US actor Shia LaBeouf during his He Will Not Divide Us livestream outside the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, in the Queens borough of New York on Jan. 24, 2017, as a protest against President Donald Trump (AFP photo). <\/p>\n
The profession of pretending to be other people, or things, for the entertainment of an audience stretches back in history to before the ancient Greeks. The individuals performing in ancient times grasped with complex ideas such as the philosophy of liberty, citizenship, and acted out the philosophical tales of the gods, rife with messages of morality. Early actors portrayed thought-provoking situations in every performance. Then came the medieval ages of Europe. Plays were no longer written by great philosophers solely to promote ideas of import. Playwrights and poets now had a much more important goal to entertain the powerful and wealthy. <\/p>\n
Enter the fool. <\/p>\n
Since medieval times, fools, or as they are colloquially referred to, celebs, have been focused on using flattery, comical distress and exaggerated action to distract others from the woes of day to day life. Even when writers such as Shakespeare and Chaucer, exceptions proving the rule, make an appearance, it must be remembered that the most serious of themes throughout a literary masterpiece could be undermined by the drag queens which then pranced on stage in imitation of women. <\/p>\n
We should rejoice that the preforming arts are no longer bound by discriminatory rules, and that women are free to participate. It remains the case, however, that much of the modern entertainment industry is unwilling to make an audience uncomfortable to think. It is far easier to use ever-increasingly crass and base humour to elicit a few laughs, or to turn the cheese, nostalgia or exaggerated gore up to 11 to get a response. Should anyone dare to attempt breaking this practice becoming a true provocateur they are often pushed outside the mainstream as if they had said something truly dangerous. Perhaps those who would hark back to the Greeks have done something dangerous; dangerous to their fellow performers. God forbid too many people should wake up. <\/p>\n
Possibly the most worrying trend with modern fools is their belief that their fame gives them special insight into politics, economics, science and philosophy. Regardless of the topic, actors seem to think that they have a deeper understanding of the world, and as such will fight for what they know to be right. They, of course, insist that their position is the rebellious one, never once taking a second to look around and realise that they are the un-silent minority, so full of hyperbole that most people will agree with them just to shut them up. Hopefully, after the battering the illiberal regressive left took in 2016, they are starting to get the message. <\/p>\n
We cannot, however, place blame for their actions solely with themselves. After all, the public will often not speak out denouncing their drivel and, on occasion, seem to actually listen. This is, of course, because the profession of the fool is to portray emotions, often in a bloated sense; as such it comes naturally to most actors to seem very certain about their opinions on any number of topics which they know nothing about. The result, unfortunately, is certain members of the public are convinced. <\/p>\n
Would you trust a carpenter to remove a wisdom tooth? Would you hire a dentist to fix your boiler? If you wouldnt trust fashion designer to repair your car, then why on Earth would you trust an actor to inform you about politics and morality? Considering how often those working in Hollywood are revealed to have a substance, or drinking, or gambling, or prostitution problem then why would you take advice from them on making smart, rational and informed decisions about how you want your life to be governed? Worse still, some might listen to those actors who come across as genuine and seem to understand what life is like for everyday individuals, but it is most often the case that this could not be further from the truth. As if the huge pay checks werent enough, fame often excuses payment altogether for things we ordinary citizens have to pay for. Add the glamourous lifestyles, the nature of the work they do, and the people they are surrounded by, and eventually we can see that most actors and entertainers are so far removed from the lives of their audiences, and so out of touch with the public, that they cannot possibly understand what day to day life is like for the masses. <\/p>\n
We dont necessarily need to ignore celebs; in fact, when Jay-Z raps about crack and hoes, just before endorsing the next cultural Marxist the Democrats field, Id strongly urge everyone to take note of what he represents and the hypocrisy on display. We do, however, need to stop placing their opinions above our own reasoning. Treat everything they say as if they were just another person standing in line to get their morning coffee. If they put forward reasonable thought through arguments that strike a chord, then take note. <\/p>\n
It shouldnt matter how much they or anyone else cries and screams that the Earth is flat, you know better. While modern fools might be only one weapon the illiberal regressive left use, they are a particularly nauseating one, so can we please tell them to shut up already. <\/p>\n
* Nathan Brown is a 24 year old politics student. He is a member of the Conservative Party in Great Britain and a self-proclaimed one-nation libertarian, with influences such as Milton Friedman, Ron Paul, Benjamin Disraeli, and Margret Thatcher. When not talking politics, Nathan enjoys spending his time pursuing outdoor activities or relaxing with a single malt scotch and a cigar. <\/p>\n
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