As IF Times

link: https://www.bitchute.com/video/uoJ14xgAIEPL

The linked story above is noteworthy not only for the circumstances surrounding the death of the young lady, since serious issues related to vaccines are becoming more and more difficult to ignore. But that’s another discussion. The interest lies more with the woman’s ‘profession’.

Imagine that as recently as only 5 years ago, you could have told someone that you’ve decided to be a Tik Tok influencer.  No one would have any idea what that was.  The precursor to this of course is the Facebook phenomenon wherein unremarkable people posted pictures of themselves doing, for the most part, unremarkable things. The really adept posters were able to frame their activities as more fun and much better than YOU could experience and hence they created a ‘following’.

In effect these savvy pioneers harnessed the inner envy and voyeuristic urges of most people (mainly women) and created lives to be oohed and ahhed over.  As we know, this activity evolved into other social media platforms that enabled focused commercialization of this ‘look at me’ zeitgeist. People, but mainly women, with only the advantage of youthful attractiveness, could propel themselves to fame and notoriety if they managed to attract the attention of interested voyeurs…and we know there’s an unlimited supply of those.  It’s well known that the Kardashian clan have monetized this dynamic into enormous wealth and fame.

The arrival of Instagram and now Tik Tok has created a veritable cornucopia of ‘talent’ trying to cash in on the ‘look at me’ business.  And it is a lucrative business. Recently, it was reported that Paige Spiranac, a golfer but now a very successful Tik Tokker and Instagrammer, has over 2 million followers to her adventures.  In her case, it’s likely not mostly teenaged girls but rather bug-eyed men. The size of this  audience is not lost on marketers of products as it’s rumored that for Paige to mention or support a product of any kind, would cost a minimum of $20,000.

So it’s a win-win proposition for ‘influencers’.  They do what they want, in some glamorized way, attain fame and maybe get paid a lot of money to do so. This is so much better than the old fashioned way of attaining fame and fortune by trying to become an actor and having to run the Harvey Weinstein gauntlet.  To be sure, like acting, success is not guaranteed, but it’s better than having to get a regular job.

It’s not the intent to sound cynical, because in fact these roles are necessary for the evolution of commerce.  In effect, these influencers, actors etc. are hawkers of products for various manufacturers.

As some may know, the moniker of ‘soap opera’ was coined to refer to television shows in the early 1950’s created solely to attract the viewership of housebound wives to hawk soap.  To this day, all television shows are created only with commercial interest as the objective. So in effect, the ‘influencers’ of today are the evolved exponents of marketing strategies. Nothing wrong with that of course, since logically, you use the skills that are conferred upon you.

I can only imagine the conversations in households as kids inform their parents that they are forgoing an education to become a Tik Tokker.  The parents plead with their kids to do something respectable such as lawyer, accountant …or actor.

link:  https://www.sportsnet.ca/golf/article/charl-schwartzel-wins-4-75-million-at-inaugural-liv-golf-event/

With all of the ongoing vexations occurring in the world today, the latest headline grabber comes from the sports world.  As we all know, the world of ‘sports’ has changed dramatically over the last few generations, evolving from earnest competitions among talented participants to become grossly commercial endeavours pitting billionaires vs billionaires and their stables of ponies.  Sports is big business and most everyone in the world is a fan of some kind of sports activity.

Worldwide, but especially in the US, sports is not a pastime of leisure, or of dilettantes.  It is serious business as virtually every college and university in America has a sports program that is the farm system for players hoping to turn professional.  None of these programs would exist if not for the monetization potential of any particular sport.  I suppose the javelin toss and hammer throw could be the exceptions.  They’ve yet to make the televising of throwing spears or iron balls appealing to the masses…. but maybe one day.

There is no question that money is the lifeblood for sports; we’ve become accustomed to eye popping sums offered to professional athletes based on their perceived ability to fill a stadium, draw TV viewership or hawk products.

One of the few sports to have escaped (somewhat) this crass commercialism was golf. Sure, the players wore logo’d shirts and hats, but the players were always portrayed as gentlemen whose goals were loftier than just the prize cheque for winning a tournament.  It was good enough to be recognized as good.  Or it was… until money started to drive the game, which began with Arnold Palmer and ultimately with the monetization of Tiger Woods.  As the game changed from the genteel sentiments of Bobby Jones to the present day “Nascar-ing” of the sport, money has become the dominant influence of the game.  Forget Titleist or Callaway, the number one driver in golf….is money.

The recent uproar in the genteel golf world laid bare this reality as an upstart league, the LIV tour, backed by wealthy Saudis, sought to lure top tier players away from the long established PGA tour by offering eye watering amounts of money to play in their tournaments.  To illustrate the lure, consider that Tiger Woods, arguably the greatest in the history of the game, won 18 major tournaments along with 82 regular victories.  His total earnings for his career amounts to just over 120 million dollars.  Dustin Johnson, with only a fraction of Wood’s success was offered 125 million dollars, just to come over to the new league. I’m not going to judge Johnson’s sense of allegiance or values, but we all know, he isn’t going to win 18 majors and 82 tournaments in his career.  The same is true for all of the other notable names that have elected to forgo the PGA brand for the LIV offering.  In other words, these athletes are doing what every other athlete does in any other sport, they go to the highest bidder.  Money has affected golf; what a shock!

Of course the other criticism levelled against the defecting players is that they are supporting a regime which has an abysmal record on human rights.  Not only that, but the Saudis are the source of nationals responsible for terror attacks on the US.  None of those accusations are unfounded.   But as in most narratives, there is the other side of the coin.  Nike, one of the biggest sponsors of players on the PGA tour, (and in fact all sports) manufacture most of their gear in China, a nation which pays as much attention to human rights as Italian drivers do to stop signs.

You could argue that the big money paid to elite athletes sponsored by Nike are in fact off the backs of suffering worker bees oppressed in China.  It’s somewhat akin to the superiority that drivers of electric cars feel over petrol drivers, even though their electricity is made from burning coal.  If we’re going to demonize nations for their repressive actions, that’s fair.  It’s also fair to then point out the repressions in all nations, including the US and Canada, oft considered paragons of liberty.

It’s fair to say that the past two years have seen the most repressive human rights agendas perpetrated by these very nations that most vocally protest the deeds of the Saudis.  As of this writing, Canada for example, has yet to allow all of its citizens from leaving the country. Certain parts of the US still force people to inject harmful products into their bodies in order to work.  Bank accounts are seized over actions critical to the governments.  I don’t expect PGA players to refuse cheques issued by sponsors in these countries.

Both arguments against the defecting players are hypocritical.  No one amongst us would pass on an offer of significantly higher income for doing the same thing.  That is illogical. If we expect these guys to play for the love of the sport, then people should also be expected to work because they love accounting.  As for the association with human rights thuggery; have a look in the mirror; objects are closer than they appear.