I BELIEVE IN REALITY, NOT IN ITS “STARS”

When I was growing up, reality was the warmth of my parent, the fun I had with my brothers, the family gatherings on Sunday nights when my grandmother and aunts would drive the few miles to our home on the Southside of Chicago and we would have what Mom called, “a cold supper.” Sandwiches, olives and pickles, maybe coleslaw. The radio was often on, with some background music or the most recent hit song. It was during that time in my life when I asked my mother why all the songs on the radio were about love. I WAS A KID. Her answer was simple: “Love makes the world go round.” Our lives were simple.

Television was simple and it was rare. Today, life is lived against the background of the lives of others. When you have two pair of jeans but the film personality you follow on Twitter has 52 specially made pairs, you might turn away from your “phone” and feel bad about yourself.

FINDING REALITY IN YOUR OWN LIFE 

Perspective is needed in our world today, and yet we seem to be moving farther from it. What happens in the lives of the super wealthy–is not a reality that my children and my grandchildren will probably ever attain. Not that aren’t smart, good and beautiful enough to do so. But they are also WISE and their parents are WISE. Wisdom will set their reality on a line of perspective. Because life and living are real—not fantasy. We are “people” or “folks” I like to say. WE ARE NOT STARS. And truly, no one is. The definition of the society we built and hope to continue to build is democracy. WE THE PEOPLE. There are no kings and queens here. Sorry, someone in the White House.

DEFINITIONS 

A star is a fixed luminous point in the night sky that is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun. That’s my view and I’m sticking to it. The other definition should be changed. People who perform in film and television are not stars. They are people. Some have talent and some do not. So okay: I don’t believe that the people who are pulled into reality television or rise up because of numbers on Twitter or some other social media are stars. They are people.

MONEY

Ann Friedman wrote recently about Kylie Jenner being on the cover of Forbes. The youngest Kardashian became an almost billionaire at the age of 21. Woo hoo. Wow, gosh oh gee. The title of Friedman’s article: KYLIE KENNER DIDN’T BUILD THAT. Oh she is so correct and Friedman underlines this by writing: ...now in our economic climate, the odds of going from rich to filthy rich are pretty good. The odds of going from rags to riches have never been slimmer!!

Since 1982, Forbes has been publishing the rankings of the richest people. In 2014 it started a “self-made” score for the millionaires and billionaires. You score 1-5 if you inherited some of your fortune. You score 6-10 if you truly made it on your own. Oprah got an absolute 10!! Jenner got a 7 and Mark Zuckerberg of FB, got an 8.

What does Friedman write: These scores are delusional. Zuckerberg, the son of a dentist and a psychiatrist raised in Westchester County NY was educated at an elite boarding school, Phillips Exeter. Jenner, raised in Calabasas, CA was only ten when the reality TV show “Keeping up with the Kardashians” debuted. The money came pouring in and incrementally increased as they renewed their reality TV contract. And then there’s Kylie’s social media following.

People actually created a GoFundMe posting on Twitter and Instagram, asking fans to send money to help Jenner push to billionaire status. The GoFundMe page has raised $2,000. Those funds could do so much good in other places. What are people thinking?

But of course, the royal Kardashians defended the entire crazy situation. Heiress Paris Hilton stated: “It’s important to remember that Kylie’s cosmetics business was built by grinding.” Friedman writes: “Sure, Jenner was born on third base, but why not talk about how quickly she crossed home plate?”

THE AMERICAN DREAM 

In America today, Jenner’s journey is easy–for some. But it’s almost impossible to get off first base for most. Wages are rising faster for folks who already make a good living. And the traditional means of closing the money gap by getting a college education is now less of a guarantee.

What about the American myth of rages to riches? Pew found 1 in 5 people think that the dream is now out of reach for their family. And media has decided that it’s easier, sexier to shout out the success of Zuckerberg and Jenner than to focus on making more opportunities for folks who start out with nothing, like Oprah.

WE NEED TO CHANGE OUT FOCUS

Yes, President Obama once said of wealthy Americans, you didn’t build that. Or at least most of you didn’t. You had a leg up, a relative, an easy entrance into Harvard, the right skin color, no accent. That’s fine, Congratulations. But that should not be the ONLY American way. Bottom line, like the post I wrote last week, media coverage should feature those that became successful Americans because of their hard work, their tenacity and struggle, their bit-by-bit success. I will cheer them on every day. They will make me smile.

Want to feel good about your own personal reality? Help a family member; volunteer; work for a charity. But Kylie Jenner?? She didn’t build that, she just capitalized on what was already there.

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