years is enough.

You would think that the democratization of information would allow people to make more critical judgments of the world and those around them.  But the opposite has happened.  Instead, people gravitate to those that reflect their own sensibilities and “truths”.  In doing so, they elevate those fringe people who would otherwise just mercifully and harmlessly yell into their own voids.  Fame and the delusion of its importance is a drug that has permeated all of our modern culture.  It allows for confirmation and self aggrandizing on a scale never before seen in history.

If you’re the Queen of Instagram, ie: Kim Kardashian, you may have a coterie of groupies hanging on to your every wardrobe malfunction.

But for all of the other would be celebrities out there, you’re all a bunch of Rula Lenskas.